Transcription is one of the oldest forms of communication and over the course of history it has been essential for fostering understanding in many fields including medical, legal and governmental transcription.
The first transcriptions were made in Ancient Egypt where scribes annotated, classified and transcribed orders and kept the books. Hence they were also key players in financial issues.
In the 16th and 17th centuries scribes took a backseat with the invention of the printing press. However, the reintroduction of shorthand later on meant they once again had a crucial role.
In the 20th century the great invention of the typewriter led to a boom in the number of people employed as stenographers and typists. Typewriters meant that transcription became part of many areas of society including the workplace.
Yet history evolves and with the word processor the world of transcription thrived and the first real way of digitally writing and transcribing information emerged. It was a breakthrough in the history of transcription which generated more reliable transcriptions.
Nowadays there are lots of things that can be transcribed including audio, text and video content.
There are also different types of transcription:
- Literal transcription: it is the most accurate as it includes everything. This type of transcription is usually used in trials or for expert evidence.
- Natural transcription: unlike literal transcription, it eliminates irrelevant information. This type of transcription is often used in qualitative research.
- Phonetic transcription: it is a set of symbols representing human speech.
And as we’ve already discussed in other posts on the AADIMATIQ blog, machine systems can also help us with transcription, although they will never be as trustworthy as transcription by a specialist person. Obviously today’s technology and tools enable us to progress in leaps and bounds and make transcription and translation services more reliable. In a nutshell, the success of a transcription depends on the professional doing it, and with AADIMATIQ professionalism is guaranteed.
