Information about transcription software

[Susana Tornero]

Thanks for sharing all your experience, Annie, and I think you are probably
right.
I also asked people from LLACAN in Paris and they told me that so far there
is no software who can process an audio file to a text file with trustworthy
results. So it seems that the tradicional way is still the best way,
although some of the software may do thinks easier, I suppose.
I am new in this field and there are so much issues that have to be taken
into account, that all your comments are really useful to me.

Thank you very much again!

Cheers,

Susana

2011/10/6 annie ross <annier at sfu.ca>

> dear Susana and friends:
>
> i am not a linguist nor an expert, but i do have experience with
> transcribing oral histories.
>
> i have tried a software program (5 years ago) with notably poor results. i
> know software changes daily, and perhaps it is the answer to your issue now.
>  that would make the work so much faster, and i would love to know if
> something like that exists and works.
>
> issues i have seen in transcriptions:
>
> when i reviewed transcriptions of Harrington's Tewa notes, for example,
> when compared with his original hand-written notes, i found there were
> transcriber's errors in the spelling of many words, although Harrington
> wrote the correct version; especially names (personal and place). synonyms
> were put in place in some instances, giving the 'information' a new and
> unintended meaning. a person who had lived in the area and been involved in
> the landscape and people would see the errors, but most folks, would not.  i
> worried about this, and how this might lead future researchers astray,
> especially when mining the transcribed information for data on clans, land,
> and all.
>
> as for oral taped interviews, in my experience, nothing can take the place
> of a human transcriptionist, And, a final review with the tapes by the
> original researcher.
>
> issues:
>
> *  local spelling of words;
> *  local names that do not appear on maps nor in current memory;
> *  regional meanings of words (aboriginal-centric);
> *  clarification of meaning in context of the interview to explain pauses,
> hand gestures, gaps, stops;
> *  use of slang relevant to a small region;
> *  metaphors based on traditional religion, politics, spiritual beliefs;
> *  idiocyncratic phrases;
> *  names (nick-names, clan names, euphamisims, a name with a meaning
> 'there' vs. its meaning 'here');
>
>
> also, even with a professional transcriptionist (mine who is fantastic and
> wonderful, BTW), i find errors in the final copy.
>
> thank you. keep up the good work!
>
> good luck to us all in all things.
>
> annie
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Phillip E Cash Cash <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU>
> To: ILAT at listserv.arizona.edu
> Sent: Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:52:11 -0700 (PDT)
> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Information about transcription software
>
> Hi Susana,
>
> Great project!  I think you have come to right place with your
> question.  We have a wide array of language experts here (native and
> non-native) that can assist you.
>
> So I would like to encourage all of you (here on ILAT) to drop a note
> to Susana and all of us.  Your answer/reply will reach many others
> here who have a similar interest.
>
> Phil
> UofA
>
>
> On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 6:21 AM, Resa Crane Bizzaro <resa.bizzaro at iup.edu>
> wrote:
> > Hi, everyone. Sorry to bother you all.
> >
> >
> >
> > Susana, your project sounds wonderful. Will information be available to
> > anyone via the internet when you are finished (or as you go along)?
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> >
> >
> > Resa
> >
> >
> >
> > From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:
> ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
> > On Behalf Of Susana Tornero
> > Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2011 5:56 AM
> > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> > Subject: [ILAT] Information about transcription software
> >
> >
> >
> > Hi to everyone,
> >
> > I am working on a research group from the antrophology department on
> > Barcelona University, we are collecting folktales from the people of
> > Barcelona from african origin in their mother tongue. The objective is to
> > provide material online with videos of folktales in the original
> languages
> > with subtitles.
> >
> > Now I am searching the appropiate software, but I need information about
> how
> > to process the material first. There is a software capable to transcribe
> a
> > voice archive into the International Phonetic Alphabet? We would also
> like
> > to have good material for linguistic analysis, word-to-word translation
> and
> > final translation for the final publication of the tales if possible.
> >
> > I have heard about Toolbox, and I downloaded the program, but as far I
> can
> > see, these software works only with text files. Am I right? I suppose
> there
> > is another program who can do that part of the process, but I am not sure
> > about it. There is anyone who can help me to find out?
> >
> > Thank you very much!
> >
> > Susana Tornero
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> --
> dr. annie grace ross
> assistant professor
> First Nations Studies
> Simon Fraser University
> 8888 University Drive
> Burnaby, British Columbia
> CANADA
> annier at sfu.ca
> http://www.sfu.ca/annieross/
>
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