We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Technology

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is Document Transcription?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 6,552
Share

Document transcription converts paper documents to an editable digital format. This may be done for readability, conversion to digital files, or a variety of other reasons. Firms are available to perform this task for a fee, or companies can handle their transcription needs internally. For certain kinds of documents, special handling may be required in the conversion process because of a document's sensitive nature or age. In these situations, it may be necessary to use a specialty service.

This process can be done in several ways. Some companies scan documents and use a program to convert the printed information into an editable digital form. A technician reviews the machine transcription to correct any errors. These can include character swaps or substitutions, shifted fields, and other problems that may arise. The computer program may be able to learn from the corrections and apply this to future document transcription tasks to reduce the error rate.

Another option is manual transcription, where a typist works from the original document or a high quality facsimile to generate a fresh digital copy. This can be necessary when documents include cramped or unusual handwriting that a computer might have trouble with, or special characters that are not commonly used. Historical documents in English, for example, may contain several characters not used in Modern English that a computer would have difficulty interpreting.

Historical documents can require special care because transcribers want to avoid damage to the original. Scanning and similar activities can expose papers to ultraviolet light, and must be performed with caution to preserve the integrity of the original. Transcriptionists also need to keep their hands clean and may wear gloves while handling the material. Digitization through document transcription can make historical records more accessible to researchers and the general public; a facility could, for example, upload historic letters to its website for anyone with an interest to peruse.

Government paperwork can be subjected to document transcription. This can include historic records like old census data as well as newer documents that are not available in a digitized form. It may be necessary to use a certified transcriptionist because of the sensitivity of the information, to ensure that documents are not altered when they are entered in digital form. People who plan to use digitized documents from their home country for activities like citizenship applications may want to ask a government official about any steps that need to be taken to validate the document transcription.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGeek researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-document-transcription.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.