On-site Transcription – How to Do It Right

On-site transcription or Direct transcription is a beneficial method to compile and record information utilized across many fields. Delve into this article with Thao & Co. to gain valuable insights into the benefits and drawbacks of this transcription method, and discover some useful tools that can greatly assist you throughout the process.

Introduction to on-site transcription

Among many types of language transcription, on-site transcription is the act of converting spoken information into text in real time. This method ensures that all important details are thoroughly and accurately captured, allowing easy access and review in the future.

On-site transcription is employed in various settings, but the main purpose is to document information for convenient storage and retrieval.

1. ● Court transcription: During court hearings or trials, every proceeding is meticulously transcribed to create comprehensive records for future reference and to avoid potential disputes.
2. ● Lecture transcription: Lectures are commonly documented to serve as useful materials for future research and studies.
3. ● Meeting and interview transcription: Transcribing discussions during meetings and interviews, regardless of whether they are conducted online or offline, is considered on-site transcription.
4. ● Medical transcription: This type of transcription plays a vital role in capturing every detail during consultations and examinations, ensuring patients receive the necessary treatment and care for their specific needs.

Pros and cons of on-site transcription

Challenges

As on-site transcription takes place at the same time as communication, there are some inevitable drawbacks to this method:

1. ● Sound quality: Excessive surrounding noises can make it difficult to listen properly. Additionally, the volume of the speaker is a critical factor that can greatly impact the performance of transcriptionists.
2. ● Extreme focus: Unlike audio transcription, on-site transcription specifically requires extreme focus during execution so that important details will not be missed.
3. ● Thorough preparation: When transcribing pre-recorded audio files, transcriptionists can do further research on the topic as needed. However, for on-site transcription, it is crucial to acquire all necessary knowledge and sufficient vocabulary beforehand.

Benefits

Despite the drawbacks, this type of transcription also provides a wealth of benefits:

1. ● Time-saving: Transcribing information in real-time eliminates the need to listen and transcribe from pre-recorded audio, thus saving a lot of time.
2. ● Proactivity in receiving information: In some cases where important details have been missed, the transcriptionist can tactfully request the speaker to repeat the information.
3. ● Protect sensitive information: In legal or medical settings, where the highest level of information confidentiality must be preserved, on-site transcription can limit the risk of information leakage to third parties during file transmission.

Solutions and aids for on-site transcription

Nowadays, there are many ways to get your videos and audio files transcribed. Have a look at the two options that can provide you with accurate transcripts for your needs.

Automatic transcription software

Utilizing automatic transcription programs can greatly improve your transcription efficiency. Some prime examples of those programs include:

1. ● Otter: This program can quickly convert speech to text and can be integrated into online meeting platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. The developer also offers a range of subscription plans for business customers with exclusive benefits tailored to different needs.
2. ● SpeechTexter: This program supports transcription for over 60 languages with a minimalistic interface, suitable for online usage. It can also set punctuation automatically thanks to the speech recognition feature.
3. ● Braina Pro: This program can work offline and can convert speech to text for over 100 languages in a matter of seconds. In addition, it can be integrated into AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini and be considered a virtual assistant as well.
4. ● Speechnotes: This program can produce transcripts with a high level of accuracy. It also offers multiple options for file storage, whether to save files on Google Drive or download them to your device.

Although the aid of AI can significantly improve the productivity of on-site transcription, all online transcription programs share two major disadvantages: they cannot guarantee complete accuracy and may pose potential risks to information security.

Therefore, it is essential to be extra cautious when using online prescription programs and thoroughly examine completed transcripts to correct any errors.

Professional on-site transcription services

Besides transcription software, you can consider partnering with a transcription service provider to ensure the quality of the transcripts you will receive. Human transcriptionists are especially superior to AI tools when it comes to highly specialized content that is hard to navigate.

Additionally, with their skills and utilization of assisting tools, professional transcriptionists can provide completely accurate transcripts for your important content. Aside from transcription, these service providers can also fulfill other requests such as translation or creating subtitles.

Here are some important factors to consider before deciding on an on-site transcription service provider.

1. ● Reputation: By viewing ratings and testimonials of previous clients, you can easily evaluate the quality of the service provider.
2. ● Work process: Before entrusting your project to an agency, it is important to have the work process and project timeline clarified.
3. ● Prices: While pricing is another factor to consider when it comes to choosing a service provider, it should not be prioritized over other deciding factors such as quality or security.
4. ● Recommendations: You can also ask for suggestions from experts in the field to learn more about the credibility of different service providers.

Professional on-site transcription services for over 50 languages

There are many agencies providing on-site transcription services nowadays, so it can be challenging to select one that is suitable for your needs. If you are looking for a reputable and high-quality service provider, look no further than Thao & Co.

With a team of expert linguists with extensive experience and in-depth knowledge about various fields such as healthcare, education, legal, finance, and so on, we are committed to providing you with the highest-quality transcripts. Our rigorous proofreading procedure ensures the utmost accuracy and precision for the final work.

We currently provide professional transcription services for over 50 languages, including complex and rare languages. From on-site transcription to video and audio transcription, we provide a wide array of services to meet any of your specific needs.

Furthermore, we understand the importance of transparency. That is why we always take extra time to explain our working process and formulate a timeline for you to keep track of every step throughout your project.

Protecting your information is the top priority at Thao & Co. Every expert and translator working on your project is required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to ensure complete confidentiality of your data.

For more details about our on-site transcription services, please leave your information on the Get a Quote page. Our consultant will promptly reach out to answer any of your questions.