ORAL HISTORY TRANSCRIPTION

A component of academic transcription that is gaining in importance is Oral History Transcription. This transcription process involves transcribing spoken history into hard copy transcripts. Some benefits of oral history interview transcriptions are:

• Data preservation: oral history transcripts obtained by transcribing audio or video recordings reduce the wear and tear on the tapes.
• The transcripts can serve as the basis for documentaries, books or lectures.
• Oral history project transcripts are accessible to the hearing impaired or to people without access to the recordings.

The audio or video recording of an oral history memoire or interview is a research document. Transcripts transcribed from recordings also represent, in print, the words and extraneous sounds recorded on the tape. An oral history transcript is therefore a primary historical source, and must be an accurate transcription, reflecting the word, speech and thought patterns of the interviewee(s). Accuracy, not speed, is the oral history transcriber’s goal, and verbatim transcription is the norm.

The professional transcriptionists at Transcription Company.Co.UK can provide transcription services in all areas of transcription, including academic transcription and oral history transcription. We provide expert transcription from cassette tape, digital file, as well as video and DVD formats. Our transcriptionists give personal attention to individual clients’ preferences while maintaining the highest standards of oral history transcription. Our transcriptionists will always ask customers to designate a single, standard dictionary for each oral history transcription project. Together with the client, the transcriptionists will set guidelines for the consistent spelling of regional words. Phonetic transcription skills are often required in oral history transcription projects, and Transcription Company.Co.UK’s professional transcriptionists are familiar with phonetic alphabets used to capture the actual pronunciation of words.

Transcription Company.Co.UK is a multi-faceted business providing transcription, translation and closed-captioning services. Our professional translators often work together with our Transcription Services department to deliver language transcription (French transcription, Spanish transcription, German transcription and Portuguese transcription) and transcript translation services– an advantage that is extremely useful in research transcription, academic transcription and oral history transcription.