Verbatim: Clean vs. Strict

Your project manager will specify which style to use for a given project. However, bear in mind that certain projects may follow a different style beyond strict or clean verbatim, requiring the transcriptionist to take more or less liberties -- depending on what the transcript's end purpose is. Your project manager will make the appropriate specifications.

Strict Verbatim

Transcribe everything exactly as spoken. This includes all stutters, repeated words, false starts, and utterances such as “uh,” “um,” “ah,” “hm,” etc.

You hear this:

Jane Doe: He - he - he, uh - I think he was say- he was saying that he, um, isn’t coming.

You type this:

Jane Doe: He - he - he, uh - I think he was say- he was saying that he, um, isn’t coming.

Strict verbatim is the style used in Law Enforcement transcription. The project manager will indicate if other types of transcription require strict verbatim.

Clean Verbatim

Transcribe everything spoken BUT lightly edit to remove stutters, repeated words, false starts, and utterances such as “uh,” “um,” “ah,” “hm,” etc.

You hear this:

Jane Doe: He - he - he, uh, I think he was say- he was saying that he, um, isn’t coming.

You type this:

Jane Doe: I think he was saying that he isn’t coming.

Clean verbatim is the style use in Standard transcription, unless otherwise noted by the project manager.

Important note: when translating audio from a source language into a target language (i.e. interpretive transcription), verbatim does not mean literal translation, or translating word-for-word. In other words, the translation should be not only grammatically correct, but also readable and fluid.

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