Here at Transcription City, we offer a range of transcript layouts and styles in order to meet the needs and specifications of our clients. However, if you are using a transcription company for the first time, it can be daunting when faced with all the transcription options available and knowing which one is best suited to your needs. With that in mind, we thought we’d help to clarify things a little over the next few weeks, by outlining some of the transcription services we have on offer, explain what they are and help you decide what options are most suited to you when it comes to choosing the right transcription style.
Paraphrased transcription is a form of transcription where the meaning is shortened or summarised to provide an overview of what transpired during an audio or video recording. This differs significantly from strict verbatim transcription or intelligent verbatim transcription, in that a paraphrased transcript will not only omit redundant sections of dialogue, but will contain more structured sentences. Grammar, punctuation and syntax will also be altered to provide a more concise reading experience. Paraphrased transcription is not designed to convey anything other than the original message and shortens the transcript significantly. Although our paraphrased transcription services are a form of edited transcript they should not be confused with our edited transcription services, which are more focused on the style, tone and syntax required by the client.
Examples of Paraphrased Transcription
Below are comparatives of a sentence typed in our most popular transcription styles:
Strict verbatim transcription: “I would, erm, like, you know, um, like to know… like to know what an… what an edited transcription is. I’d, um, like, like to know why we, we may need one in the future and, um, like, you know, what the benefits might be”
Intelligent verbatim transcription: “I would like to know what an edited transcription is. I’d like to know why we may need one in the future and what the benefits might be”
Paraphrased Transcription: “I would like to know what edited transcript is, why we might need one and what the benefits are.”
As you can see from the examples above, a paraphrased transcript is much easier to read and keeps to the point. However, many clients do prefer to have most of the dialogue included, so most will opt for an intelligent verbatim transcript (which remains our most popular transcription style).
Benefits of Paraphrased Transcription
One of the main benefits of a paraphrased transcript is its readability. For example, a paraphrased transcript that has been typed with skill can be particularly useful as a reference point for business meetings or as an alternative to standard minutes. Paraphrased transcription can also be useful to clients who don’t have the time to read through pages and pages of long-winded answers and dialogue for the information they need. Paraphrased transcription will stick with the facts only, so will provide the client with data that is plain and much easier to find than with other, more traditional transcription styles.
Uses and Variations of Paraphrased Transcription
One of the best things about our transcription services is that they are tailored to our clients needs. So paraphrased transcription can be modified into a transcript that provides the information you need. For instance, perhaps you want the interviewer questions to be paraphrased, but the respondent’s answers to be verbatim or intelligent verbatim. Perhaps you want all certain sections of dialogue or certain speakers to be paraphrased, whilst others are transcribed intelligent verbatim. A mixture of paraphrased and verbatim transcription is often used in transcription of video rushes, where the interviewers questions will not be shown, but the client still needs a reminder of the questions asked for ease of editing.
Here at Transcription City, we tailor our transcription services to meet the needs and requirements of our clients. We offer a wide range of transcription styles and virtual assistant services that can be used alone or combined to create a service that is fast, friendly and reliable. We are always happy to hear from you, so if you have any questions or would like us to design a bespoke transcription package, why not get in touch today? We look forward to connecting with you.
