TRANSCRIBER OPERATIONS MANUAL (TOM)

TRANSCRIBER OPERATIONS MANUAL (TOM) Version 2: 2011

CONTENTS COMPANY VISION Page 7 A. ABOUT US B. PURPOSE OF THE TRAINING & OPERATIONS MANUAL (TOM) OPERATIONS GUIDELINES Page 9 A. STATEMENT B. KEY POINTS 1. MEETING DEADLINES a) Deadlines b) Time management 2. AVAILABILITY a) Flexibility b) Commitment c) Contact us daily! d) Periods of absence 3. WORK IN PROGRESS a) Check your files b) Check with Operations c) Keep Operations informed d) Do research 4. INVOICING a) Remuneration b) Charge rates c) Invoicing process 2

OPERATIONS POLICIES Page 13 A. APPLYING TO WORK FOR WAY WITH WORDS GROUP 1. APPLICATION PROCESS a) Tests and Assessments b) Geographic location 2. ASSESSMENT PROCESS a) Assessment process 3. CONTRACTING a) Independent Contractor Transcribers b) Office-based Transcribers c) Probation B. APPOINTMENT, GRADING & PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS 1. TRANSCRIBER LEVEL a) Levels b) Level: promotion c) Level: remuneration 2. GRADING a) Transcriber Grades b) Purpose of Grades c) Grade changes 3. PERFORMANCE a) Performance criteria: Independent Contractors b) Performance Appraisal Reviews: Independent Contractors c) Performance criteria: Office-based Transcribers d) Performance Appraisal Reviews - Office-based transcribers C. WORKFLOW 1. COMMUNICATING WITH OPERATIONS a) Transcriber availability: Independent Contactors b) Transcriber availability: Office-based transcribers 3

2. CLAIMING JOBS a) Job claims 3. CHECKING AUDIO FILES & TRANSCRIPTS a) Audio file quality pre-check b) Deadline confirmation c) Transcript quick check 4. RETURNING TRANSCRIPTS a) Job return deadlines 5. QUALITY CONTROL a) Process b) Standards D. ADMINISTRATION 1. RECORDKEEPING a) Confidentiality requirements 2. INVOICING a) Independent Contractors b) Office-based Transcribers 3. TRANSCRIBER BONUS a) Transcriber bonus: Office-based b) Transcriber bonus: Independent Contactors E. DISCIPLINE 1. APPLICATION 2. POOR BEHAVIOURS a) Late transcripts b) Poor quality of work 3. LETTER OF WARNING: STEPS a) 1 st Letter of Warning b) 2 nd Letter of Warning c) Termination 4

4. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS Contractual Breaches TRANSCRIBER STYLE & FORMAT GUIDE Page 25 A. TEMPLATES 1. DEFAULT AND TIME-CODING TEMPLATES 2. OTHER TEMPLATES 3. ACCESSING THE TEMPLATE 4. CUSTOMISING THE TEMPLATE B. SPEAKER KEY C. FORMATS 1. STANDARD FORMAT 2. SMART FORMAT 3. FULL VERBATIM FORMAT 4. EXAMPLES a) Full Verbatim b) Standard c) Smart D. TRANSCRIPT MARKINGS 1. TRANSCRIPT MARKINGS WHICH ARE TYPED WITHIN THE TEXT OF THE DOCUMENT 2. TRANSCRIPT MARKINGS WHICH ARE TYPED BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS AGAINST THE LEFT MARGIN E. TIME CODING 1. WHAT IS A TIME CODE? a) Examples F. PUNCTUATING TRANSCRIPTS 1. PUNCTUATION a) A, B, etc b) And, But and So c) Apostrophes on abbreviation plurals and dates d) Bolding e) Brackets (parentheses) 5

f) Commas g) Ellipses h) Etcetera, for example, that is i) Exclamation Marks j) Full Stops (periods) k) Highlighting l) Italics m) Now n) Speech Marks o) Underlining p) Ums and Ahs q) Words spelt out r) Numbers 2. GENERAL a) Acronyms b) Common Mistakes c) Contracting d) Dictation e) Grammatical Mistakes f) Groups g) Idioms h) Interviewers Prompts i) Paragraphing j) Quality Control k) Slang l) Commonly Confused Pairs of Words OPERATIONS WORKFLOW ONLINE Page 46 A. SOFTWARE 1. WINDOWS LIVE MESSENGER (MSN MESSENGER) a) Download b) Email handle c) Updates 2. MICROSOFT WORD a) Download b) Alternatives 3. AUDIO SOFTWARE 4. TRANSCRIPTION SOFTWARE 6

a) FTW Transcriber b) Express Scribe 5. OTHER a) Adobe PDF Reader B. HARDWARE 1. TRANSCRIPTION EQUIPMENT 2. SOUND QUALITY HARDWARE C. THE ORDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (OMS PRIMARY SERVER) 1. LOGGING IN 2. OMS TRANSCRIBER PANEL 3. DOWNLOADING SOUND FILES 4. ALLOCATION OF WORK 5. DOWNLOADING PROBLEMS 6. UPLOADING TRANSCRIPTS 7. OMS BACKGROUND COLOURS 8. BOUND/ UNBOUND TRANSCRIPTS 9. ERRORS IN UPLOADING 10. EARLY BIRD 11. OTHER ISSUES 12. VIDEO FILES D. SCRIBEMANAGER (soon to be SCRIBEWAY) (SECONDARY SERVER) 1. DESCRIPTION 2. LOGGING IN 3. ALLOCATING AND CLAIMING WORK a) Allocation b) Claiming 4. BOUND AND UNBOUND JOBS 5. UPLOADING A FILE 6. WHAT THE COLOURS MEAN 7. TRANSCRIPTION RECORD PAGE 8. PROFILE PAGE CONTACT WAY WITH WORDS GROUP: OPERATIONS Page 59 7

COMPANY VISION Because Words Matter Welcome to our team and our family. As the leading English-language transcription service worldwide we pride ourselves not only on our work quality and ethic but for what we can achieve together. 1. ABOUT US Way With Words Group is a quality English-language transcription service provider. Our business is founded on the principles of excellence and teamwork to serve our clients professionally and promptly through industry-leading practice. 2. PURPOSE OF THE TRAINING & OPERATIONS MANUAL (TOM) The Way With Words Group Training & Operations Manual provides a comprehensive yet simply laid out guideline to all matters that concern our transcribers, these being: our guideline behaviours, policies, transcript style layout and grammar requirements, technical usage of our servers and our contact details. We ask that you do not try to be inventive or "improve" on our guidelines. All transcribers must follow the same guidelines; you may not develop your own individual style. This is especially important for us to match our client expectations. Please read these guidelines carefully and refer to this manual on a frequent basis if you have any questions or queries. Most questions are answered in this manual and should assist you as an instant guide to key matters regarding transcribing for Way With Words. If your question or query is not covered here then please do contact Operations. However, do take the time to check your manual first so that we do not have to spend valuable management time dealing with questions that are already addressed. 8

OPERATIONS GUIDELINES The following section covers the company Operations main behavioural guidelines as to what is expected of you when working with us. Following this section is our company policy with regard to transcribers and covers our policy from candidate applications to daily workflow requirements and performance expectations. A. STATEMENT Way With Words Group provides transcription services to key corporations, governments, international institutions, individuals and many others as a professional business service providing consistently high standards of work while meeting all turnaround deadlines. B. KEY POINTS The following are key behavioural expectations for all our transcribers. Please read these carefully. 1. MEETING DEADLINES a) Deadlines Meet Deadlines. Deadlines are set by the clients and it is imperative that you meet or beat them, so please plan your time accordingly. b) Time management Work smart. The more spare time you have in hand, the better able you will be to iron out any last minute problems. Also, the faster you complete work, the more work you will be able to do, and thus the higher your earnings will be. 2. AVAILABILITY a) Flexibility Book ahead. Our workflow is on occasion irregular; although we do book a little in advance and there is seldom a shortage. The more flexible you are able to be, the better. 9

Commitment Be committed. While we will try to organise workflow around your personal commitments in a way that most employers would certainly not do, we seek and are driving at the employment of transcribers who are committed, available to us on a daily basis and who will grow with the company. b) Contact us daily! Contact us regularly. We ask that you regularly contact our Operations Team. Let them know your availability as work is often allocated first to those who make an effort to keep in touch with us. Your visibility on Messenger is crucial, as this is our preferred mode of communication/allocation. You may also request work with longer deadlines. c) Periods of absence Let us know if you will be away. If you are not going to be able to take on any assignments for periods of time, i.e. holidays, family matters, etc, please contact Operations Division by email or Messenger immediately. 3. WORK IN PROGRESS a) Check your files Check the audio file. When you receive a job, check: That you can play all the recordings. That the length is correct. That you have read the instructions clearly, and understand them. If not, contact Operations immediately. b) Check with Operations Check with Operations. If something is missing or if there is any other anomaly, let the Operations Team know immediately. Do not wait until you send us the transcript to advise us of problems, as that gives us much less time to solve them. If you feel you are not doing justice to a file there are too many unclears/inaudibles speak to Operations, who will reassign it to another transcriber who is perhaps more 10

familiar with the accent/subject matter. More than 4-5 unclears on a page is an indication that you are not coping with the sound you have been allocated. Poor sound quality? If you feel you have too many unclear/inaudible sections in your document, perhaps you have been allocated a higher rated job than your current level. Please speak to the Operations Team in these instances. c) Keep Operations informed Stay in touch. Let us know when you are close to completing a job so that we can allocate another file to you which you can begin downloading. This way no time is lost. d) Do research Research technical words or expressions. While we are not experts in the fields that our many clients work in, we expect you to do any necessary internet research for key terms or even a background of the subject matter. However, while doing this keep the following in mind: If, for example, you are transcribing an engineering conference, do not worry that you have little or no engineering knowledge but do check for key terms or even research the conference briefly. Do not spend so much time searching (Googling) that your deadline is compromised. Please adhere to our deadlines. Sometimes the client will supply a vocabulary sheet ( vocab sheet ), in which case you should study it carefully. Transcribers are expected to have a good standard of general English. If you come across unfamiliar technical words, you must not omit them but spell them phonetically (see section: Transcriber Style & Format Guide). If they appear more than once in the recording, spell them the same way consistently, so that the client can do a search and replace if they require.. The easiest way to keep track of your phonetic spellings is to copy them into Notepad and paste them from there. In some situations you might want to look up a technical or specialised word is if it is of crucial importance to the transcript and appears very frequently. For example, if the whole recording you are transcribing consists of a conversation about the capital of Qatar, and you are not sure how to spell it, it might be worth looking it up quickly Doha. This would obviously improve the transcript at the expense of very little extra time. Do a quick, visual check of your transcript before uploading! 11

4. INVOICING a) Remuneration Hourly rates of remuneration are set by the company for each level of difficulty. Some transcription jobs are more difficult and time consuming than others, and the company takes this into account with a system of "charge rates". b) Charge rates The charge rate for a job is in the form of 4:1, 5:1 or 6:1. "4:1" means that you will be remunerated at your hourly rate for four times the length of the sound file, i.e. if the sound file is one hour long you would receive four times your hourly rate. c) Invoicing process A description of the actual invoicing requirements and conditions can be read further on (see Operations Policies, D.2. Invoicing). When invoicing please note the following: Claiming for silent passage: Please note the following claim conditions concerning silent passages: If there is dead silence in a recording and the proceedings are not ongoing, this cannot be claimed for. If video inserts are played during the proceedings then insert [plays video] and do not claim for these minutes. Please check with Operations first to ascertain whether the video needs to be transcribed or not. If there are large sections of music, long breaks, foreign language being spoken or for ANY other reason then please ask Operations to apply the formula to determine how many minutes you can claim for. Please keep a note of these minutes and advise Operations before uploading. Note that clients are billed for the minutes a transcriber uploads. Occasionally a client will request that certain parts of dialogue are omitted from the transcript. In this instance please ask Operations to apply the formula for listening through. Deactivation: Please note that if a transcriber does not submit an invoice for three consecutive months and does not make contact with Operations, then the transcriber may be deactivated from the OMS. 12

Avoid being deactivated. To avoid being deactivated please keep in touch with Operations about any personal circumstances that might affect your ability to work. 13

OPERATIONS POLICIES Key terms Company: Candidate: In-house Transcriber: Independent Contractors: Operations: Way With Words Group or Way With Words for short. Person applying to work for the company. Office-based Transcribers Non-office based independent transcribers. Operations Division, Way With Words Group. A. APPLYING TO WORK FOR WAY WITH WORDS GROUP 1. APPLICATION PROCESS a) Tests and Assessments Persons who apply to work for the company are required to complete a series of grammar, language, auditory and typing tests and assessments for either Independent Contractor or office positions with the company. These tests and assessments usually involve online tests and audio exercises, and for office-based applicants, speed typing tests and an interview. b) Geographic location The application, assessment and recruitment process may vary for applicants by territory and whether they are applying for either Independent Contractor (IC) or In-house / office (IH) positions. These processes are subject to review on a case-by-case basis (if required) annually by Operations. 2. ASSESSMENT PROCESS a) Assessment process For all initial applications, candidates are required to undergo an assessment process. This consists of a series of transcription exercises, usually of increasing difficulty, for the purposes of establishing their abilities. Sufficient Skills: Should the quality of work presented by the candidate during the assessment process be acceptable to the company, Operations will offer the candidate an appropriate contract to work. 14

Insufficient Skills: Should the quality of work presented by the candidate during the assessment process not be considered acceptable by the company, the candidate will be informed accordingly and will not be considered for further employment by Operations. Company tests and assessments. Kindly note it is company policy not to furnish the correct answers for our tests or assessments to applicants or the general public. 3. CONTRACTING The final stage of the application process is contracting. All candidates are offered either an employment contract (for office-based applicants) or Independent Contractor Agreement (for independent contractors), of which the first three (3) months are considered a probationary period. a) Independent Contractor Transcribers The terms of contract for independent contractors are ongoing with a short term of notice by either party. Contracts take into account the specific labour law requirements within a candidate s territory of residence as well as independent contractor-specific legislation and terms of reference. b) Office-based Transcribers The terms of contract for shift-based (office) contractors are fixed-term and will vary depending on the length of service given by the transcriber. Usually fixed-term contracts are based on the following subsequent period lengths: 3 months, 6 months, 1 year. c) Probation The probationary period is defined by the company as an assessment period of new transcribers. Live work is allocated at this stage to the new transcribers and their jobs closely monitored by Operations and Quality Control for purposes of progress and ability. The probationary period applies for the first three (3) months from date of contract. This period may be extended or shortened by Operations if deemed necessary. B. APPOINTMENT, GRADING & PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS With the successful completion of the probationary period, the transcriber is then appointed to one of four main transcriber levels of ability (see B.1 Transcriber Level below), for which the relevant remuneration is paid accordingly. Transcribers are expected to perform according to their level of ability and be available to the company on a regular basis. 15

1. TRANSCRIBER LEVEL There are five (5) main levels of contracting with the company: Level 1 5. a) Levels Level 1 is for probationary transcribers only (reference: 3. Contracting, C. probation), while Levels 2 to 5 are based on the increased difficulty of work manageable by transcribers. Transcribers are appointed within the Level of their proven ability. b) Level: promotion Specific qualities that are considered by Operations for promoting Level 1 transcribers to either Level 2 5 positions on completion of the probationary period include: overall quality of work produced, ability to manage a range of sound files, subject specialisations, general availability and overall commitment to the company. c) Level: remuneration The appropriate level of appointment for Independent Contactors is associated with a specific hourly wage rate for independent contractors. Wage rates per level are reviewed and determined by the company on an annual basis (see B. 3. Performance below). 2. GRADING In addition to transcriber level, Independent Contractor transcribers are also graded into one of four main Grades based on their volume of work produced as billable hours. a) Transcriber Grades The following grades apply to Independent Contractors: Grade A Grade B Grade C Grade D IC average of 80 + billable hours monthly. IC average of 40 80 billable hours monthly. IC average of 20 40 billable hours monthly. IC average below 20 billable hours monthly. 16

b) Purpose of Grades Essentially the grades indicate the productivity of an Independent Contractor transcriber and are considered as part of their performance. Consideration is given however to a transcriber s availability so Grades only form one part of the evaluation of a transcriber s productivity. For allocation and work purposes, on occasion, priority is given to higher grade transcribers in line with their availability. c) Grade changes If an Independent Contractor transcriber achieves, on a monthly average at the next Performance Appraisal, more or less than the billable hours required to be within their Grade, then their Grade level status will be reconsidered to the next lower or higher grade. Consideration for re-grading will take place at the next Performance Appraisal (PA) by Operations. Grade limitations for Grade D. Independent Contractor transcribers in Grade D whose total billable hours monthly are on average below 20 billable hours per month will not be eligible to claim work on our servers, so must request work directly from Operations. Zero billable hours condition. Should transcribers not produce any billable hours (0 hours) within three (3) consecutive months, they will be removed from the company contract and employment register unless reasons provided for the lack of work are acceptable to Operations. 3. PERFORMANCE Specific performance expectations and the process of performance reviews (performance appraisals) vary between Independent Contractors and Office-based transcribers. a) Performance criteria: Independent Contractors Transcribers are expected to commit themselves to the company by: being available for work on a daily or set regular basis, contacting Operations as soon as they are available, ensuring a high quality of work at all times, proving they can manage a range of good audio skills, meeting all required deadlines on time, and maintaining a positive attitude overall. 17

b) Performance Appraisal Reviews: Independent Contractors Each transcriber s performance is reviewed by Operations, Quality Control and the company MD related to the above-mentioned criteria. A minimum of two (2) Performance Appraisals take place within each financial year between 1 April and 31 March. c) Performance criteria: Office-based Transcribers Office-based transcribers are required to achieve a minimum performance requirement of 90% of the calculated target audio minutes in their shift. d) Performance Appraisal Reviews - Office-based transcribers Each transcriber s performance is reviewed on a monthly basis and is related to their required target audio minutes and general performance. C. WORKFLOW The workflow process involves the transcriber s process of claiming jobs, transcribing jobs and returning jobs. 1. COMMUNICATING WITH OPERATIONS a) Transcriber availability: Independent Contactors Transcribers must be set up with the required software (see section Operations Workflow Online) and log onto MSN Messenger or make telephonic contact with Operations on a daily basis or as soon as they have time available to work. Transcribers must not wait or expect to be contacted by Operations for work. For any assistance, transcribers must contact Operations immediately. If unavailable. Operations must be notified should a transcriber not be available at specific hours, on a day, or for any longer period of time. This assists Operations with their time management efficiencies and allocation priorities in a highly demanding workflow environment. b) Transcriber availability: Office-based transcribers Transcribers working in office are required to be at office at the set times within their contract or at hours stipulated by Operations. Shift-based transcribers might be required to change shifts but this would be with the agreement of the transcriber. 18

Continued workflow. Office-based transcribers should always claim work before the completion of their current work to ensure continuing workflow. Transcribers not requesting work before completion may not be allocated work by Operations for a period of time, thereby affecting their work performance and chances of a possible bonus as the waiting period is not claimable. 2. CLAIMING JOBS a) Job claims Independent Contractors as Grade A to Grade C transcribers are eligible to claim work on the Way With Words Group servers and are welcome to use the Early Bird and other facilities provided through our servers for direct access to jobs. Grade D transcribers must contact Operations for allocations and are restricted from claiming files off the server. All transcribers (including office-based transcribers) must download jobs once they claim them or are allocated work, within the shortest possible time and at least within a day of the claim. This is to prevent any situation arising where jobs may be allocated and only downloaded just prior to deadline. An immediate download also ensures that, should there be any difficulties with the file, there will be time to have assistance or work redone by someone else should the transcriber be unable to cope with the quality of sound. Claim within capability. Transcribers are advised to claim work within their capabilities to ensure that jobs are completed to the standards required and within the required deadlines. Claims for shared jobs. In cases where Operations allocate shared files, transcribers are requested to take great care as to the actual share in times given. This is to avoid the situation of overlapping claimed work due to misunderstandings of which minutes have been allocated to the transcriber. Please ask Operations if unsure. Claims for shared jobs (warning). Transcribers who, despite Operations instructions, produce transcripts that exceed the required minutes within their shared portion will not be paid for those additional and/ or excess minutes. If you are asked to transcribe, for example, 10 to 20 minutes, please overlap at the beginning and end by approximately 10 seconds. You would therefore begin transcribing at 00:09:50 and end at 00:20:10. Indicate these times in your transcript, highlighted in yellow. Do not upload shared jobs. The section you have transcribed must be sent to Operations for stitching. 19

3. CHECKING AUDIO FILES & TRANSCRIPTS a) Audio file quality pre-check Transcribers who claim or are allocated jobs must always download their files as soon as possible and check that the timing is correct and the sound quality doable. This is done by intermittently checking the sound quality every few minutes of the audio file once download is complete. This process ensures the transcriber is aware of the overall quality of the sound file before proceeding. If a transcriber feels a file is beyond his/her capability and is proving too difficult, he/she should speak to Operations rather than risk producing a substandard document. b) Deadline confirmation Should the transcriber be unable to take on a job, the transcriber must inform Operations within one hour of their download (or sooner) that they will be unable to transcribe that audio file. c) Transcript quick check On completion of a transcript transcribers must do a quick check of their work to ensure quality and consistency. Transcribers are strongly advised to briefly scan sections of their transcript for consistency in terms of spelling (within their default language, i.e. UK English, US English, Australian English, South African English, etc), keyword usage, and to confirm that Operations instructions have been adhered to. If a transcriber s transcript has unclears/inaudibles on the first page then the transcriber must take the time to listen again, as this should improve the quality of transcript. Deadline adherence. Should a transcriber claim work but delay downloading the file with the result that Operations is unable to re-allocate the file if required, or download only just prior to the deadline resulting in a missed deadline, then disciplinary action may be considered (see E. Discipline). 4. RETURNING TRANSCRIPTS a) Job return deadlines Transcribers must complete and return all jobs before the Transcriber Deadline set by Operations. Late or unfinished work may result in disciplinary action (see E. Discipline further on). 5. QUALITY CONTROL 20

a) Process A variety of jobs undergo Quality Control (QC) checks as part of the company s daily operational process to ensure standards apply across the board. These standards are critical to the company to ensure a high quality service to clients. The QC process also forms an important role in assessing the performance of transcribers for possible level reviews. QC is usually set at a client s request (through Sales) or applied on an ongoing random basis by the Quality Control Administrator. It must be assumed by the transcriber that all work will be checked for quality purposes. Once a job is set for QCing no further action is required by the transcriber unless Operations contact them. Redoing work. If a job requires correcting Operations will request that the transcriber take the job back and make the appropriate corrections. In such instances, the transcriber must ensure that such a job is priority. b) Standards Quality control is a required part of the company workflow. The company quality control process ensures that standards expected by the company are consistently attained. All transcribers work is therefore regularly reviewed as part of company workflow policy. D. ADMINISTRATION Transcribers are expected to keep in mind some important administrative steps while working for the company. These include record-keeping requirements, the invoicing process and targets for transcriber bonus. 1. RECORD-KEEPING a) Confidentiality requirements The company signs and has set out confidentiality requirements with all our clients. Transcribers are required to delete and remove copies of all audio files transcribed and their relevant transcripts for the company within thirty (30) days of completion. Transcriber liability. In the rare instance a client may decide to take legal action against the company with respect to any issues of confidentiality, the transcriber responsible for the work may be found liable if any record of the audio file or transcribed work is found in their possession in any form after the prescribed period of thirty (30) days. 21

It is therefore important that transcribers regularly remove all copies of their transcriptions and audio files at least on a monthly basis or the risk of prosecution exists. 2. INVOICING a) Independent Contractors Transcribers are required to submit a monthly invoice for work completed from the 16 th of the previous month to the 15 th of the following month. Invoices are provided by our Accounts Division with the required section to complete and must be calculated according to the transcribers actual billable hours within the said period. Submission of your monthly invoice to be submitted no later that the 16 th of the month. Invoices must include details of transcriber s physical address, full banking details and Income Tax number (if requested). Payment. All invoices are checked by Accounts and paid into the transcribers PayPal account on a monthly basis. Alternative payments can be made into transcribers local bank accounts in countries where Way With Words Group has a Company or registered business presence. Required information. Transcribers are required to submit verifiable proof of their identity (passport, identity document), their banking details, a signed copy and original of the Independent Contractor Agreement furnished to them and, if requested, tax status. b) Office-based Transcribers Office-based transcribers are paid per billable hour. The rate is based on a pay as you produce basis. The rate may also be determined by the assessed level of competency displayed by the transcriber. Required information. Transcribers must sign a fixed term shift contract; provide a verifiable copy of their identity and relevant taxation details. Salaried payments must account for any taxable deductions. 3. TRANSCRIBER BONUS a) Transcriber bonus: Office-based The company offers a bonus to transcribers who achieve over 100% of their target monthly requirement. Target audio minutes are set according to the length of the shift and account for time taken off and required for non-typing purposes. b) Transcriber bonus: Independent Contactors 22

The company provides a bonus to transcribers who achieve above a certain number of target billable hours. The transcriber bonus and concurrent conditions are set at the discretion of the company and revised annually. Calculation. The transcriber bonus payment will be an additional 5% value of the transcriber s billable hour rate for all (billable) hours over 100 billable hours. The transcriber bonus calculation is for additional hours over 100 billable hours. Conditions. Transcriber bonus hours are subject to quality control. Should any jobs within the period have resulted in a client complaint or had to be redone by another transcriber, such jobs will not count towards the transcriber s overall billable hours for the purposes of a bonus. Payment. Bonus payments will be made in the calendar month after receipt of the transcriber s invoice. Validity. The bonus scheme can be terminated or paused at the company s discretion and should not be considered part of the contracted wages. Transcriber bonuses for Independent Contractors apply as follows: LEVEL Up to 100 Billable Hours 101 + Billable Hours L1 (Probation) Nominal rate - L2 (4:1) Nominal rate Nominal rate +5% L3 (4:1 Ch) Nominal rate Nominal rate +5% L4 (5:1) Nominal rate Nominal rate +5% L5 (6:1) Nominal rate Nominal rate +5% E. DISCIPLINE 1. APPLICATION The disciplinary process to be outlined applies to office-based transcribers who, unlike independent contractors, are deemed employees of the company and are therefore subject to the Company Disciplinary Policy and Procedure. Disciplinary issues relate to poor or negligent performance by a transcriber which affects the company operations, reputation and efficiencies and may also impact indirectly on other transcribers opportunities for work. Should a transcriber submit work that is clearly not to the standard required by the company or which results in a client complaint the following disciplinary policies may apply: 23

2. POOR BEHAVIOURS a) Late transcripts Operations will note the occasion and require a reason or reasons for the missed deadline. Transcribers are expected to provide their specific reason/s to Operations for the lateness of the transcript without having Operations request it. Depending on the reasons given and related circumstances including cost to company, if disciplinary action is required, options Operations may consider individually or in combination include: The transcriber will be furnished with a Letter of Warning (LOW) (see E. 3. Letter of Warnings: Steps further on). The transcriber rate will be discounted in proportion to the client discount or no charge agreement for the specific job. The transcriber services may be terminated as per the steps set out in their contract with the company. b) Poor quality of work When a transcriber claims work or is allocated work which the transcriber is expected to complete by their deadline, it is expected that the quality of work be attained in line with the job rating and transcriber s level or abilities. Should work therefore be returned that results in a rejection of quality by Quality Control or leads to a client complaint then disciplinary steps may apply. 3. LETTER OF WARNING: STEPS Steps related to Letter of Warning apply as follows: a) 1 st Letter of Warning The Transcriber will be sent a formal Letter of Warning (LOW) from Operations indicating the job number, issue/s with the job (deadline/quality/other), Operations judgements related to the situation and ways for the transcriber to avoid the issue again. Proportionate discount. Should there be cost to company due to a client refusing to make payment or a discount given a proportionate deduction will be made to the transcriber s billing for the specific job. In such a case these billable hours will also not count towards any possible transcriber bonus. b) 2 nd Letter of Warning 24

The same transcriber will be sent a second formal Letter of Warning (LOW) from Operations indicating the same items as in Step 1 but with the additional stipulation that should the same issue arise again within a three (3) month period, the transcriber s service may be terminated. Proportionate discount. Should a cost be attributed to the poor work due to a client refusing to make payment or a reduction in sales cost apply, a proportionate deduction will be made to such a transcriber s billing for the specific job. In such a case these billable hours will also not count towards any possible transcriber bonus. c) Termination Should the same transcriber present the same issue within the three (3) month period as in Step 2, Operations will make a judgement to terminate the transcriber s service and apply a policy of non-payment for the work done. 4. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS Contractual Breaches A breach may be defined as any failure to meet a contractual obligation on the part of the contractor. These instances can relate, but are not exclusive, to the following: a) Missing deadline/s b) Poor work quality c) Sub-contracting work to a third party d) Abusive conduct e) Breach of confidentiality The company reserves the right to terminate the contract of an Independent Contractor, with or without notice, in the event that a breach is committed. The company may, at its sole discretion, provide the contractor an opportunity to remedy the breach where and when possible. In such an event, should the contractor fail or refuse to remedy the breach according to the terms identified by the company, the contract will be terminated with immediate effect. Should there be cost to company due to a client refusing to make payment or a discount given a proportionate deduction will be made to the transcriber s billing for the specific job. In such a case these billable hours will also not count towards any possible transcriber bonus. 25

TRANSCRIBER STYLE & FORMAT GUIDE A. TEMPLATES 1. DEFAULT AND TIME-CODING TEMPLATES Way With Words works with two types of templates DEFAULT and TIME-CODING. 2. OTHER TEMPLATES If a client requires that a particular job is done using a special template, then that template and all client requirements on how it is to be used must take precedence over instructions for the use of WWW templates. Failure to adhere to this will result in a LOW (see Operations Policies, E. 3. Letter of Warning (Steps)). 3. ACCESSING THE TEMPLATE The following is common to both default and time-coding templates: The template for each job is accessed from the OMS by left clicking on the small rectangular box stating www in the third column from the left. Copy the information contained in the page screen and paste that information into a new MS Word document. Ensure that the paragraph spacing are set to 0 before and after and on single line spacing. Typing into the pop up. Do not type directly into this pop up page / screen as the information typed into it cannot be saved and will be lost on closing the file. The new MS Word document will now have the correct title, margins and spacing and should be saved immediately with the full title. When downloading with Firefox please change the line spacing from double to single spacing before you begin transcribing. Unbound jobs. If your job is an unbound job, you will have to insert an appropriate title yourself. 4. CUSTOMISING THE TEMPLATE The templates accessed from the OMS are A4 size (UK and EU). Check with your OMS to see if you are required to re-size to US letter size. The margins remain the same regardless of paper size. 26

Also check to see whether US spelling should be set as the default for the document. The template will automatically have UK spelling set as the default. Check that your spell-check does not change whilst typing. Add automatic page numbering - at the bottom and in the centre of each page -starting with the first page of the document. As a reminder: margins should be 3.17 cm left and right and 2.54 cm top and bottom font should be Times New Roman and font size 12, with the exception that the title of the document should be font size 22 (plus bolded and underlined). B. SPEAKER KEY The words Speaker Key are bolded and underlined. Use speakers initials and then Tab (not space) to the next column and type the speakers roles or names. Tabbing, rather than spacing, will keep the second column properly lined up. So: IV Interviewer or JB Joe Bloggs IE Interviewee MA Mary Generally speaking, abbreviations should consist of two letters, ideally the first letters of the first name and surname. Special client instructions in this regard must take precedence. Do not query [?] a name of which you are unsure in the speaker key, but instead mark the transcript the first time that name is used in the text. Type either the name or the role of the speaker, but not both in the right-hand column. Exception to this Rule. One exception to this rule would be where there are multiple speakers, one of whom is acting, for example, as the chairperson or moderator. So: JS John Smith, Chair DW Dennis Wallace PJ Pam Jones and so on. 27

Here is a screen shot showing the start of a transcription in the Default Template. C. FORMATS The company uses three main formats, viz. Standard format, Smart format and Full Verbatim format. 1. STANDARD FORMAT This is a transcript which EXCLUDES ums and ahs, repeated words, emotions, background noises and meaningless prompts by the IV, but INCLUDES half sentences, verbiage and repeated short phrases. If a speaker says yeah, please transcribe yes. Small corrections can be made to poor grammar, if you are sure you know what the speaker means. 28

2. SMART FORMAT This is a transcript which EXCLUDES such as you know, I mean, sort of, kind of, like, etc, emotions, background noises, the unnecessary use of right and okay, meaningless prompts by the IV and repeated short phrases but INCLUDES half sentences. Small corrections can be made to poor grammar, if you are sure you know what the speaker means. If a speaker tends to repeatedly use words such as so, well, now, etc, so that it becomes meaningless, do not transcribe the unnecessary words. If a speaker says yeah, please transcribe yes. 3. FULL VERBATIM FORMAT This is a verbatim transcript, which INCLUDES ums and ahs, repeated words, half sentences, background noises, emotions, and verbiage. If a speaker says any of the following, please transcribe these words: yeah, yup, jo, ja (Afrikaans). Examples of above: Repeated words but, but, I, I... Half sentences Is that something... do you think that is something important? Verbiage you know, I mean, sort of, kind of, like Repeated short phrases We re a limited... we re a limited company. Poor grammar ain t, I were waiting Background noises [mobile rings] [papers rustling] Emotions [laughs] [cries] Variations. Any other variations to above will be in the individual job formatting information on your OMS. Other important points: NO smoothing out in any format. Do NOT leave out chunks of text that you cannot make out, but mark as [unclear] or [inaudible]. Paragraph long sections of speech, in all formats, at a logical break. Please do not have too many short paragraphs. Paragraphs of more or less even length look neater. Do not transcribe half-said words in any format, unless specified by the client as it s not always obvious what the speaker had intended to say. View must be set at 100% before uploading a document. Page numbers to be set in footer, in the centre. Margins to be set at 2.54 cm top and bottom and 3.17 cm left and right. Google unfamiliar words, names, acronyms, etc, as much as possible. Asides to be included in all formats. If the asides are so inaudible that what you would type becomes meaningless, then please indicate as [inaudible asides]. 29

Please use commas before and after verbiage, as above, where it is used as verbiage and doesn t denote any other meaning. 4. EXAMPLES a) Full Verbatim IE Okay, right. Yes, it was from you were finishing off, sort of, Phase II and then Phase III kicked off. Um, I think it was a slow start sort of thing. You, you might start before Christmas, [coughs] but it was most probably later than that, um, and then there was changes, a partner coming in, you know, so you identified with me. We agreed, like, that it may be, you know, beneficial to get the planning rescheduled, all the um, everything resolved and building control [mobile phone interference] discharged prior to, to the partner, sort of, coming in on the design. b) Standard IE Ok, right. Yes, it was from you were finishing off, sort of, Phase II and then Phase III kicked off. I think it was a slow start sort of thing. You might start before Christmas, but it was most probably later than that and then there were changes, a partner coming in, you know, so you identified with me. We agreed, like, that it may be, you know, beneficial to get the planning rescheduled, all the everything resolved and building control discharged prior to the partner, sort of, coming in on the design. c) Smart IE Yes, it was from you were finishing off Phase II and then Phase III kicked off. I think it was a slow start sort of thing. You might start before Christmas, but it was most probably later than that and then there were changes, a partner coming in, so you identified with me. We agreed that it may be beneficial to get the planning rescheduled, everything resolved and building control discharged prior to the partner coming in on the design. D. TRANSCRIPT MARKINGS Transcript markings are typed in SQUARE BRACKETS and are used as follows: 1. TRANSCRIPT MARKINGS WHICH ARE TYPED WITHIN THE TEXT OF THE DOCUMENT [Unclear] In place of word or words that cannot be made out. Note: It is expected that [unclear] will be used only when all reasonable efforts have been made to make out the word/s in question, including quick searches on the internet if appropriate. 30

Hint: Often an unclear word will be said again, but more clearly, later on in the sound file so that it can now be made out. Go back and fill in your previous [unclear]s. [Overtalking] When two or more people talk at the same time and words are obscured. Note: If you are able to make out what each speaker has said despite overtalking, transcribe what is said in the normal way without using [overtalking] in the text. Note: When using the above transcript markings mid-sentence, use lower case throughout, ie [unclear], [overtalking], etc. However, if these markings stand alone or are used at the beginning of a sentence, use upper case for the first letter, ie [Unclear], [Overtalking], etc. [?] Following a word or phrase which: you re not sure you ve spelt correctly; or you re not 100% sure you ve heard the word or phrase correctly. Note: You need only use [?] after the word or phrase the first time you type it, not for subsequent times. [Sic] When something strange or ungrammatical has been said which you think the reader might attribute to a typing error on your part. Note: When you use [sic] you are effectively saying that the speaker has made a mistake, so only use it if you are sure he/she has. [Or...?] [Sound slip] Where a word is not clear and there are two possibilities, e.g. the fire illuminated [or eliminated?] the old quarter of the city. Where the sound breaks up and a word or words are rendered unrecognisable or obscured completely. 2. TRANSCRIPT MARKINGS WHICH ARE TYPED BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS AGAINST THE LEFT MARGIN [Break] Where there is a break or pause in the proceedings on the sound file when the interviewer leaves the room the recording equipment is switched off for confidentiality reasons there is a period of silence on the sound file for whatever reason 31

[... plays] When, during a presentation or speech, the speaker uses a film clip or PowerPoint or other such visual aid as part of his/her presentation or speech. [Music] Where a fairly substantial amount of music is played in a sound file as: lead in or opening theme music/closing theme music is used to break the sound file into distinct sections Note: Small snatches of background music can be ignored. [Applause] Where there is a substantial amount of applause during or at the end of a presentation or speech. E. TIME CODING Note: Please do not type [tape ends] at the end of a transcript. Some clients require that their documents be time coded and this can be done in two ways using the default template or in a special time coding table. The type of time coding required will be specified on your OMS and the appropriate template made available. 1. WHAT IS A TIME CODE? Time codes pinpoint as accurately as possible the timing of the sound file at certain points, depending upon the client s requirements. Time codes must be in a six-digit format with no brackets: 00:00:00 hour hour: minute minute: second second Note: No tenths of seconds Correct: 00:00:03 incorrect: 00:03, 00.00.03, 00 00 03 Correct: 01:03:12 incorrect: 00:63:12 a) Examples A screen shot of Time Coding done in the Default Template carrying out the client s instructions that time codes should be inserted every 30 seconds: 32

Time Code Principles: There must be a time code at the beginning of the document. Where possible, try to put the time code where the interviewee starts to speak. Here is a screen shot of Time Coding done in the Time Coding Template: 33

Important Time Code Tips: Sometimes the interview will not start until several seconds into the sound file, so the first time code won t necessarily always be 00:00:00. Each time the speakers change, a new block must be started and a time code recorded in the first column. The exception to this occurs when speakers change every few seconds, as demonstrated in the first four lines of text above. In such cases a time code every six to seven blocks is adequate and will avoid making the transcript look cluttered. There should never be more than one time code per block. Often a new block will need to be started whilst a speaker is still talking, as ideally a time code should be inserted every six to seven lines of text. When this happens, it s not necessary to wait for the start of a new sentence before starting the next block. It is not necessary either to repeat the speaker s ID in the middle column. If you find you end up with a block containing only a few words then please rather include it in the block above so your document looks neat. 34

You may extend the table by clicking in the last box and pressing Tab on your keyboard. 35

F. PUNCTUATING TRANSCRIPTS There are specific forms of punctuation transcribers need to be aware of. 1. PUNCTUATION a) A, B, etc When speakers are listing points, transcribe as follows (note where the commas are placed): IE JS I told him that, A, we needed more government assistance and, B, we needed it soon. I think to myself, one, is my time my own and, two, I never seem to be in one place. b) And, But and So Sometimes a choice needs to be made between having a sentence go on for almost a whole paragraph or else use a full stop, meaning that the new sentence starts with And, But or So. Traditionally starting a sentence this way is considered to be poor grammar, but it s better to begin a sentence with a conjunction than to have sentences that could theoretically go on for a whole page. c) Apostrophes on abbreviation plurals and dates Do not add apostrophes for the plurals of acronyms, dates, etc. Incorrect DVD s, CEO s, NVQ s, 1960 s thank you s, no-brainer s Correct DVDs, CEOs, NVQs, 1960s thank yous, no-brainers d) Bolding Do not use bolding in the transcript except for the title and the speaker key. e) Brackets (parentheses) Do not use round brackets in a transcript. Use square brackets for transcript markings, emotions and background noises, for example: [coughs], [applause], [laughter], etc. f) Commas 36

The biggest problem that most people have with commas is their overuse and there are many excellent websites which can be consulted covering the correct use of commas. Remember that a pause in speaking is not always a reliable reason to use a comma. g) Ellipses Use an ellipsis (three dots) for an unfinished sentence, for example. Sometimes too many ellipses can make a document look untidy. IE My name is John and I work for... My employer is actually situated in London, but I m doing a stint with the new branch in Ireland at the moment. JS And you re considering writing to...? h) Etcetera, for example, that is It is sufficient to type: etc eg ie i) Exclamation Marks Use these as in normal English but try to keep their use to a minimum, as too many in a document makes the transcript appear rather light-hearted. j) Full Stops (periods) After a full stop you may leave either one space or two, but be consistent. k) Highlighting Do not use highlighting in a transcript. l) Italics Do not use these in a transcript. m) Now When now means right, put a comma after it. When it means at this present moment in time, do not. So: Now, what have we here? Now I understand you; previously I didn t. 37

n) Speech Marks Never use these. Incorrect My name is John. He said: My name is John. My name is John. Correct He said, my name is John. o) Underlining The title of the transcript and the speaker key should be underlined. Otherwise, underline a word if necessary to show emphasis, but do so very sparingly. p) Ums and Ahs Please note the placement of commas (both before and after the um or ah): IE He, ah, said he was going to be, you know, um, late for the appointment. q) Words spelt out If a speaker spells out a word, please transcribe as (example) H A R R Y. r) Numbers Speaker says Incorrect Correct 1 10 1, 2, 3 10 one, two, three ten 11-999,999 eleven, twelve, two hundred and fifty, 1010 11, 12, 250, 1,010 [note comma] Round numbers in millions/billions 2,000,000, 5000000 2 million, 5 billion Non-round numbers greater than 1 million 1 million five hundred thousand and three 1,500,003 Numbers less than one 0,5 0.5 [UK system] 38

Years Prices Currencies Percentages Dates Times Ten-fifteen Half six Quarter past ten Three o clock Nineteen forty four, 80s, nineties Three pence, five cents, twenty two hundred dollars, one million pounds, one and a quarter billion pounds, thirty quid, six bucks Ten euros, ten US dollars, ten pounds Five percent, one and a half percent, one point five percent The 5 th of June, June the 5 th, 5 June, June 5 Ten-fifteen Half six - - 1944, 80s, 90s 3p, 3 pence, 5 cents, $2,200, 1 million, 1.25 billion, 30, $6 10, $10, 10 5%, 1.5%, 5 th June, June 5 th 10:15 6:30 Quarter past ten Three o clock Weights and measures Ten feet 12 pounds 10 12lbs Starting a sentence with a number. It is acceptable, and in fact the correct way, to begin a sentence with a number, for example: 600 people were at the festival not Six hundred people were at the festival 2. GENERAL a) Acronyms 39

An acronym is a word made up of the first letters of other words, eg NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). If an acronym in a sound file is unfamiliar to you, hopefully the long form will be referred to somewhere in the recording; for example: IE You ll need an ACPO certificate for that - you know, the Association of Chief Police Officers - and you can contact them at... b) Common Mistakes Every day = once a day Everyday = ordinary Straightaway is one word, not two All right is two words, not one word (alright) Some time = at some point Sometime = former Furthermore is one word, not two Okay is written in full (not OK) c) Contracting Contractions such as I m, it s, let s, they re, we ll, etc, should be typed just like that if that is what the speaker has said. Do not be tempted to change contracted forms to uncontracted forms such as I am, it is, let us, they are, we will, etc, because you think the latter looks better in print. d) Dictation Sometimes a sound file contains dictation in some form (letters, rough drafts of documents, etc). In these cases, you must transcribe exactly as dictated by the client, including indents, bullets, paragraphs, centred and/or underlined headings, bolded or italicised text, tables, round brackets, etc. e) Grammatical Mistakes Spoken English generally has more grammatical errors than written English and small grammatical errors may be corrected in Smart and Standard formats, but you must transcribe the mistakes as is in Full Verbatim format. f) Groups Do your best to identify each speaker throughout the sound file. Jot down a detailed description for yourself as each speaker is introduced which will help with identification as you transcribe the sound file. Helpful notes could include: low husky voice, gabbles as he talks, sounds a bit breathless, etc. Obviously these types of descriptions must not appear in the speaker key in your transcript. 40

If the speakers names are not mentioned but you are able to recognise the different speakers, a system such as this can be used: UM UF1 UF2 Unidentified Male Speaker, Scottish accent Unidentified Female Speaker, softly spoken Unidentified Female Speaker, quick speaker If you find it impossible to tell the speakers apart, you may identify them as: UMUnidentified Male Speaker/s UF Unidentified Female Speaker/s However, this should be a last resort only. If all participants basically agree on a point, [General agreement] can be used typed on the left hand margin. However, do not omit anything which adds to the client s understanding of the proceedings. This applies only to focus groups NOT, for example, to round table discussions, etc. g) Idioms Should a speaker use a well known idiom, for example, if it ain t broke, don t fix it, this should be typed as it has been said, including any slang or bad grammar which is part of that particular idiom. This applies to all Formats. h) Interviewer s Prompts Often an interviewer will prompt the interviewee or encourage him/her to continue talking by saying okay, right, hmm-mm, etc, whilst the interviewee is speaking. These prompts need NOT be transcribed in Smart and Standard formats as they add nothing to the meaning or the value of the transcript, but must be transcribed in Full Verbatim format, unless otherwise instructed. Client request. Very occasionally a client will request a deviation to our formats, in which case these instructions will be on your OMS. i) Paragraphing You may break a single speaker s words into smaller paragraphs in all formats if a single paragraph becomes very long. Take your lead when to start a new paragraph from the way the speaker is talking, such as pauses when starting a new subject or thought. Do not divide into very short paragraphs. 41

Quality Control Feedback on transcripts is sometimes sent to transcribers. This feedback is intended to be constructive so please do not take it as criticism. It is vital that you take note of the feedback and respond accordingly. j) Slang Do not use expressions such as cos, ain t, sorta, gonna, wanna, gotta, kinda, helluva, etc: instead type because, am/is/are not, sort of, going to, want to, got to, kind of, hell of a, etc in all formats. However, you may transcribe yeah, yup, ja, in the Full Verbatim format if that is what has been said. k) Commonly Confused Pairs of Words Watch out for the spelling of the words below. Although both words in each pair are pronounced identically, they have very different meanings and are frequently spelt incorrectly. access: excess: advice [n]: advise [vb]: affect: effect: air: heir: allude: elude: allusion: illusion: ascent: assent: beau: bow: entry, contact surplus suggestions give suggestions have influence on result what one breathes one who inherits refer avoid, escape reference misleading vision going up agreement male admirer anything with arched shape 42

berth: birth: boar: bore [n]: bore [vb]: born: borne: bread: bred: resting place start [eg of life] male wild pig uninteresting person to drill given birth to carried, or suffered food brought up breath [n]: intake of air [rhymes with death] breathe [vb]: take breaths [rhymes with seethe] bridal: bridle [n]: bridle [vb]: relating to a bride horse halter become indignant censor [n]: inspector censure [vb]: criticise sensor [n]: something which detects cereal: serial: chord: cord: cloths: clothes: coarse: course: colonel: kernel: grain, or breakfast food in parts, or repeated musical notes string pieces of material apparel, to wear on body rude, not refined series of lessons, racetrack military rank seed or nut, or essential part complement: go together, add to compliment: praise 43

counsel: council: consul: advice authoritative body similar to ambassador currant [n]: small dried grape, like raisin current [n]: flow current [adj]: present descent: dissent: desert: dessert: desperate: disparate: discreet: discrete: going down disagreement expanse of sand sweet dish in great need varied cautious separate draft: rough copy, or military conscript draught [n]: breeze, flow of air draught [adj]: drawn from a tap or keg fair: fare: foul: fowl: gorilla: guerrilla: holy: wholly: holey: equitable, or fête food, or travel fee disgusting poultry bird largest ape, or thug rebel fighter sacred completely porous human [n]: person humane [adj]: civilised, caring idle: idol: lazy something worshipped 44

lead [vb]: lead [n]: led: lessen: lesson: local [adj]: locale [n]: loose: lose: moral: morale: oar: ore: passed [vb]: past [prep]: past [n]: patience: patients: take control [rhymes with feed] a metal [rhymes with fed] took control [rhymes with fed] decrease classroom teaching nearby neighbourhood not tied down, not tight [rhymes with goose] misplace [rhymes with blues] ethical, or significance team spirit used to propel a boat metal went alongside of [I passed the building] alongside of [I went past the building] history ability to wait, endurance sick people personal [adj]: private personnel [n]: staff pore [n]: pore [vb]: pour: praise: prays: preys: tiny hole in skin look concentratedly dispense liquid compliment communicate with God hurts 45

principal [adj]: main principle [n]: moral standard, rule rapt: wrapped: rain: rein: reign: right [n]: right [vb]: right [adj]: rite: wright: write: rye: wry: scent: sent: cent: sight: site: cite: sole: soul: stake: stake: steak: stationary: stationery: tear: tier: waist: spellbound covered in paper, etc water that falls from the sky a leather strap connected to a horse s bit (to rein the horse in) the duration of a King or Queen s term of office entitlement rectify correct ritual craftsman, as in wheelwright, playwright be an author cereal grain twisted [as in a wry smile] smell, or fragrance dispatched sub-unit of currency something which can be seen location quote only, solitary, unique spirit, essence gambling money, or investment a wooden post piece of meat not moving pens, pencils, paper what one cries row, or layer [as in a tiered wedding cake] midriff, or narrow middle part of something like a violin 46

waste [vb]: waste [n]: wet: whet: squander, misuse litter, rubbish opposite of dry sharpen [as in whet the appetite] 47

OPERATIONS WORKFLOW ONLINE Way With Words Group uses an internet-based workflow system called the Order Management System (OMS). In some regions, the company uses a more advanced internetbased workflow system called Scribemanager. Transcribers are advised to become familiar with the OMS or Scribemanager, depending which is used in their territory. System upgrades. Please note that continued upgrades to these systems take place. New or additional changes to the system will be announced by Operations as and when required. In addition, transcribers are expected to be set up with a PC, appropriate transcription workflow software and are advised to check with Operations for any advice in this regard. A. SOFTWARE Although software changes frequently, presently Way With Words Group requests that transcribers should make use of the following software for communicating with Operations and for audio transcription purposes. 1. WINDOWS LIVE MESSENGER (MSN MESSENGER) a) Download Windows Live Messenger (previously MSN Messenger) is available as a free download from various official Microsoft web sites. The official download web site for this software is: http://download.live.com/messenger. If the site is not available for any reason, there are a number of other sites from which the most recent version can be easily downloaded. Ensure you can transfer files: Ensure that your version of Messenger can transfer files. b) Email handle Once set up, transcribers must set up an appropriate email handle to log into MSN Messenger. c) Updates It is suggested that transcribers check on occasion to ensure they have the most recent version which usually improves speed and quality of communications. 2. MICROSOFT WORD a) Download 48

Presently Microsoft Word (all versions since 2003) is the preferred software. The company uses MS Word to send completed transcripts back to clients, the majority of whom use this software. Transcribers should ensure they use this software for layout and style purposes. An official download site for MS Word is: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/default.aspx Alternative packages. Microsoft Word Student and Home Edition are other versions that include Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Notes and can be purchased both over the counter and online at substantially reduced costs. Note that these packages do not have Outlook for email at the time of this print. b) Alternatives Should transcribers however choose to use an free alternative programme such as Open- Office, transcribers should make very sure that the final transcript is laid out according to the specifications required by Operations before sending the transcript back. 3. AUDIO SOFTWARE Various audio software is available on the market and through Way With Words Group. For general audio software we advise downloading a copy of Windows Media Player (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/download/download.aspx) and VLC Media Player (http://www.videolan.org/vlc) a cross-platform open-source multimedia framework, player and server. 4. TRANSCRIPTION SOFTWARE a) FTW Transcriber For streaming file directly off the server (no download required), transcribers are advised to use FTW Transcriber (http://www.ftwtranscriber.com). b) Express Scribe Express Scribe is designed to assist the transcription of audio recordings. It is installed on the transcriber's computer and can be controlled using a transcription foot pedal or keyboard 'hot' keys. This computer transcriber application also offers valuable features for transcribers including variable speed playback, multi-channel control, file management and more. Express Scribe can be downloaded via their official web site (http://www.nch.com.au/software/dictation.html). 49

OTHER a) Adobe PDF Reader Adobe PDF Reader is the standard free PDF reader for any PDF documents that transcribers might also receive. Adobe PDF Reader can be downloaded via their official web site (http://get.adobe.com/reader). B. HARDWARE 1. TRANSCRIPTION EQUIPMENT Some transcribers almost entirely use their keyboard for workflow control and transcribing. For those requiring foot pedals there are a few on the market. Way With Words Group uses Express Scribe. Setting up the foot pedal to work in conjunction with the transcription software is very simple and the user is guided through each step by the transcription software itself. 2. SOUND QUALITY HARDWARE It is highly recommended that transcribers check with their PC manufacturer or retailer about the most suitable hardware to ensure best sound quality. Investing in good quality sound cards, quality headphones and related boosters are an important investment to the transcriber in terms of ensuring the nest possible quality of transcription. Invest in your equipment. Ensure that you have the very best equipment for audio sound on your computer so that your performance is not undermined by poor equipment usage. C. THE ORDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (OMS PRIMARY SERVER) 1. LOGGING IN When the Operations Department wishes to allocate work to you, this will usually be confirmed with you in advance either by MSN Messenger, email or telephone. If you accept the job you will obtain all the relevant details by accessing the OMS (Order Management System), which is Way With Words Group s primary Internet-based workflow software. To access the OMS, go to www.waywithwordsonline.com and enter your username, password and daily password. Your username normally consists of your first name, initials, surnames, or a combination thereof. Your password consists of your username plus a numeric code. The daily password will be explained to you. 50

EG: Username: Password: Daily Password: TA TA1973 Logging in. Usernames and passwords are case-sensitive. The screen to log in looks similar to this. 2. OMS TRANSCRIBER PANEL All work allocated to you will be displayed on a screen like the one below: You will be shown during training how to use this web site, but here in brief are explanations of some of the columns: Column 1: PG# = the job reference number. 51

Column 2: Sound file = a recording for transcription (a job from the client may consist of any number of individual sound files). Column 3: Template = access the customised template for the job. Column 4: Length in mins = self explanatory. Most beginner transcribers can manage 10-15 minutes of sound in one hour. Column 5: Transcripts uploaded = this displays the names of transcripts you have already uploaded for this particular job. Normally the instruction is to produce one transcript per sound file, but not always. Column 6: Feedback = this displays information we may need to give you with regard to your uploaded document. Column 7: Upload = click this arrow when you are ready to upload a completed transcript. Column 8: Deadline = the time by which you must upload the completed transcript. The number in brackets after the deadline is the number of days from now to the deadline, to assist your planning. Note that all times are UK time, NOT your local time. It is your responsibility to know the time difference and to calculate the deadline accordingly. There are several good websites for finding out what the time is in various time zones. One such is www.worldtimezone.com. Column 9: Format = the format in which the transcript is to be typed. Column 10: Formatting info = please always check this as it contains any extra relevant information we want to give you about the formatting of the job. Column 11: Vocab list = If the job comes with a vocabulary list, this field will flash to alert you, so that you can download it. Please contact Operations if you cannot access the information and they will assist you. DO NOT JUST IGNORE IT. Column 12: Client formatting doc = If the job comes with a client formatting document or a customised template, this field may flash to alert you, so that you can download it. (A vocabulary list will normally be for just one job, whereas a client formatting document will appear for all jobs for a particular client). Please contact Operations if you cannot access the information and they will assist you. DO NOT JUST IGNORE IT. 52

Column 13: One doc per = instructions as to whether you should produce one transcript per sound file, or a different permutation. Column 14: Comments to transcriber = remarks from Operations to help you. Column 15: Charge rate = the rate at which you will be remunerated for the job. The remuneration rate normally reflects the difficulty of the work, and indicates either a necessity for greater time taken than usual, or skills that very few transcribers possess (the mastery of a particularly difficult or rare accent or dialect, for example). Look at instructions for other possible remuneration. There may be an instruction for you to be remunerated at a higher rate in Column 14. 3. DOWNLOADING SOUND FILES There are usually two options available to download soundfiles (the [P10] and the [conv]. The P10 is the original sound file uploaded by the client, and therefore better sound quality, and the [conv] is a sound file that has been converted by our system and is generally a smaller file size. However transcribers should check sound quality and file size before downloading. Often the [P10] link contains a video or other file type that cannot be converted.. If bandwidth is not an issue, download from the P10 as the sound quality is better. Refer to Hot Tips #6 for more info on streaming, checking file size etc. The download software used by our office staff is called Free Download Manager. This software can be downloaded from http://www.freedownloadmanager.org. 4. ALLOCATION OF WORK To receive work, contact Operations (first use MSN) and ask for work to be allocated to you. Unless there are files waiting on Early Bird (see below) this is the only way to receive work from Way With Words Group. When you are within an hour or so of completing a job, please let us know, so that we can try to allocate another file to you, and you can begin downloading it while you are completing the first job; this way no time is lost. 5. DOWNLOADING PROBLEMS Sometimes downloads cut out in mid-stream, meaning that you do not have the complete sound file, or perhaps none of it at all. If you notice that this has happened, reconnect and 53

start the download again. To minimise cut-outs, do not surf the Internet or check your email while downloading. If you are unsure whether a sound file has downloaded completely to your PC or not, compare the number of minutes of your recording with what is displayed on the OMS. If the file you have downloaded seems too short, it may well be that your download has cut out prematurely. Contact Operations immediately if there is a discrepancy between the stated length of file and the length of the file you have. 6. UPLOADING TRANSCRIPTS When you have completed a transcript, click the upward-pointing arrow on the OMS and you will go to a screen like the one below: This screen is self-explanatory. Note that your Comments to client must be polite and respectful, and contain only information that is important or relevant to the client to be aware of. You should upload each transcript as you finish it, rather than wait unnecessarily until the last minute. The exception to this is unbound jobs, where the content follows on from one sound file to another. Often clients like to work on the first documents that come through even before the entire job is finished. If you think there is a good reason in an individual case not to upload each document as done, please contact Operations. Formatting instructions. Read the formatting instruction pop ups before final upload to ensure you ve followed them. 7. OMS BACKGROUND COLOURS A light blue background to a sound file means that you have not yet uploaded the transcript. A grey background means that you have uploaded it, and it will disappear from your page in a few days. 54

A red background means that the sound file is overdue, in which case you must contact Operations. A dark purple background means that the OMS does not know whether you have uploaded the transcript or not see below (Bound/Unbound transcripts) for an explanation. A yellow background with a flapping bird indicates Early Bird files available for claiming. A grey background with a flapping bird indicates an Early Bird job which is part of an unbound job. This job is claimable by transcribers. 8. BOUND/ UNBOUND TRANSCRIPTS Normally a job requires one transcript per sound file we call this a bound job. For bound jobs, your transcript must exactly match the title of the sound file, minus the PG number and the file extension, otherwise the OMS will not accept the upload of your transcript. For example, if the sound file title is PG1234 Interview with John Smith.mp3, your transcript must be titled Interview with John Smith. For unbound jobs a client will request two or more sound files transcribed into one document. Anything other than one transcript per sound file is called an unbound job, and the background colour of those jobs on the OMS is purple. For unbound jobs, the upward-pointing arrow, which you click to upload a transcript does not appear beside the sound file name, instead it appears beside the job number. For unbound jobs, the titles of your transcripts do not need to match the sound file titles, but they should be intelligent and not random. For example, if you have two sound files called Economic Conference part 1 and Economic Conference part 2 and have been instructed to produce one transcript containing both sound files, a sensible title would be Economic Conference Part 1 & 2. The www template on unbound jobs has Title as a heading. Please ensure you alter this accordingly. For unbound jobs, you upload transcripts in the same way as for a bound job, except that each time you upload a transcript the OMS will ask you if it is your final transcript for that job (this is the only way that the OMS can know when the whole job is finished). When you upload your final transcript, you will be asked whether this is your final transcript. If so, please say yes and proceed, and the background colour for that job will change to grey. 9. ERRORS IN UPLOADING 55

When you upload a transcript to the OMS, it will either be sent to the client very swiftly thereafter or sent to the Quality Control department. If you upload a transcript and then realise you have made a mistake in it, contact Operations quickly so that we can try to prevent a faulty transcript reaching the client. Do not re-upload a transcript without contacting Operations first. Notify us. That uploading a corrected version of a transcript without notifying us only causes more problems, as it means the client might receive two versions of the same transcript. Take care when uploading, because it is time-consuming for us to correct errors. You will see a screen saying click here to go back to your job page. Please do so, and ensure that the uploaded job has now turned grey. 10. EARLY BIRD Early Bird is a feature of the OMS that enables transcribers to allocate work to themselves rather than a manager having to allocate it to them. Using Early Bird, a transcriber can claim the job for themselves if they wish. Early Bird works as follows: 1. A piece of work is added to the OMS and designated as an Early Bird job. 2. An email is automatically sent to all the transcribers who are qualified to do that job (the email contains a link which when clicked displays whether the job is still unclaimed). 3. A transcriber who sees the email and wants to allocate the job to themselves logs in to their OMS and clicks on the flapping bird icon to claim the job. It is a good idea to do this quickly: EB runs strictly on a first-come-first-served basis. If an Early Bird job is not claimed, ultimately the manager will allocate it. If you are a higher-level transcriber the OMS will only allow you to claim the most difficult file that is available. Normally it will also require you to claim files with shorter deadlines rather than longer ones. 11. OTHER ISSUES 56

Should any problems arise in the completion of a job, please let Operations know immediately they present themselves. Should you feel you are unable to complete the job on time or to an acceptable standard, contact Operations immediately, so that the problem can be fixed or the job allocated to a different transcriber. 12. VIDEO FILES As bandwidth becomes cheaper globally, clients are increasingly requiring the transcription of video files. Many of these formats do not play in standard transcription software. An excellent video transcription programme is FTW Transcriber (see page 45). It uses similar hotkeys to ES and is compatible with Olympus foot pedals. D. SCRIBEMANAGER (soon to be SCRIBEWAY) (SECONDARY SERVER) 1. DESCRIPTION Scribemanager is a fairly new server developed by the company group for commercial use. Presently the system complements to the OMS, which remains the primary server for Way With Words Group. You might be asked to use our secondary server for certain clients and if this is the case need to refer to the guide below. 2. LOGGING IN You will be given your login details by Way With Words Group. Go to your login page as supplied by Way With Words Group and enter your login details. 3. ALLOCATING AND CLAIMING WORK There are two ways for files to reach your personal page for transcription: a) Allocation Operations allocate a file to you. When a file has been allocated to you, it appears on your job page with a peach-coloured background, as shown below. 57

Download the original or converted file by clicking on the appropriate link. Scribemanager will display, from left to right, the length of the file, the deadline and the number of days to the deadline, bound or unbound status, the remuneration rate for the file, any notes that come with the job. Float the mouse over and/or click on the icons to view these documents. b) Claiming Auto-claim: If Operations sets files to Auto-Claim, they will appear at the top of your Jobs list in green. You may claim only one of these at a time. Mayday: A Mayday file appears in yellow. Mayday files have an urgent deadline. Mayday files take priority over Auto-claim files. In other words, you cannot claim an Auto-Claim file unless all Mayday files have been claimed. You may claim more than one Mayday file at a time. When you claim an Auto-Claim or Mayday file, part of the job will remain green or yellow. 4. BOUND AND UNBOUND JOBS Normally, you upload one transcript per sound file, a 'bound' job. Sometimes a client will want something different, an interview spanning three sound files being incorporated into a single document, for example. Such a job is called an 'unbound' job. When claiming for an unbound job, please title your transcripts systematically. Other transcribers may be working on the same job. If transcript naming is inconsistent, confusion may result. Consult Operations if you are in any doubt. In addition, be careful to claim for the amount of minutes in the transcript you produced, not in the sound files you processed. With unbound jobs, each time you upload a transcript, ScribeManager will ask if it is your last transcript. That is the only way Scribemanager knows if you have finished the job. 5. UPLOADING A FILE 58

When you've finished your transcript, click the Upload button, and you will see a screen like this. Fill in the form and upload. On your jobs list page, the job should now show as orange. 6. WHAT THE COLOURS MEAN Peach Allocated The sound file has been allocated to you. Orange Uploaded You have uploaded your transcript. Brown Under QC The transcript is being reviewed by the Quality Control department. Red Rejected Quality Control has rejected your transcript. Pink Approved Quality Control has approved your transcript. Green Auto-claim The sound file is waiting to be claimed by the first transcriber who wants it. Yellow Mayday This file is urgent, and can be claimed by the first transcriber who wants it. Grey Job complete The transcript has been sent to the client. Purple Unbound The requirement for this file is NOT one transcript per sound file. 7. TRANSCRIPTION RECORD PAGE 59

This page displays your work for this month and the previous month, along with the details of remuneration, etc. 8. PROFILE PAGE This page displays your personal information. Please keep it updated. 60

CONTACT WAY WITH WORDS GROUP: OPERATIONS Operations Manager Jenni Townshend Landline: (27) 21 912 4019 Email: jenni.townshend@waywithwordsgroup.com Messenger: jenni_simp@hotmail.com (The Messenger address must NOT be used as an email address, please) AFTER HOURS (18H00 GMT): +27 (0)79 784 4034 Operations Manager Mags Jackson Landline: +27 (0)21 9124036 Email: mags.jackson@waywithwordsgroup.com Windows Messenger: heronstone@hotmail.com (The Messenger address must NOT be used as an email address, please) AFTER HOURS (18H00 GMT): +27 (0)79 784 4034 Operations Manager - Ros Ashmore Landline: +27 (0)21 912 4035. After Hours: +27 (0)83 689 5151 Email: ros.ashmore@waywithwordsgroup.com Windows Messenger: rosashmore@hotmail.com (The Messenger address must NOT be used as an email address, please) Night Shift Administrator Sean Harper Landline: +27 (0)21 912 4076 Email: sean.harper@waywithwordsgroup.com Windows Messenger: seanharper@webmail.co.za (The Messenger address must NOT be used as an email address, please) AFTER HOURS (18H00 GMT): +27 (0)79 7844034 Sales & Marketing Laura Budler (weekend duty) Email: laura.budler@waywithwordsgroup.com Windows Messenger: laurabudler@gmail.com (The Messenger address must NOT be used as an email address, please) Do not be afraid to contact us, even if your query is minor. It is clearly better to do the job correctly from the start rather than clear up mistakes afterwards. 61