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The idea seems simple enough. There
are words on one object. Someone just
copies those words on another object. In
practice - it never really works out that
way. There are many reasons for
this. Some are preventable. Some
are not. But they all should be
considered when creating and using
transcriptions. Poor transcriptions can
result in years of wasted research time
following an unacceptable number of
errors. These unreliable transcriptions
become mere indexes for locating additional
information, if it still exists. But the
person who takes the time to provide a quality
transcription of a document will always find an
appreciative audience while providing a
valuable research resource. When
beginning a transcription project, there are a
few basic issues to keep in mind to make the
result as helpful as possible.
Readers are not
Psychic
The transcribed version will never look
exactly like the original. The
transcriber often knows more about the document
than is on the paper. The reader may want
to see the original to double check a
questionable character or see what kind of
paper was used. A brief description of
the document and transcription methods provides
this information. It should include:
- Basic description of the
document. Purists will include
measurements. Probably more important
are notes about its condition and
legibility.
- Location of the original document with
as much detail as possible. If the
document is located in an archives the
accession number or name should be
included. The archivist can help
provide this. If it is in someone's
personal possession, provide a name and
address.
- Description of transcription
methods. A note that "original
spelling and syntax retained" will let
readers know that you really do know how to
spell and further more that you are
familiar with proper transcription
techniques. Also describe methods
used to designate additional
information provided by the
transcriber.
- Additional information about the
historical context of the document.
If it is undated, do you know an
approximate date? How do you
know? If it is a store ledger, where
was the store? Information about the
creator of the original document should
also be included.
- The transcriber and the date of the
transcription.
Illegible
Originals
This happens frequently. Handwriting
styles change. Penmanship and education
vary greatly. Documents become damaged
with ink spills, mold, and critter nibbling
sessions. The ability to read the older
handwriting styles improves with
experience. There isn't much anyone can
do about the other factors. When in
doubt, a questionable character is normally
underlined or otherwise designated in the
transcription to let readers know it may not be
correct. If a character is completely
illegible, transcribers can leave an underscore
in its place or an editorial comment in
parenthesis such as (hole in
page).
School Teacher
Approach
Spell check programs and the Microsoft
interpretation of English grammar are very
new. Standardization of these subjects is
also relatively new. Older approaches of
spelling words phonetically and working out
grammar with a somewhat minimalist approach to
punctuation and conjugation were quite
acceptable in the past. It is unfair to
judge earlier authors by current
standards. In addition, individual quirks
and variations provide important information
about speech patterns and education
opportunities. The best way to announce
to the world that a transcription has
reliability problems is to include a note to
the effect of "The spelling errors have been
corrected." Perhaps worse, is
"correcting" the non-standard spellings without
warning anyone. There is a transitional
approach of maintaining the original but
inserting (sic) after every instance of
non-standard usage. This will annoy the
daylights out of readers since it can result in
several interruptions per sentence in some
cases. Just leave it as is and move
on.
Correcting
History
At times, documents contain errors.
Researchers often will have encountered
additional sources that reveal these errors, or
at least some discrepancies. Often there
is a temptation to simply fix the information
from the original document by replacing it with
a corrected version in the transcription.
The focus needs to remain on the document and
not the additional information. Errors
and discrepancies may have entered into
previous research, and it is important to know
the source of these mistakes. More
importantly, there are often interesting
details behind the scenes of these errors and
discrepancies. Retaining them provides a
red flag to find out more. Readers should
always remember that even original documents
can contain errors and be prepared for these
inevitable bumps in the research road. If
you do have additional information that
demonstrates an error or discrepancy, a
footnote with sources will alert future
researchers and provide far more information
than simply replacing the original text.
A similar problem comes in adding
information. Maiden names of women,
missing dates, and other such details are often
known to a transcriber. Providing this
information is helpful to researchers.
But knowing that the original author of the
document did not have that available, or did
not choose to include it, is also
important. These small additions, as well
as other editorial comments should be
designated through use of parenthesis or other
clear markings with an explanation included in
the description. Footnotes with further
explanations and sources for these additions
will also be greatly appreciated. Helpful
additions also include footnotes identifying
people, places and events mentioned in a
document.
Transcribers are
human, too
The creators of the original documents made
mistakes. All transcribers will, as
well. Transcribers should make all
attempts possible to reduce the number of
errors. Primarily, this involves
following the guidelines above. But it
also involves the recognition that
transcriptions take time. Compare
difficult characters with other known words in
the document. Stop for awhile when eyes
get tired - and they will with large
projects. Once a transcription is
complete, double check everything. It is
helpful to have someone else look over it was
well. Individuals with a great deal of
valuable knowledge about a document but very
poor eyesight should work with some stronger
eyes in the actual transcription process.
But ultimately, acknowledge the human
element. An acceptable level of errors
varies by document. A good rule of thumb
is that the transcriber should add fewer errors
than the original document. Users should
always cite the source as the transcription and
not the original document to account for this
added human element. And they should use
the original document whenever possible.
Good transcriptions will help many future
researchers. But ultimately, the
transcriber benefits the most. This is a
way to really get to know a document and better
understand the people mentioned within
it. And the transcription becomes an
easier to read version for late nights of
research the transcriber will turn to again and
again.
- Linda Hoxit Raxter,
02 FEB 2003
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