NCC​ ​Standard​ ​Guidelines

Purpose
The​ ​NCC​ ​Standard​ ​Guidelines​ ​outline​ ​the​ ​in-house​ ​style​ ​and​ ​standards​ ​that​ ​transcribers
must​ ​use​ ​for​ ​our​ ​transcripts.

Responsibilities
Transcribers​ ​are​ ​responsible​ ​for​ ​providing​ ​verbatim,​ ​grammatically​ ​correct,​ ​and​ ​fully​ ​formatted
transcripts.

Transcribers​ ​should​ ​strive​ ​for​ ​no​ ​worse​ ​than​ ​a​ ​2:1​ ​unintelligibles/inaudibles​ ​to​ ​page​ ​ratio.​ ​ ​If​ ​a
transcript​ ​does​ ​not​ ​meet​ ​this​ ​standard​ ​you​ ​may​ ​be​ ​requested​ ​to​ ​revise​ ​the​ ​transcript​ ​based​ ​on
the​ ​audio​ ​quality.

Exceptions
Unless​ ​otherwise​ ​specified,​ ​all​ ​transcripts​ ​should​ ​be​ ​submitted​ ​in​ ​NCC​ ​Standard.​ ​There​ ​are
some​ ​clients​ ​that​ ​prefer​ ​their​ ​own​ ​template​ ​over​ ​NCC​ ​Standard.​ ​In​ ​general,​ ​these​ ​changes
include​ ​different​ ​speaker​ ​ID​ ​formatting​ ​and​ ​template.​ ​Our​ ​primary​ ​clients​ ​that​ ​have​ ​different
formatting​ ​requirements​ ​are:

● Defense​ ​Media​ ​Activities​ ​-​ ​Movies

● Department​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Treasury​ ​(SIGTARP)
● Executive​ ​Office​ ​of​ ​the​ ​President
● Library​ ​of​ ​Congress
● National​ ​Human​ ​Genome​ ​Research​ ​Institute
● National​ ​Parks​ ​Service
● Smithsonian​ ​-​ ​Oral​ ​Histories
● United​ ​States​ ​Marshals​ ​Service
● Woodrow​ ​Wilson​ ​Center

If​ ​a​ ​client’s​ ​guideline​ ​does​ ​not​ ​specify​ ​how​ ​something​ ​should​ ​be​ ​transcribed,​ ​follow​ ​NCC
Standard.
 1

Contents
Accuracy pg​ ​3
I. Description​ ​of​ ​“Verbatim”​ ​v.​ ​“Grammatically​ ​Correct”
II. Expressions​ ​of​ ​Speech​ ​(e.g.​ ​“you​ ​know”)
III. Contraction​ ​Style
IV. Slang
V. Nonsense​ ​Words​ ​(e.g.​ ​uh,​ ​um,​ ​mm)
VI. Interruptive​ ​Speech​ ​v.​ ​Partial​ ​Speech​ ​(i.e.​ ​double​ ​dash​ ​usage)
VII. Unintelligible​ ​v.​ ​Inaudible
VIII. Spelled​ ​Phonetically
IX. Using​ ​[sic]

NCC​ ​Standard​ ​Guidelines pg​ ​7

I. Speaker​ ​IDs
II. Titles​ ​(e.g.​ ​political,​ ​military)
III. Spellings​ ​In-text
IV. Action​ ​Words​ ​(e.g.​ ​laughter,​ ​applause)
V. Acronyms
VI. Foreign​ ​Languages

Readability pg​ ​11

I. Paragraph​ ​Formatting
II. Interruptive​ ​or​ ​Unintelligible​ ​Speech

Grammar pg​ ​13

I. End​ ​Punctuation
II. Oxford​ ​Comma
III. Direct​ ​Quotations
IV. Dates
V. Numbers​ ​(i.e.​ ​numerals​ ​versus​ ​spellings)
VI. Currency​ ​Symbols
VII. Time​ ​Format
VIII. Technical​ ​Terminology
IX. Titles​ ​(e.g.​ ​books,​ ​poems)

Formatting pg​ ​17

I. Document​ ​Titles
II. Line​ ​Spacing
 2

III. Finishing​ ​a​ ​Transcript

Additional​ ​Resources pg​ ​18

I. Resource​ ​Links
 3

Accuracy
Accuracy​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​areas​ ​graded​ ​in​ ​every​ ​feedback.​ ​ ​Your​ ​score​ ​will​ ​reflect​ ​how​ ​well
the​ ​written​ ​transcript​ ​corresponds​ ​to​ ​the​ ​spoken​ ​audio.

I. Description​ ​of​ ​“Verbatim”​ ​v.​ ​“Grammatically​ ​Correct”

Transcripts​ ​should​ ​be​ ​verbatim​ ​with​ ​best​ ​judgment​ ​applied​ ​to​ ​grammar
and​ ​punctuation.​ ​Transcripts​ ​should​ ​reflect​ ​what​ ​the​ ​speaker​ ​says,​ ​not
how​ ​he​ ​or​ ​she​ ​says​ ​it.
● For​ ​example,​ ​there​ ​should​ ​be​ ​no​ ​run-on​ ​sentences​ ​even​ ​if​ ​the
speaker​ ​rambles.
● And​ ​commas​ ​are​ ​not​ ​to​ ​be​ ​used​ ​as​ ​indicators​ ​of​ ​a​ ​speaker’s
pauses,​ ​nor​ ​is​ ​emphasis​ ​indicated​ ​with​ ​the​ ​use​ ​of​ ​italics​ ​or
exclamation​ ​marks.​ ​Unless​ ​specified​ ​in​ ​instructions​ ​or​ ​by​ ​a​ ​client,
italics​ ​should​ ​never​ ​be​ ​used.

II. Expressions​ ​of​ ​Speech​ ​(e.g.​ ​“you​ ​know”)

Include​ ​all​ ​expressions​ ​of​ ​speech​ ​and​ ​filler​ ​words,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​"you​ ​know"​ ​and
"like."

Example:
Female​ ​Speaker:
I​ ​had​ ​to,​ ​you​ ​know,​ ​get​ ​out​ ​of​ ​there​ ​fast.

Male​ ​Speaker:
I​ ​didn't​ ​want​ ​to,​ ​like,​ ​go​ ​in​ ​there.

III. ​ ​Contraction​ ​Style

Contractions​ ​should​ ​be​ ​written​ ​as​ ​spoken​ ​and​ ​not​ ​corrected.

IV. Slang
When​ ​a​ ​speaker​ ​uses​ ​slang,​ ​the​ ​slang​ ​should​ ​written​ ​to​ ​be​ ​grammatically
correct.

Examples:
‘Cause Because

Gonna Going​ ​to

Ain’t Isn’t

Kinda Kind​ ​of

 4

Write​ ​out​ ​words​ ​such​ ​as​ ​“all​ ​right,”​ ​“et​ ​cetera,”​ ​and​ ​“okay”​ ​(not​ ​alright,
etc.,​ ​and​ ​ok/OK).

V. Nonsense​ ​Words​ ​(e.g.​ ​uh,​ ​um,​ ​mm)

Nonsense​ ​words​ ​should​ ​be​ ​omitted​ ​from​ ​the​ ​transcript​ ​(e.g.​ ​Uh,​ ​Um,
Mmm).

Use​ ​[affirmative]​ ​for​ ​sounds​ ​of​ ​agreement​ ​and​ ​use​ ​[negative]​ ​for​ ​sounds
of​ ​disagreement.

Examples:
[affirmative] Mm-hmm,​ ​uh-huh

[negative] Uh-uh,​ ​nuh-uh

VI. ​ ​Interruptive​ ​Speech​ ​v.​ ​Partial​ ​Speech​ ​(i.e.​ ​double​ ​dash​ ​usage)
The​ ​double​ ​dash​ ​(--)​ ​should​ ​be​ ​used​ ​when​ ​speakers​ ​are​ ​interrupted​ ​by
another​ ​speaker,​ ​or​ ​if​ ​the​ ​speaker​ ​switches​ ​thought​ ​entirely.

Example:
Male​ ​Speaker:
That​ ​movie​ ​was​ ​horrible​ ​--

Female​ ​Speaker:
Well,​ ​yeah.

Male​ ​Speaker:
--​ ​because​ ​it​ ​had​ ​no​ ​plot.

Female​ ​Speaker:
I​ ​agree​ ​but​ ​it​ ​was​ ​pretty​ ​--​ ​who​ ​was​ ​the​ ​actor​ ​who​ ​played​ ​the
lead?

● Note:​ ​in​ ​Word,​ ​a​ ​double​ ​dash​ ​will​ ​automatically​ ​be​ ​corrected​ ​to
an​ ​em​ ​dash.​ ​To​ ​change​ ​this​ ​go​ ​to
File>Options>Proofing>AutoCorrect
Options>AutoFormat>Replace​ ​and​ ​unclick​ ​the​ ​fourth​ ​box.

If​ ​a​ ​speaker​ ​says​ ​only​ ​part​ ​of​ ​a​ ​word​ ​and​ ​then​ ​corrects​ ​himself​ ​or
herself,​ ​do​ ​not​ ​transcribe​ ​the​ ​partial​ ​word.​ ​Instead​ ​continue​ ​the
sentence​ ​as​ ​if​ ​there​ ​was​ ​no​ ​pause,​ ​unless​ ​the​ ​speaker​ ​switches​ ​thought
entirely.
 5

INCORRECT:
Female​ ​Speaker:
Clinically​ ​speaking,​ ​we​ ​are​ ​close​ ​to​ ​solv​ ​--​ ​finding​ ​a​ ​solution​ ​to​ ​this
problem.

CORRECT:
Female​ ​Speaker:
Clinically​ ​speaking,​ ​we​ ​are​ ​close​ ​to​ ​finding​ ​a​ ​solution​ ​to​ ​this
problem.

VII. Unintelligible​ ​v.​ ​Inaudible

Garbled​ ​speech,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​anything​ ​that​ ​is​ ​audible,​ ​but​ ​cannot​ ​be
understood,​ ​is​ ​transcribed​ ​as​ ​[unintelligible].

Speech​ ​that​ ​is​ ​too​ ​soft​ ​to​ ​be​ ​heard​ ​or​ ​is​ ​obscured​ ​by​ ​another​ ​sound,
such​ ​as​ ​a​ ​sneeze​ ​or​ ​cough,​ ​should​ ​be​ ​transcribed​ ​as​ ​[inaudible].

When​ ​a​ ​speaker​ ​is​ ​acknowledged​ ​and​ ​cannot​ ​be​ ​attributed​ ​to​ ​a​ ​Male​ ​or
Female​ ​Speaker,​ ​[inaudible​ ​commentary]​ ​should​ ​be​ ​used​ ​on​ ​its​ ​own​ ​line
with​ ​no​ ​punctuation.

Example:

Jane​ ​Doe:
Oh,​ ​we​ ​have​ ​a​ ​question.​ ​ ​Yes,​ ​go​ ​ahead.

[inaudible​ ​commentary]

Jane​ ​Doe:
Oh,​ ​okay.​ ​ ​Yes,​ ​I​ ​see​ ​what​ ​you’re​ ​saying.

All​ ​stutter​ ​phrases​ ​should​ ​be​ ​acknowledged​ ​except​ ​for​ ​one-word

stutters.

Example:
"I-I-I-​ ​thought"​ ​should​ ​be​ ​"I​ ​thought."

VIII. Spelled​ ​Phonetically

If​ ​you​ ​cannot​ ​confirm​ ​the​ ​correct​ ​spelling​ ​of​ ​a​ ​term​ ​or​ ​name​ ​after​ ​a​ ​simple
Google​ ​search,​ ​type​ ​the​ ​word​ ​as​ ​you​ ​hear​ ​it​ ​and​ ​put​ ​[spelled​ ​phonetically]
after​ ​the​ ​first​ ​instance.​ ​Subsequent​ ​instances​ ​of​ ​that​ ​word​ ​do​ ​not​ ​need
this​ ​notation​ ​after​ ​them,​ ​though​ ​they​ ​should​ ​be​ ​spelled​ ​the​ ​same​ ​way
throughout​ ​the​ ​transcript.
● When​ ​researching​ ​the​ ​term​ ​or​ ​name,​ ​we​ ​recommend​ ​searching​ ​it
alongside​ ​the​ ​client​ ​name,​ ​the​ ​person​ ​speaking,​ ​or​ ​the​ ​event​ ​title
 6

Use​ ​[spelled​ ​phonetically]​ ​when​ ​speech​ ​is​ ​garbled​ ​and​ ​you​ ​are​ ​only​ ​able
to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​reasonable​ ​guess​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​context​ ​of​ ​the​ ​sentence.

IX. Using​ ​[sic]

When​ ​a​ ​speaker​ ​misspeaks,​ ​type​ ​exactly​ ​what​ ​the​ ​speaker​ ​says​ ​with​ ​a
[sic]​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​it.​ ​This​ ​should​ ​only​ ​be​ ​used​ ​when​ ​it​ ​is​ ​obvious​ ​the
speaker​ ​made​ ​an​ ​error.

Example:
Jane​ ​Doe:
Let’s​ ​go​ ​ahead​ ​and​ ​start​ ​the​ ​meeting,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​now​ ​4:00​ ​a.m.​ ​[sic].
 7

NCC​ ​Standard​ ​Guidelines

Transcripts​ ​should​ ​be​ ​produced​ ​in​ ​accordance​ ​with​ ​the​ ​in-house​ ​style​ ​and​ ​standards.​ ​All
NCC​ ​Standard​ ​transcripts​ ​should​ ​be​ ​typed​ ​in​ ​Times​ ​New​ ​Roman,​ ​12​ ​point​ ​font​ ​inside
the​ ​provided​ ​Standard​ ​template.

I. Speaker​ ​IDs
Speaker​ ​IDs​ ​should​ ​be​ ​formatted​ ​as​ ​Firstname​ ​Lastname,​ ​followed​ ​by​ ​a
colon.​ ​Unless​ ​otherwise​ ​specified,​ ​start​ ​dialogue​ ​on​ ​a​ ​new​ ​line.​ ​If​ ​the
full​ ​name​ ​is​ ​not​ ​provided,​ ​use​ ​Male​ ​Speaker​ ​or​ ​Female​ ​Speaker.​ ​Do​ ​not
include​ ​any​ ​titles​ ​in​ ​the​ ​speaker​ ​ID.

INCORRECT:
Susan:
So​ ​that’s​ ​my​ ​trip​ ​to​ ​Egypt​ ​in​ ​a​ ​nutshell.

ACCEPTABLE
Female​ ​Speaker:
So​ ​that’s​ ​my​ ​trip​ ​to​ ​Egypt​ ​in​ ​a​ ​nutshell.

CORRECT:
Susan​ ​Brown:
So​ ​that’s​ ​my​ ​trip​ ​to​ ​Egypt​ ​in​ ​a​ ​nutshell.

● If​ ​you​ ​only​ ​have​ ​the​ ​speaker’s​ ​first​ ​or​ ​last​ ​name,​ ​we​ ​recommend
searching​ ​the​ ​name​ ​alongside​ ​the​ ​person’s​ ​title,​ ​the​ ​event​ ​at​ ​which
they​ ​are​ ​present,​ ​or​ ​the​ ​client’s​ ​name​ ​.

If​ ​several​ ​people​ ​speak​ ​at​ ​the​ ​same​ ​time,​ ​use​ ​the​ ​Speaker​ ​ID​ ​“Multiple
Speakers.”

Example:
Greg​ ​Jones:
But​ ​that​ ​wouldn’t​ ​make​ ​sense,​ ​would​ ​it?

Multiple​ ​Speakers:
No.

II. ​ ​Titles​ ​(e.g.​ ​political,​ ​military)

In​ ​the​ ​text,​ ​capitalize​ ​and​ ​abbreviate​ ​military​ ​or​ ​political​ ​titles​ ​when​ ​used
as​ ​a​ ​formal​ ​title​ ​before​ ​an​ ​individual's​ ​name.​ ​Spell​ ​out​ ​and​ ​lowercase​ ​a
title​ ​when​ ​it​ ​is​ ​substituted​ ​for​ ​a​ ​name.​ ​Titles​ ​should​ ​not​ ​be​ ​a​ ​part​ ​of
speaker​ ​ID’s​ ​unless​ ​specified​ ​by​ ​a​ ​client.
 8

Example:
Mike​ ​Jones:
Gen.​ ​John​ ​Allen​ ​is​ ​the​ ​top​ ​U.S.​ ​commander​ ​in​ ​Afghanistan.​ ​The
general​ ​endorsed​ ​the​ ​idea.

John​ ​Allen:
Thank​ ​you,​ ​Sen.​ ​Jones.​ ​ ​You​ ​explained​ ​your​ ​position​ ​very
thoroughly,​ ​though​ ​no​ ​one​ ​understood​ ​anything​ ​you​ ​said;​ ​many​ ​of
the​ ​senators​ ​came​ ​out​ ​confused.

III. ​ ​Spellings​ ​In-text

When​ ​a​ ​speaker​ ​spells​ ​out​ ​a​ ​word​ ​or​ ​name,​ ​use​ ​all​ ​caps,​ ​separating
each​ ​letter​ ​with​ ​a​ ​single​ ​dash.​ ​When​ ​two​ ​or​ ​more​ ​words​ ​are​ ​spelled​ ​out,
separate​ ​with​ ​a​ ​comma.

Example:
Harold​ ​Bradley:
Please​ ​spell​ ​your​ ​name​ ​for​ ​the​ ​record.

Patsy​ ​Cline:
Patsy,​ ​P-A-T-S-Y,​ ​Cline,​ ​C-L-I-N-E.​ ​ ​P-A-T-S-Y,​ ​C-L-I-N-E.

IV. ​ ​Action​ ​Words​ ​(e.g.​ ​laughter,​ ​applause)

Actions​ ​or​ ​sounds​ ​such​ ​as​ ​[laughs],​ ​[applause],​ ​or​ ​[music​ ​playing]​ ​should
be​ ​placed​ ​in​ ​brackets​ ​in​ ​the​ ​transcript​ ​with​ ​any​ ​punctuation​ ​following.

If​ ​a​ ​bracketed​ ​term​ ​is​ ​not​ ​done​ ​by​ ​the​ ​speaker,​ ​but​ ​not​ ​attributed​ ​to​ ​a
single​ ​person,​ ​it​ ​should​ ​be​ ​on​ ​its​ ​own​ ​line​ ​between​ ​the​ ​dialogue​ ​and​ ​no
punctuation​ ​is​ ​necessary.​ ​When​ ​the​ ​speaker​ ​resumes,​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​have​ ​to
use​ ​a​ ​speaker​ ​ID​ ​unless​ ​a​ ​new​ ​person​ ​is​ ​talking.This​ ​will​ ​also​ ​be​ ​done
when​ ​more​ ​than​ ​one​ ​person​ ​laughs,​ ​transcribed​ ​as​ ​[laughter].

Example:
Male​ ​Speaker:
Thank​ ​you​ ​all​ ​for​ ​having​ ​me.

[applause]

It’s​ ​been​ ​an​ ​honor.

If​ ​the​ ​action​ ​is​ ​done​ ​by​ ​the​ ​speaker​ ​and​ ​precedes​ ​speech,​ ​the​ ​bracketed
term​ ​should​ ​then​ ​be​ ​followed​ ​by​ ​a​ ​single​ ​space​ ​and​ ​the​ ​sentence.
 9

Example:
Male​ ​Speaker:
[laughs]​ ​I​ ​don't​ ​get​ ​it.

If​ ​the​ ​action​ ​is​ ​done​ ​by​ ​the​ ​speaker​ ​and​ ​is​ ​after​ ​the​ ​speech,​ ​the​ ​bracketed
term​ ​should​ ​follow​ ​the​ ​speech,​ ​but​ ​be​ ​placed​ ​before​ ​the​ ​period.

Example:
Female​ ​Speaker:
I​ ​still​ ​don't​ ​get​ ​it​ ​[laughs].

Actions​ ​such​ ​as​ ​[coughs],​ ​[sneezes],​ ​and​ ​[phone​ ​ringing]​ ​are​ ​not
necessary.​ ​However,​ ​if​ ​a​ ​speaker​ ​acknowledges​ ​these​ ​actions,​ ​it​ ​should
be​ ​included​ ​in​ ​the​ ​transcript.

INCORRECT:
William​ ​Faulkner:
As​ ​I​ ​was​ ​saying​ ​--

Virginia​ ​Woolf:
[coughs]

William​ ​Faulkner:
--​ ​I'm​ ​so​ ​glad​ ​to​ ​be​ ​here.

CORRECT:
William​ ​Faulkner:
As​ ​I​ ​was​ ​saying​ ​--

Virginia​ ​Woolf:
[coughs]

William​ ​Faulkner:
Bless​ ​you.

Virginia​ ​Woolf:
Thank​ ​you.

While​ ​[applause],​ ​[music​ ​playing],​ ​and​ ​[talking​ ​simultaneously]​ ​may​ ​not​ ​be
acknowledged​ ​by​ ​speakers,​ ​these​ ​actions​ ​are​ ​always​ ​transcribed.

V. Acronyms
Add​ ​periods​ ​for​ ​acronyms​ ​of​ ​organizations​ ​and​ ​places​ ​of​ ​two​ ​letters,
excluding​ ​U.S.​ ​state​ ​abbreviations.
 10

Examples:
U.S.,​ ​U.N.,​ ​D.C.,​ ​U.K.

Acronyms​ ​of​ ​three​ ​or​ ​more​ ​letters​ ​do​ ​not​ ​use​ ​periods.
Examples:
USA,​ ​NRC,​ ​EPA,​ ​NIH

VI. ​ ​Foreign​ ​Languages

When​ ​a​ ​transcript​ ​includes​ ​words​ ​spoken​ ​in​ ​a​ ​foreign​ ​language,​ ​and​ ​if
what​ ​is​ ​said​ ​can​ ​be​ ​discerned,​ ​transcribe​ ​the​ ​word​ ​with​ ​the​ ​correct​ ​accent
marks.

Example:
Male​ ​Speaker:
And​ ​the​ ​motto​ ​is​ ​“Por​ ​mi​ ​raza​ ​hablará​ ​el​ ​espíritu”​ ​--​ ​“For​ ​my​ ​race,
the​ ​spirit​ ​will​ ​talk.”

If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​unsure​ ​of​ ​what​ ​is​ ​being​ ​said,​ ​but​ ​are​ ​able​ ​to​ ​identify​ ​the
language,​ ​insert​ ​a​ ​bracketed​ ​term​ ​containing​ ​the​ ​language​ ​being​ ​spoken.
If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​unsure​ ​of​ ​the​ ​language​ ​being​ ​spoken,​ ​use​ ​[foreign​ ​language]​ ​in
brackets.

Example:
Ines​ ​Azar:
Don​ ​Quixote​ ​is​ ​a​ ​madman,​ ​and​ ​further​ ​[speaks​ ​Spanish].​ ​Who
knows​ ​what​ ​that​ ​means?

Richard​ ​Camacho:
[foreign​ ​language]​ ​is​ ​what​ ​that​ ​means.

If​ ​the​ ​foreign​ ​language​ ​spoken​ ​in​ ​the​ ​transcript​ ​is​ ​frequent​ ​(more​ ​than​ ​five
times​ ​per​ ​paragraph)​ ​and​ ​long​ ​in​ ​duration​ ​(whole​ ​paragraphs​ ​throughout
the​ ​transcript),​ ​inform​ ​the​ ​editing​ ​team.
 11

Readability
The​ ​readability​ ​of​ ​a​ ​transcript​ ​refers​ ​to​ ​how​ ​successfully​ ​transcribers​ ​break​ ​up​ ​the
speech​ ​into​ ​sentences​ ​and​ ​paragraphs.

I. Paragraph​ ​Formatting
Transcribe​ ​the​ ​audio​ ​into​ ​paragraphs.​ ​Use​ ​your​ ​best​ ​judgement​ ​to
determine​ ​where​ ​a​ ​large​ ​chunk​ ​of​ ​text​ ​can​ ​be​ ​broken​ ​up.

There​ ​should​ ​be​ ​two​ ​line​ ​breaks​ ​between​ ​paragraphs,​ ​with​ ​one​ ​blank​ ​line
separating​ ​paragraphs,​ ​and​ ​no​ ​indentation​ ​of​ ​new​ ​paragraphs.

II. ​​Interruptive​ ​or​ ​Unintelligible​ ​Speech

Speakers​ ​talking​ ​over​ ​one​ ​another​ ​is​ ​not​ ​the​ ​same​ ​as​ ​interruptive
speech.

If​ ​you​ ​can​ ​understand​ ​what​ ​speakers​ ​are​ ​saying​ ​when​ ​they’re​ ​talking
over​ ​one​ ​another,​ ​this​ ​is​ ​interruptive​ ​speech,​ ​and​ ​you​ ​should​ ​use​ ​the
double​ ​dashes​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end/beginning​ ​of​ ​their​ ​lines​ ​as​ ​previously​ ​instructed.

Example:

Male​ ​Speaker:
I​ ​was​ ​just​ ​going​ ​to​ ​say​ ​--

Female​ ​Speaker:
But​ ​did​ ​you​ ​mean​ ​--

Male​ ​Speaker:
--​ ​that​ ​it​ ​was​ ​correct.

Female​ ​Speaker:
Oh,​ ​all​ ​right.

Continually​ ​alternating​ ​speaker​ ​IDs​ ​when​ ​the​ ​speakers​ ​talk​ ​over​ ​one
another,​ ​however,​ ​makes​ ​both​ ​speakers​ ​difficult​ ​to​ ​understand​ ​and
impedes​ ​the​ ​flow​ ​of​ ​the​ ​transcript,​ ​so​ ​show​ ​the​ ​interruptions​ ​as​ ​best​ ​you
can​ ​without​ ​excessive​ ​dashes.

Example​ ​with​ ​too​ ​many​ ​interruption​ ​dashes:

 12

Male​ ​Speaker:
I​ ​was​ ​just​ ​--

Female​ ​Speaker:
But​ ​did​ ​--

Male​ ​Speaker:
--​ ​going​ ​to​ ​say​ ​--

Female​ ​Speaker:
--​ ​you​ ​mean​ ​--

Male​ ​Speaker:
--​ ​that​ ​it​ ​was​ ​correct.

Female​ ​Speaker:
Oh,​ ​all​ ​right.

If​ ​you​ ​cannot​ ​understand​ ​what​ ​the​ ​speakers​ ​are​ ​saying​ ​when​ ​talking
over​ ​one​ ​another,​ ​use​ ​[talking​ ​simultaneously]​ ​on​ ​its​ ​own​ ​line,​ ​without​ ​a
speaker​ ​ID.

Example:
Male​ ​Speaker:
So​ ​as​ ​I​ ​was​ ​saying​ ​--

[talking​ ​simultaneously]

Male​ ​Speaker:
Well,​ ​that​ ​escalated​ ​quickly.
 13

Grammar
Transcribers​ ​should​ ​use​ ​punctuation,​ ​conjunctions,​ ​and​ ​capitalization​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​a
transcript​ ​is​ ​grammatically​ ​correct.

I. End​ ​Punctuation
Separate​ ​sentences​ ​with​ ​two​ ​spaces,​ ​not​ ​one.

End​ ​punctuation​ ​goes​ ​inside​ ​quotations​ ​when​ ​applicable.

Example:
She​ ​said,​ ​“I​ ​don’t​ ​want​ ​to​ ​do​ ​that.”

II. Oxford​ ​Comma

Use​ ​the​ ​Oxford​ ​comma​​ ​or​ ​serial​ ​comma​ ​for​ ​lists​ ​including​ ​a
conjunction.

Example:
Harry,​ ​Bob,​ ​Sally,​ ​and​ ​Joe​ ​went​ ​to​ ​the​ ​game.

III. Direct​ ​Quotations

Use​ ​quotation​ ​marks​ ​to​ ​denote​ ​the​ ​speech​ ​of​ ​a​ ​speaker​ ​or​ ​writer
when​ ​reported​ ​in​ ​a​ ​transcript.

Examples:
He​ ​said​ ​something​ ​like,​ ​“I​ ​have​ ​no​ ​intention​ ​of​ ​staying.”
“I​ ​do​ ​not​ ​object,”​ ​I​ ​said,​ ​“To​ ​the​ ​tenor​ ​of​ ​the​ ​report.”

The​ ​first​ ​word​ ​in​ ​a​ ​quotation​ ​should​ ​be​ ​capitalized​ ​and​ ​end
punctuation​ ​should​ ​go​ ​inside​ ​quotations,​ ​when​ ​applicable.

INCORRECT:
And​ ​she​ ​said,​ ​sure,​ ​I’d​ ​be​ ​happy​ ​to​ ​do​ ​that.

CORRECT:
And​ ​she​ ​said,​ ​“Sure,​ ​I’d​ ​be​ ​happy​ ​to​ ​do​ ​that.”

IV. Dates
Dates​ ​should​ ​be​ ​transcribed​ ​as​ ​spoken,​ ​and​ ​without​ ​superscript.

Examples:
May​ ​5th,​ ​2010
May​ ​the​ ​5th.​ ​2010
It​ ​was​ ​on​ ​the​ ​5th​ ​of​ ​last​ ​month.
 14

His​ ​birthday​ ​is​ ​11/6/1980.

● Note:​ ​in​ ​Word,​ ​it​ ​will​ ​automatically​ ​correct​ ​dates​ ​to​ ​have​ ​a
superscript.​ ​To​ ​change​ ​this​ ​go​ ​to
File>Options>Proofing>AutoCorrect​ ​Options>AutoFormat>Replace
and​ ​unclick​ ​the​ ​second​ ​box.

V. Numbers​ ​(i.e.​ ​numerals​ ​versus​ ​spellings)

For​ ​numbers,​ ​spell​ ​out​ ​nine​ ​and​ ​below,​ ​including​ ​zero.​ ​Use
numerals​ ​for​ ​10​ ​and​ ​up,​ ​unless​ ​beginning​ ​a​ ​sentence​ ​with​ ​the
number.

Examples:
My​ ​dog​ ​just​ ​had​ ​three​ ​puppies.
I​ ​gave​ ​my​ ​11​ ​treats.
Fourteen​ ​dogs​ ​escaped​ ​the​ ​vet.

Numbers​ ​above​ ​a​ ​million​ ​should​ ​be​ ​transcribed​ ​with​ ​the​ ​number​ ​as
a​ ​numeral​ ​followed​ ​by​ ​the​ ​word​ ​“million”​ ​or​ ​“billion,”​ ​et​ ​cetera.

Example:
“There​ ​were​ ​four​ ​million​ ​people​ ​in​ ​total”​ ​would​ ​be
transcribed​ ​as​ ​“There​ ​were​ ​4​ ​million​ ​people​ ​in​ ​total.”

Millions​ ​and​ ​above​ ​should​ ​only​ ​be​ ​transcribed​ ​as​ ​numerals​ ​only
when​ ​a​ ​speaker​ ​gets​ ​specific.

Example:
“Three​ ​million,​ ​eighty-five​ ​thousand​ ​and​ ​four”​ ​would​ ​be
transcribed​ ​as​ ​“3,085,004.”

Decimal​ ​points,​ ​percentages,​ ​units​ ​of​ ​measurement,​ ​and​ ​ages​ ​should

always​ ​be​ ​transcribed​ ​as​ ​numerals.

Examples:
I​ ​believe​ ​the​ ​correct​ ​number​ ​is​ ​3.14.
I​ ​have​ ​30​ ​percent​ ​of​ ​my​ ​paycheck​ ​left.
If​ ​I​ ​were​ ​a​ ​2-year-old​ ​boy,​ ​I​ ​would​ ​be​ ​rich.
I’m​ ​about​ ​5​ ​foot,​ ​3​ ​inches.

When​ ​a​ ​non-specific​ ​number​ ​is​ ​referenced,​ ​spell​ ​out​ ​the​ ​number.

Example:
There​ ​are​ ​hundreds​ ​of​ ​thousands​ ​of​ ​babies​ ​born​ ​every​ ​day.
 15

Ratios​ ​should​ ​be​ ​transcribed​ ​with​ ​numerals​ ​and​ ​hyphens​ ​instead​ ​of
spelled​ ​out​ ​words.

Example:
The​ ​ratio​ ​was​ ​2-to-1,​ ​a​ ​ratio​ ​of​ ​2-to-1,​ ​a​ ​2-to-1​ ​ratio.

Fractions​ ​should​ ​be​ ​spelled​ ​out.

Example:
Two​ ​thirds​ ​of​ ​a​ ​pie

Numbers​ ​should​ ​always​ ​be​ ​spelled​ ​out​ ​when​ ​they​ ​are​ ​at​ ​the​ ​beginning​ ​of
a​ ​sentence​ ​with​ ​the​ ​following​ ​exceptions:

● CALENDAR​ ​YEARS:​ ​2003​ ​had​ ​more​ ​applicants​ ​than​ ​any​ ​other

year.
● HEIGHT:​ ​ ​5'4"​ ​is​ ​my​ ​height,​ ​at​ ​least​ ​the​ ​last​ ​time​ ​I​ ​checked.
● MONETARY​ ​VALUES:​ ​$46,000​ ​was​ ​our​ ​goal​ ​last​ ​month.
● PHONE​ ​NUMBERS:​ ​555-555-5555​ ​is​ ​my​ ​phone​ ​number.
● ADDRESSES:​ ​ ​412​ ​Elm​ ​Street​ ​is​ ​where​ ​I​ ​lived​ ​last.
● REGULATIONS:​ ​ ​24-49.78​ ​states​ ​that​ ​your​ ​car​ ​is​ ​not​ ​up​ ​to​ ​specs.

VI. Currency​ ​Symbols

Use​ ​the​ ​dollar​ ​sign​ ​($),​ ​pound​ ​sign​ ​(£),​ ​and​ ​other​ ​monetary​ ​symbols.

For​ ​amounts​ ​less​ ​than​ ​$1,​ ​transcribe​ ​numerals​ ​followed​ ​by​ ​the​ ​word
“cents.”

Examples:
The​ ​cost​ ​was​ ​$2.50​ ​and​ ​I​ ​got​ ​5​ ​cents​ ​back.
The​ ​T.V.​ ​was​ ​priced​ ​at​ ​$43.
We​ ​are​ ​valued​ ​at​ ​over​ ​£3​ ​billion​ ​today.
$43​ ​is​ ​too​ ​much​ ​to​ ​pay.
Only spell out the word “dollars” when a speaker refers to a non-specific
amount.

Example:
“This​ ​could​ ​cost​ ​us​ ​hundreds​ ​of​ ​thousands​ ​of​ ​dollars.”

VII. ​ ​Time​ ​Format

Times should be transcribed with a colon to separate hours from minutes,
and​ ​include​ ​a.m.​ ​and​ ​p.m.

Do​ ​not​ ​use​ ​transcribe​ ​“o'clock.”

 16

Example:
If a speaker says “Eleven o’clock in the morning,” it should be
transcribed​ ​as,​ ​“11:00​ ​a.m.”

VIII. Technical​ ​Terminology

Technical terms, such as email addresses, websites, or
webcasts,should be written as they would appear on the page, not as
spoken.​ ​Use​ ​lowercase​ ​"web"​ ​when​ ​someone​ ​refers​ ​to​ ​"the​ ​web."

Examples:
www.google.com
johnadams@yahoo.com.

IX. Titles​ ​(e.g.​ ​books,​ ​poems)

Titles​ ​of​ ​books,​ ​computer​ ​games,​ ​movies,​ ​poems,​ ​songs,​ ​television
programs,​ ​articles,​ ​and​ ​plays​ ​should​ ​be​ ​placed​ ​in​ ​quotes.

Examples:
“The​ ​Sound​ ​of​ ​Music”
“Wheel​ ​of​ ​Fortune”
“The​ ​Great​ ​Gatsby”

Titles​ ​of​ ​newspapers​ ​and​ ​magazines​ ​should​ ​only​ ​be​ ​capitalized.​ ​They
should​ ​not​ ​be​ ​in​ ​quotes​ ​or​ ​italics.​ ​Capitalize​ ​“the”​ ​in​ ​a​ ​newspaper​ ​or
magazine’s​ ​name​ ​if​ ​that​ ​is​ ​the​ ​way​ ​the​ ​publication​ ​is​ ​known.

Example:
The​ ​New​ ​York​ ​Times.

● Exceptions:​ ​Do​ ​not​ ​use​ ​quotes​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Bible,​ ​almanacs,

directories,​ ​dictionaries,​ ​encyclopedias,​ ​gazetteers,​ ​handbooks,
and​ ​similar​ ​reference​ ​publications.

Example:
Jane​ ​Doe:
My​ ​name​ ​is​ ​Jane​ ​Doe,​ ​and​ ​I’m​ ​an​ ​editor​ ​for​ ​The
Washington​ ​Post’s​ ​Book​ ​World​ ​section.​ ​ ​I​ ​recently​ ​wrote​ ​an
article​ ​entitled​ ​“Why​ ​Reading​ ​is​ ​Fun”​ ​in​ ​which​ ​I​ ​explained
the​ ​joys​ ​of​ ​reading.
 17

Formatting
Completed transcripts should adhere to the NCC Standard template and/or to client
specifications. Transcribers are responsible for producing the .doc or .docx document
fully​ ​formatted.

I. Document​ ​Titles
Title​ ​the​ ​document​ ​with​ ​the​ ​project​ ​name.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​document,​ ​put​ ​the​ ​title
name,​ ​centered​ ​and​ ​underlined,​ ​at​ ​the​ ​top​ ​of​ ​the​ ​page.

II. Line​ ​Spacing

The​ ​document​ ​should​ ​be​ ​single​ ​spaced​ ​with​ ​a​ ​single​ ​line​ ​separating
paragraphs.
● Paragraphs​ ​are​ ​not​ ​indented.
● Do​ ​not​ ​include​ ​a​ ​space​ ​before​ ​or​ ​after​ ​paragraphs.

III. Finishing​ ​a​ ​Transcript

Use​ ​[end​ ​of​ ​transcript]​ ​to​ ​indicate​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​transcript.
 18

Additional​ ​Resources
For​ ​additional​ ​information​ ​on​ ​grammar​ ​and​ ​formatting,​ ​we​ ​recommend​ ​the​ ​following​ ​online
resources.

I. Resource​ ​Links
Grammar​ ​Resources:
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/grammar/usage
https://www.apstylebook.com/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Formatting​ ​Resources:
https://www.gcflearnfree.org/word2016/