Transcriber's User Guide

# What is a transcription

A transcription is the orthographic description of a sound file. The sound is considered as a collection of short sound segments separated by synchronization breakpoints. Each speaker change mark the beginning of a new turn. The turns are themselves grouped in homogeneous sections on different topics.

# A typical transcription session

## Start a session

- To start a new transcription, choose menu File/New trans. You will be asked for a signal to transcribe. This choice can be changed later with menu File/Open audio file...
- Save your work often with menu File/Save. The first time you save a new transcription, you will be proposed the same name as the signal (but with a different extension, depending on the chosen format -you should not type in manually this extension).
- If you want to work on an existing transcription, open it with menu File/Open trans... Transcriber will look for signal sharing the same name as the transcription; if it fails, you will be asked to give location of the signal with a dialog box.

If you save the configuration with menu Options/Save configuration before leaving, both sound and transcription files will be re-opened automatically the next time you launch Transcriber.

## Listen to the signal

Signal can be manipulated with mouse (scrollbars, buttons), menus, or keyboard shortcuts. Use 'Tab' to start/pause playback.

## First pass: rough segmentation

- Choose a resolution of 30 seconds or less for the signal
- Start playback at the beginning of the file (or at the beginning of the untranscribed part of the signal).
- During playback, insert a new breakpoint with the 'Enter' key each time you ear short pauses in the speech or changes in background. A new line with a point will appear in the text, and a bar will appear under the signal a the position of the cursor.
- After a few minutes of rough segmentation, you should get a succession of segment of 10 to 30 seconds.

Don't forget to save your work often (menu File/Save).

## Second pass: transcription

- Choose a resolution of 10 seconds or less for the signal
- Go back to the first untranscribed segment by clicking on the first line of the text or the beginning of the signal.
- Listen to the segment (menu Signal/Replay segment)
- If necessary, adjust the segment boundaries by clicking with button-2 on the segment boundary and draging the mouse
- If a new speaker starts speaking at the beginning of the current segment, mark it as a new turn (menu Segmentation/Change segment type/Turn, or its shortcut). You will be asked the speaker name, but you can keep the default (New speaker) and modify it later if you want.
- Type in the transcription; it will automatically appear in the text editor and in the segmentation under the signal
- Process in the same way all remaining segments

## Third pass: verification

- Go back and listen to the signal while reading the transcription. Start and pause playback as often as you need (use the 'Tab' key). It is possible to move forward/backward during playback.
- Structure the document at the global level by marking new sections (menu Segmentation/Change segment type/Section, or its shortcut). Section types are 'report' , 'filler' or 'nontrans'. You can attribute an arbitrary topic to the section.
- Transcribed text can be modified in the text window. Speaker names and topic can be modified from the menu Segmentation/Edit attributes... or directly clicking on the button in the text window