Transcription technology?

[Steven Talmy]

Hello everyone,

As far as I know, the short answer to Steve's question is no, there is 
no transcription software that one can use to transcribe interviews, at 
least automatically (i.e., plug an mp3 file into it and it spits out a 
transcript). However, there are many other options, as I'll describe in 
a moment. In answer to Galey's question, yes, there is software that 
allows you to plug a foot pedal into a USB port on your computer: 
ExpressScribe <http://www.nch.com.au/scribe/index.html>

More on Steve's question:

In my experience, there is no substitute for an experienced transcriber 
sitting down, listening to the audio/video record, and transcribing it. 
If you have lots of money, I would suggest hiring a research assistant, 
and training them in the theory and practicalities/conventions of 
transcription that you are after. You could also hire a professional 
transcriber, but the ones I've hired in the past have been very 
expensive, and usually "tidied up" the data, e.g. glossed over 
micro-details such as pauses, false starts, hesitations, etc. It's 
definitely not the case that all transcripts must include such details, 
but if that's what you're after, you'll need to train someone. 
Regardless, if you have someone else transcribe your data, I think it's 
important to go over what they wind up producing to check it.

I use Audacity (freeware) for my transcriptions, and type right into 
Word. <http://audacity.sourceforge.net/?lang=en>. Here are a few other 
alternatives. This is by no means an exhaustive list, so please add to it!

Transcriber (freeware) is good, though I haven't used it much recently: 
http://trans.sourceforge.net/en/presentation.php

F4 (freeware) is also good, and can be used with video: 
http://www.audiotranskription.de/english/f4.htm

CLAN (freeware) has been developed explicitly for CA: 
http://www.paultenhave.nl/clan.html

Transana ($50) is very good for video (also audio): http://www.transana.org/

Dragon Naturally Speaking ($200 for Preferred version, now in version 
10) is probably closest to what Steve is looking for. It's an excellent 
(really impressive) talk to text application: you speak into a USB mic 
connected to your computer and it transcribes what you say. It requires 
quite a bit of training to your voice, and prefers very clear input with 
little background noise, which makes it pretty much unworkable in terms 
of plugging in a sound file of naturally occurring talk and having it 
transcribe it. I've tried it on interview recordings and classroom 
interactions, and the results have been laughable: pretty much 
gibberish. Maybe in a few more years...? Regardless, I have had students 
tell me they use it to do preliminary transcripts: they listen to the 
audio of an interview, e.g., then speak what was said on the recording 
into the mic, and DNS converts that to text. That still takes quite a 
lot of time though, and requires further editing for details of 
delivery, turn-taking etc. I personally only use DNS for transcribing 
fieldnotes, and for making comments on students' papers. I don't like 
using it for much more than that. 
<http://www.dragon-medical-transcription.com/dragon_naturally_speaking_Preferred.html>.

This is a really incomplete list, so I'd love to hear what others use.

All the best,

Steven

..................................................................
Steven Talmy, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Language & Literacy Education
University of British Columbia
2125 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC  V6T 1Z5
Canada

Office:
Ponderosa E 221
604.822.2353
604.822.3154 (fax)

LLED website: <http://www.lled.educ.ubc.ca>
personal website: <http://educ.ubc.ca/faculty/talmy>




On 5/12/2010 12:31 PM, galey modan wrote:
> Further to Steve's question, I'd be interested to know if anyone knows
> of any good transcription technology which allows you to use a foot
> pedal so you can keep your fingers on the keyboard and stop and
> backspace with your foot, like the old-fashioned cassette transcribing
> machine way.
>
> Galey
>
> 2010/5/12 Leila Monaghan<leila.monaghan at gmail.com>:
>    
>>  From Steve Bialosok, please reply to him--
>> Steve Bialostok<stevebialostok at yahoo.com>  (University of Wyoming)
>> 10:39am
>> I am looking for some sort of transcription technology. My work involves
>> both interviews and classroom discourse.  I am unaware of sophisticated
>> software other than the type you can buy between $100-200.00 at Best Buy or
>> the Apple Store. I have been given a substantial amount of money (far more
>> than $200.00) to buy something that works well. And since I'm techno-stupid,
>> I'm hoping that it doesn't take a genius to make it work. Anyone out there
>> have any ideas or product names. (And to all those techno-savy folk out
>> there, what is "easy" and "simple" for you may be brain surgery for me.)
>> Steve
>>
>> --
>> Leila Monaghan, PhD
>> Department of Anthropology
>> University of Wyoming
>> Laramie, Wyoming
>>
>>      
>