SpeechInk Quick Start Guide for Transcribing Recorded Insurance Interviews
This Quick Start Guide explains the basic guidelines for transcribing recorded insurance interviews. While this guide highlights and summarizes the most important formatting rules, it is only an overview. For more information, we encourage you to refer to the Insurance Formatting Guide.
Another resource at your disposal is our Community Manager, who can be reached by email at: manager AT speechink DOT com.
Guide Contents
- Verbatim Transcription
- Speaker Tokens
- Uh, Um, Mm, Hmm
- OK
- You Know/Like
- Repeated Words and Stutters
- Incomplete Words/False Starts
- Inaudible Words and Phrases
- Spelling and [SP]
- Punctuation
- Quotes Within Recorded Statements
- Bracketed Items
- Recorded Voices/Message
- Pause/Silence
- Ellipses
- Interrupted Speech Patterns
- Speaking Simultaneously
- Dates
- Time
- Numbers
- Interpreted Interviews
- Glossary of Recorded Statement-Related Words
- Sample Insurance Interview Transcription
Verbatim Transcription
In verbatim transcription, interviews are transcribed word for word, and sound for sound. Every um, uh, laugh, and sound must be recorded for posterity. Examples of what should be in your transcription:
Every word you can understand.
A placeholder for every group of words you can't understand.
Slang words like 'cuz, 'em, 'til, y'all, gonna and goin'. See Glossary for additional slang words.
Non-word utterances such as um, uh-huh.
Sound of emotion or body sounds: [laughs], [crying], [makes sound], [coughs], [clears throat].
Use only if sound is made by participant.
Even pauses and silences should be noted.
What shouldn't be in your transcription:
Don't add words that weren't spoken, even to improve grammar.
Don't transcribe languages other than English.
Each of these cases is described in a section below.
Speaker Tokens
Use Q: for the Interviewer, and A: for the main Interviewee.
If there is more than one interviewee or participant, use B:, C:, D:, etc.
Use ATTY: for an attorney participant.
Use INT: for an interpreter. (See Interpreted Interviews section.)
Uh, Um, Mm, Hmm
Type all ums, uhs, and hmms that occur in the interview. ALWAYS set off these words with commas.
Q: OK. Did you, um, well, did you have anything to drink before the accident happened?
A: Uh, no. Uh, I don't, uh, drink or anything, ever.
These are the preferred spellings of typical utterances:
Affirmative: uh-huh, mm-hmm, yeah.
Don't use: um-hum, um-hmm, uh-hum.
Negative: uh-uh, hmm-mm, mm-mm, hun-uh, nuh-uh.
Other: um, uh, hmm, mm.
OK
Use the version OK (capital letters, no periods) instead of okay, ok, m'kay and 'k.
Q: OK. Could I have your full name, please?
A: OK. It's Marge Simpson.
OK should almost always have a period after it rather than a comma.
If spoken, use the spelling okey doke, or okey dokey as stated.
A: Can I call you back with my driver's license number?
Q: Okey dokey.
You Know/Like
Be sure to set off the words "you know" and "like" with commas appropriately.
A: It was, like, you know, like, I thought I knew where to go.
Note: "Like" does not always require commas around it.
A: I like to jog in that neighborhood.
Repeated Words
Repeated words should be typed, but for readability, put no more than three repeats.
A: Well, I, I, I thought that he, uh, she, she was going to turn left.
Incomplete Words/False Starts
When words are partially spoken but cut off by a participant, type the part of the word spoken followed by a hyphen and a comma.
A: He hit my fe-, uh, fender. I saw his veh-, vehicle coming at me.
Q: W-, w-, where was he com-, where was he coming from?
Inaudible Words and Phrases
Inaudible words and phrases are dealt with by inserting two question marks enclosed in square brackets [??].
It is also acceptable to use 8 underscores surrounded by parentheses (________) in the place of the unknown word or phrase. In some cases this is what the final transcript will contain. This change will not affect your rating.
Only use once for each occurrence. Do not put more than one [??] right next to each other. If you have a word or two in between inaudibles, type the words you hear, then you would use another [??] for the words that you can't decipher, but do not put two [??] together.
Q: [??] was [??] her name?
A: Yes, [??].
NOT
Q: [??][??] her name?
If there is no sentence structure when [??] is used, do not use punctuation.
A: [??]
Spelling and [SP]
Spelling is important. Some spellings, such as street names, can be looked up on the Internet on sites like Google. Please use your word processing spell check program, but be aware that it doesn't catch mistakes like the misuses of there, they're and their or to, too and two.
A list of insurance industry terms and words, their proper spellings and usage can be found in the Glossary of Recorded Statement-Related Words found at the end of this guide.
[SP] is used after words, places, or names that we are not sure how to spell. Capitalize SP.
Use [SP] only after the first occurrence of the unknown words, place, or name. Do not use [SP] each time the name is used.
Q: What was your passenger's name?
A: John Milecki [SP].
Q: Do you know Mr. Milecki's phone number?
If the word, name, or place is spelled later in the interview, remove the [SP] from its first occurrence and make corrections as necessary.
Punctuation should follow [SP] in the text of a transcript.
Q: Did you say his name was Juan Escoban [SP].
A: I believe it was McKenzie [SP], not McDonald.
When a participant of an interview spells out his/her name, a place, etc., indicate this by typing the letters that are being spelled in all caps, and separate them with hyphens.
Q: Please state your full name and spell your last name.
A: My name is Susan Miller, spelled M-I-L-L-E-R.
Using Letter Identifiers. When a participant uses letter identifiers (M as in Mary) while spelling a name, separate spoken letters with hyphens, write out information for letter identifiers, and follow with a comma.
My name is Scott Smith, S as in Sam, C-O-T-T, S as in Sam, M as in Mary, I-T-H.
My name is Scott Smith, S-M as in Mary, I-T as in Tom, H.
My name is Scott Smith, S-M-I-T as in Tom, H.
Punctuation
Use standard punctuation as much as possible, keeping in mind the following rules of thumb:
Do not use any type of bolding, italics, underlining, or exclamation points.
Do not use parentheses.
Use ellipses for short pauses and interrupted sentences. See sections below.
The following should virtually always be set off with commas: um, uh, um, like, you know, stutters and repeated words.
OK should generally be followed by a period rather than a comma.
Polite requests should be followed by a period rather than a question mark. See section below.
Quotes Within Recorded Statements
Single quotes are used versus double quotes because the entire statement is quoted material. Use single quotes within a recorded statement sentence to reflect a direct quotation, that is, the exact words of the speaker.
Q: Did she say, 'I am at fault for the accident?'
A: She said, 'It was my fault.'
Bracketed Items
Bracketed items are used in recorded statement transcripts to give as much information about the recording as possible. A few examples of these are: [laughs], [makes sound], and [crying]. Do not capitalize the word inside the bracket.
Recorded Voices/Messages
When a recorded voice or message is included on the audio file, do not use a separate speaker token. Place the recorded message on a separate line, inside brackets, with Recording: at the beginning.
[Recording: This call is now being recorded.]
Pause/Silence
Silence is indicated in the following ways:
Use [pause] in a transcript to indicate any amount of time over 10 seconds when there is nothing spoken on the recording.
An ellipsis can be used to note a short pause of 3 to 10 seconds or to indicate when an incomplete thought might otherwise be difficult for the reader to make sense of. Be careful not to overuse the ellipsis as an abundance of them can affect the readability of the transcript.
Ellipses
Ellipses are written as three periods with a space between each period and one space before and/or after the ellipsis.
Ellipses are used to format interrupted speech patterns and brief pauses of between 3 and 10 seconds.
Examples:
A: Um, well she hit him and kind of T-boned him, and so the front of her car on the driver's side, I think has the most . . . sorry I'm on a bus so it is getting really loud.
Q: OK. And you, you said you couldn't tell if he'd stopped or not . . .
A: No . . .
Q: . . . but he did have a stop sign?
A: He did have a stop sign, but I didn't see his car fast enough, um . . .
Q: OK . . .
A: . . . to see if he had stopped.
Interrupted Speech Patterns
Interrupted speech patterns are common in recorded statement transcripts. These can occur in the middle of sentences or when numbers are being provided. Interruptions typically create three types of situations:
Trailed-off thought: When a sentence trails off before it ends, indicating uncertainty or suggesting an abrupt suspension of thought.
Q: Were you hurt in the accident?
A: No, I guess not. I mean, I was shook up, but it wasn't anything serious, so . . .
Leading Questions: When one speaker (usually Q:) prompts another speaker to complete the sentence.
Q: You were traveling north or . . .
A: No, I was traveling south.
Q: You were traveling south, OK.
Interrupted sentences and/or numbers: When participants speak simultaneously, but you are ABLE TO HEAR AND/OR DECIPHER ALL OF WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, indicate it in the text of the document by formatting the interruption AND the beginning of the continuation with ellipses.
Q: So the car was . . .
A: It was red.
Q: . . . red? OK.
Speaking Simultaneously
When participants of an interview speak simultaneously and you are UNABLE TO HEAR OR DECIPHER WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, indicate it in the text of the document as follows:
. . . [SS] . . . (space ellipsis space [SS] space ellipsis space). Always place an ellipsis before and after the [SS].
Before using . . . [SS] . . . the following TWO criteria must be met:
1. There are words you cannot decipher.
2. The inaudible words are caused by two or more participants talking at the same time.
Always try to pick up the words being said by each party, and do not overuse . . . [SS] . . .
Only use . . . [SS] . . . if you cannot hear or decipher the words for a particular participant. If you can hear all the words for the other party, put them in.
Separate each speaker as clearly and accurately as possible.
Do not use . . . [SS] . . . in the middle of a sentence. New speaker tokens should be created and the . . . [SS] . . . is placed for the person whose words are inaudible.
Q: So, you're saying that the car was black, or . . .
A: . . . [SS] . . .
Q: . . . was it red?
NOT
Q: So, you're saying that the car was black, or . . . [SS] . . . was it red?
When one party interrupts another and you hear/understand all of the first party's exchange (simple interrupted sentence):
Q: Did you know where you were going to park when you . . .
A: No.
Q: . . . arrived at that area?
When one party interrupts another and you do not hear/understand all of the first party's exchange:
Q: Did you know where you were going to . . . [SS] . . .
A: No.
Q: . . . arrived at that area?
When one party interrupts another and you do not hear/understand all of the second party's exchange:
Q: Did you know where you were going to park when you . . .
A: . . . [SS] . . . didn't know for sure.
Q: . . . arrived at that area?
When one party interrupts another and you do not hear/understand all of either party's exchange:
Q: Did you know where you were going to park . . . [SS] . . .
A: . . . [SS] . . .
Q: . . . arrived at that area?
Dates
For dates expressed as numbers, use the month/day/year format and separate the components with slashes.
Spoken Typed As
seven eight eighty 7/8/80
seven eight 7/8
seven eight nineteen eighty 7/8/1980
For dates expressed with month names, spell out the month name and format the date as follows:
Spoken Typed As
July eight nineteen eighty July 8, 1980
July eighth nineteen eighty July 8th, 1980
July eight eighty July 8, '80
Time
Time is always expressed with figures separated by a colon (without a space before or after). Formatted correctly, time should resemble a digital clock display.
Spoken Typed As
"The accident happened at ten o'clock" = The accident happened at 10:00.
"I arrived at five." = I arrived at 5:00.
"It was nine thirty." = It was 9:30.
"I think about five, oh, five, p.m." = I think about 5:05 p.m.
a.m./p.m. is always typed with lower case letters separated by periods.
A: It was 10:00 a.m. when the accident happened.
If a.m. or p.m. comes at the beginning of the sentence, capitalize the first letter but not the second.
Q: Was that a.m. or p.m. when the accident happened?
A: P.m.
Numbers
The key to writing numbers in recorded statements is to make sure you indicate exactly what is being said.
Unless other rules as listed below apply, use words for numbers from one through ten. Use figures for numbers over 10.
ALWAYS use figures when referring to AGE, DISTANCE, SPEED and sometimes HEIGHT.
Do not mix numbers and figures. When mixed numbers are spoken, use one style or the other, as appropriate and following the Age, Distance, and Speed rule noted above.
A: There were 10 or 12 kids in the van with me.
NOT
A: There were ten or 12 kids in the van with me.
Addresses. In writing addresses, use words for all numbered street names from one to ten and use figures for all numbered street names over ten.
A: My address is 5030 First Avenue South, Seattle, Washington 98011.
A: My address is 4122 22nd Place Northeast, Tukwila, Washington 98068.
BUT
A: We were on I-5. We were going to exit onto Route 3.
Social Security Numbers. When typing out Social Security Numbers, use hyphens to separate the components.
A: My Social Security Number is 999-99-9999
Telephone Numbers. When typing telephone numbers, use hyphens to separate the components. Do not use parenthesis to set off the area code.
A: My telephone number is 999-999-9999.
If the words area code are spoken before the telephone number, they should be included in the transcript.
A: My telephone number is area code 999-999-9999.
Interpreted Interviews
The goal is to make the transcript understandable for the reader, while still transcribing verbatim.
For interpreted recordings, transcribe all parts spoken in English.
Type any English parts spoken by the interpreter under the INT: speaker token.
If the A: participant (interviewee) speaks English, type the English under the A: speaker token. (See exceptions below.)
Spoken Typed As
Q: asks in English Q: What is your address?
INT: asks A: in Spanish; A: replies in Spanish to INT: INT: My address is 123 Main.
Exceptions
Same response: If A: responds in English and the interpreter repeats the same response, type only what the interpreter says. Do not put in A:'s response.
Spoken Typed As
Q: asks in English Q: What is your address?
INT: asks A: in Spanish; A: replies in English;
INT: repeats A:'s response INT: My address is 123 Main.
Different Response: If A: responds in English and the interpreter interprets differently than A:, type both A:'s response and the interpreter's response.
Spoken Typed As
Q: asks in English Q: What is your address?
INT: asks A: in Spanish; A: replies in English, A: 123 Main Street.
but INT: interprets differently in English INT: 125 Main Street.
[foreign language response]. If A: responds in a foreign language, and no response is given by Interpreter in English, use [foreign language response] for A:
Spoken Typed As
Q: asks in English Q: What is your address?
INT: asks A: in Spanish; A: replies in Spanish
to INT: but INT: doesn't interpret response
into English A: [foreign language response]
Glossary of Recorded Statement-Related Words
The following is a brief list of words commonly used in recorded statements and their correct usage.
911 NOT: 9-1-1
4 x 4 refers to a four-wheel drive vehicle
2 x 4, 2 x 6, etc. NOT: two by four, two by six
AAA NOT: A-A-A or Triple A
actual cash value
adjuster NOT: adjustor
affect (v.) to have an influence on
effect (n.) result; intent
aftermarket (adj.) one word as in "aftermarket parts"
arbitration
a hold two words
>airbag one word
all right two words
all righty two words
a.m. / p.m. lower case, separated by periods (capitalize if first word in a sentence: A.m. / P.m.)
area code lower case, two words
ARMS acronym for "Automated Rental Management System"
axle NOT: axel, unless referring to a figure skating term
back seat two words
barrack lower case unless part of a proper noun
bear with me NOT: bare with me
berm shoulder of a road or noise barrier
bodily injury liability coverage
borough an incorporated municipality smaller than a city
burro donkey
burrow a hole made by an animal
bureau chest of drawers; office or dept.
brake (n.) device for slowing or stopping a vehicle
break (v.) to fracture or cause to separate into pieces
brand-new (adj.) hyphenated
bumper-to-bumper hyphenated as an adjective (bumper-to-bumper traffic)
car length two words, not hyphenated
cater-corner / catty corner see kitty corner, kitty-cornered
Central standard time capitalize Central only
CD acronym for "claimant driver"
CLUE Comprehensive Loss U/W Exchange
collision coverage
comprehensive coverage
contrib-neg short for contributory negligence
coverage synonym for insurance
'cuz NOT: 'cause, 'cos, or 'cus
CV acronym for "claimant vehicle"
declaration can be referred to as the "dec page"
deductible
disk NOT: disc
double-check hyphenated
driveable NOT: drivable
drive-through/drive-thru either version is acceptable, just be consistent
dualie a type of truck
each other two words
eastbound one word
Eastern standard time capitalize Eastern only
E-brake short for emergency brake
'em slang for them
e-mail email is also acceptable, just be consistent
ER acronym for emergency room
etc. rather than et cetera
first-party coverage
flatbed one word
fraud gap insurance NOT: GAP or Gap
geez or jeez both ways are fine, just be consistent
gonna slang for going to
gotcha slang for got you
gray NOT: grey
grille NOT: grill when talking about the part on front of a car
guardrail one word
ID acronym for "insured driver"
insofar as two words
its possessive form of "it"
it's contraction of "it is" or "it has"
IV acronym for "insured vehicle"
I-5, I-51 hyphen between the letter and number when referring
to a road or highway
jeep/Jeep jeep (n.): a specific military vehicle.
Jeep (n.): trademark for a similar vehicle for civilian use
kitty-cornered / kitty corner see cater-corner, catty corner
lane number two no initial caps, spell out number
left-hand turn hyphenated
left-hand lane hyphenated
left-hand turn lane one hyphen
left-handed
liability insurance/coverage
liability-only policy/insurance hyphenated
lienholder one word
limits maximum amount of insurance that can be paid for a covered loss
LoJack stolen car security system
loss
ma'am short for madam
meantime one word
mediation
MedPay a type of insurance coverage
MetLife Auto & Home capital M, capital L in MetLife
Mountain standard time capitalize Mountain only
MVR acronym for Motor Vehicle Report
no-fault (adj.) hyphenated, "no-fault accident" "no-fault
insurance"
northbound one word
notice of loss
nowhere one word
OEM acronym for "original equipment manufacturer"
offhand one word
OK no periods; also OK'ing, OK'd
okey dokey, okey doke
off-ramp n. hyphenated
on-ramp n. hyphenated
out-of-pocket (adj.) hyphenated, but "I paid out of pocket"
Pacific standard time capitalize Pacific only
PACMan Progressive Automated Claims Management System
percent one word -- do not use %
PIP an acronym for Personal Injury Protection coverage
P.O. Box abbreviation for Post Office Box
prematic a type of insurance billing
rear end (n.) two words: "I hit the rear end of her vehicle."
rear-end (v., adj.) hyphenated "He rear-ended me." /
"It was a rear-end accident."
rearview mirror NOT: rear view mirror
right-hand lane hyphenated
right-hand turn hyphenated
right-hand turn lane one hyphen
right-of-way hyphenated
salvage
seat belt two words
sideswipe, sideswiped one word
Social Security Number initial caps
southbound one word
States/addresses Burbank, California (spell out state name)
1045 Northwest Tenth Street (spell out all words and
street numbers that are 10 or under)
1045 Northwest 13th Street (street numbers over 10
are numerical)
stop-and-go hyphenate as adjective (stop-and-go traffic)
stoplight one word
stop sign two words
subrogation/subrogate
tail lamp two words
taillight one word
T-bone (n.), (v.) for an accident position; also T-boned
the 405, the 5 when referencing freeways in this manner "the" is not
capped
third-party coverage
thruway throughway is not in the dictionary
'til or till both ways are fine just be consistent
tort a wrongful act resulting in injury or damage
total loss
tractor-trailer hyphenated
two-door, four-door (adj.) hyphenated, as in two-door car;
BUT: the car had two doors
uh-huh, mm-hmm, yes, yeah affirmative responses
NOT: um-hum, um-hmm, uh-hum
uh-uh, hmm-mm, mm-mm,
uh-uh, nuh-uh negative responses
U-turn
U-ie slang for U-turn
underwriting
uninsured motorist coverage
voicemail one word
waiver
westbound one word
whatnot one word
whereas one word
workers comp. no apostrophe
workmen's comp apostrophe before the s
x-ray NOT: X-ray
y'all contraction of you all, NOT: ya'll
yea pronounced "yay" means hooray
yeah informal "yes"
your possessive form of you
you're contraction of "you are"
youse slang word
yup or yep either is acceptable, go by sound
ZIP Code ZIP -- all caps, Code -- initial cap
Sample Insurance Interview Transcription
[Recording: This call is now being recorded.]
Q: This is Andrew Clark, conducting a recorded interview by phone with Miss Claire Standish [SP]. Today's date is Friday, October 16th, 2009, and the time is 2:30 p.m. We are also joined by Miss Standish's attorney, Brian Johnson. This is regarding an accident that occurred on Wednesday, October 13th, 2009. Miss Standish, please state your full name and spell your last name for me.
A: My name is Claire, C-L-A-I-R-E, Standish, S-T-A-N-D-I-S-H.
Q: Um, please tell me your date of birth.
A: 2/18/1968.
B: Thank you. Miss Standish, is your address 4418 North Vernon Street, Friendly, North Dakota?
A: Uh, not any more. [laughs] I've moved.
Q: OK. What is your new address?
A: 5509 47th Avenue, Friendlier, North Dakota.
Q: ZIP Code?
A: 55555.
Q: Do you know your Social Security Number?
A: No, uh . . . wait . . . 999-99-9999.
Q: OK. And phone number, please.
A: 555-555-5555.
Q: OK. Thank you. Miss Standish, do you remember the time of the accident?
A: No, I don't.
Q: Was it morning, afternoon, evening? Do you . . .
A: I think it was morning, right before 12:00.
Q: Uh, could it have been closer to 10:00 a.m.?
A: Um, I don't know. I really don't . . .
ATTY: She's already said she doesn't remember.
Q: OK. Moving on then. Miss Standish, where did the accident occur?
A: It was at the intersection of Bender and Sheedy [SP].
Q: Which street were you on and what direction were you traveling?
A: I was on Bender going to the mall, so I was westbound, yeah, west.
Q: In your own words, please tell me what happened.
A: Well I was going down Bender and I guess the light changed right when I entered the intersection, 'cuz this guy in a, a blue Toy-, Toyota Matrix just T-boned me.
Q: Did he try to brake?
A: [laughs] No, he was too busy talking on his cell phone. That's against the law, isn't it?
Q: Did you get his name or insurance information?
A: They said his name was [??].
Q: Sorry, what was that?
A: J-, John Smith, yeah.
Q: Where was your car damaged?
A: My fr-, fr-, front end is, like, completely messed up.
Q: What about . . . [SS] . . .
A: . . . [SS] . . . messed up my mirrors, too.
Q: OK, mirrors, too.
A: He said, 'Lady, this is all your fault.'