Full Verbatim Style Guide

Introduction to Full Verbatim

Stylistic Exceptions
Tags and Other Noises
Numbering
Full Verbatim Guidelines
Filler and Crutch Words
Approved Full Verbatim Spellings
False Starts
Feedback Words
Stutters
Number Stutters
Repetitions
Repetition or False Start?
Repetitions and Crutch Words
Informal Pronunciation

Introduction to Full Verbatim

This style guide IS NOT for use in Clean Verbatim files. The most important aspect of Full Verbatim is that we must transcribe all utterances made by the main speaker(s). That is, include all speech: filler and feedback words, false starts, stutters, stammers, and repetitions, and always spell out spoken punctuation. Take time to carefully listen to the file again after transcribing it. Our brains get accustomed to automatically correcting for Clean Verbatim, and you will find that listening to the file again, you will catch utterances you missed the first time.

Stylistic Exceptions

Since Full Verbatim files are completed as single-step, you are allowed some stylistic wiggle room with spelling and formatting. Specific exceptions found in this style guide (e.g., always use double dashes followed by a space for false starts, informal spellings are permissible, etc.) will trump the Clean Verbatim style guidelines when completing Full Verbatim files.

Tags and Other Noises

Please use the same TM-approved tags as found in the TranscribeMe Style Guide. DO NOT use any other tags. Also, just like in Clean Verbatim, non-verbal or non-human sounds should be ignored. We only transcribe speech and use the tags specifically mentioned in the Style Guide.

Numbering

When formatting numbers, use your best judgment, convey the appropriate meaning, and be consistent. Number stutters, however, must be spelled out. See Number Stutters.

Full Verbatim Guidelines

Filler and Crutch Words

Since all utterances are transcribed in FV, be sure to capture all filler and crutch words as said by the main speakers. Note that all filler and most crutch words, particularly like and you know, should be offset with commas. Sort of, kind of, and other crutch words such as maybe, however, generally are NOT offset with commas, as this makes the text unnecessarily choppy.

  • She, uh, she was sort of going to maybe, like, g-go to th-the bookstore.
  • Uh-uh, no. I, you know, didn't read it.
  • I was, like, you know, kind of amazed he, um, was there.

Approved Full Verbatim Spellings

Use the below spellings only.

  • Speech Fillers: uh, ah, um, hmm (NOT mm)
  • Affirmative: uh-huh, mm-hmm
  • Negative: uh-uh, hmm-mm, mm-mm, huh-uh, nuh-uh

Yeah (NOT yea)
Yep or Yup (NOT yip or yap, etc.)
Okay or OK (NOT m'kay or 'k)

False Starts

In Full Verbatim, you must capture false starts of any length. Please use a double dash followed by a space to mark all false starts. NEVER offset false starts with merely a comma.

  • I was going to, uh, call-- phone him, uh, later today, you know?
  • Did you go-- walk to the store?
  • Can you dri-- run to the mall?

Feedback Words

Since every word/utterance must be captured, this also means transcribing all feedback words, even if they add no meaning and clutter the transcript.

I think it's, you know--
Yeah. Uh-huh.
--really, um, im-im-important that we--
Mm-hmm. Right.
--include sort of all, you, you know, f-f-feedback words--
Okay. Gotcha.
--in th-th-the transcript.

Stutters

When part of a word is repeated and the same word continues after, then we note this with a single hyphen and no space. This is called a stutter. All stutters must be included in a Full Verbatim transcript. Proper nouns will always keep their first capital letter whilst non-proper nouns at the beginning of a sentence will not.

  • I-I'm g-g-going to the st-store. R-R-Ralph forgot to get br-bread a-again.
  • D-d-does J-Ji-Jim want to, um, like, join u-us for din-dinner?
  • M-m-my mo-- my dad wanted to go to B-Bos-Boston this fall. W-what do you think?

Number Stutters

If a speaker stutters over a number, please spell it out. Notice that this may affect consistency.

  • I had 11 cats at one stage, but when I adopted t-t-two dogs, I had to give up all but 4 cats.
  • It was the year 2000 six-sixteen that I f-first got, uh, Netflix. Or maybe it was 20 f-f-fiftee-teen.

Repetitions

When a full word is repeated (even a short word like I), then we separate them with commas.

  • I, I, I went to the, the store, but I-I-I've, um, you know, forgotten the br-bread again.
  • Sally decided to go, go, go to the m-movies last, last night.

Repetition or False Start?

If more than one word is repeated, it is a false start and should be marked with double dashes.

  • I, I went, went to the-- to the, um, b-bakery.

Repetitions and Crutch Words

Filler and crutch words are not factored into the word count when considering a repetition versus a false start.

  • I want, uh, want, like, want to go to-- you know, go to the patisserie.
  • H-h-hey, wh-what's the, um, you know, the time over in Syd-Syd-- like, in M-Melbourne now?

Informal Pronunciation

While we want to type what the speakers actually say in Full Verbatim, we don't want to go overboard in making up unusual spellings to reflect the pronunciation. Also, please write out the full -ing suffix and the full word them rather than ending in -in' or typing 'em.

We do, however, include informal pronunciations as they are found in a dictionary, such as gonna, wanna, kinda, etc. If the word is listed in a standard dictionary, you can use it; otherwise, spell it out appropriately according to the dictionary.

Said: I'm gonn' go ta, uhhhhh, ta that th-there stoar-- ta 'em stores where they be kinda... liiiike... sellin' milk. Y'all hearin' meh?

Type: I'm gonna go to, uh, to that th-there store-- to them stores where they be kinda, like, selling milk. Y'all hearing me?

Still need help? Contact Us Contact Us