Index
Overview
Special Content is a broad category of items that includes words, terms, phrases, and names that are specific and relevant to the individual program being transcribed. While we may not be a subject expert on every show, series, or topic that we transcribe, it is very likely that any viewers of the program will have the expectation that the content of the show is spelled and formatted correctly.
A few examples of Special Content:
- The term bain-marie as heard on The French Chef hosted by Julia Child
- The dog breed Puli as heard on the The Westminster Kennel Club
- The name Matthew McConaughey as heard on Inside the Actor's Studio
- The term GUI (pronounced like gooey) as heard on Linus Tech Tips
- The brand name Sheetrock as heard on This Old House
As you transcribe a show, it is often best to forget that you know anything, and research everything. While you surely know a lot more than nothing, it is very easy to forget that Band-Aid is a proper noun and requires capitalization or that it's not Billy, but Billie Eilish.
As a Custom scribe, you will have access to the Internet in order to research any Special Content that comes up.
Research Time
Researching can be a time consuming process, and allowances have been made in our overall stat expectations for conducting adequate and appropriate research. However, you carry the ultimate responsibility for using your time and energy wisely.
Use these guidelines to create a good habit for spending time researching:
- Try not to spend more than 1 minute (60 seconds) searching for any single item. Take note of the time before you begin searching for an item and try to notice how many things you're able to get done in one minute. Over time, you'll develop a natural rhythm and won't need to check the clock to keep track of your time.
- Try assessing your progress after 30 seconds. Are you making progress or still stuck at square one? If you're stuck at square one, maybe use a content marker and come back to it at the end when you have more context.
- Assess your comprehension and understanding of what you've heard. Are you confident you're hearing all or part of the term accurately? If not, your research will likely be very difficult. It may be best to use a Content Marker and see if the content crops up elsewhere more clearly.
- Do you have good context? It can be very difficult to pinpoint a specific term or name without context. It may be best to use a Content Marker and see if the content crops up elsewhere more clearly.
Information Priority
The Internet is perhaps the greatest tool ever created ... and also the most "wretched hive of scum and villainy." This dual nature extends to the veracity of the information you can find on it as well.
Sometimes, research sources can conflict. For example, a name is spelled out on-screen that is spelled differently in the Reference Sheet, or a term that you're familiar with looks wrong in the Reference Sheet, and research on the Internet verifies your suspicion.
Since we need to not only produce high quality transcripts, but also to ensure that we are consistent in our product, you will follow the priority below.
Highest Priority
- Reference Sheet
- Merriam-Webster or the company/governing body's website for relevant material
- Wikipedia
- Other encyclopedic or dictionary websites
- On-screen graphics/painted captions
- Any other websites
Lowest Priority
Finally, barring any of these options, it can help to leave a Content Marker and return to the Special Content later, after you have more available context. Failing all else, never be afraid to ask a QA or CSL for additional help.
Reference Sheets
See Reference Sheets for more information.
These are provided to us by customers and often have a lot of the information required for the show, such as names, Common Terms, etc. Remember to check the Reference Sheet for the specific show as well as any generic sheets that are available.
Unless listed specifically in a Reference Sheet, you are not responsible for adding accents, umlauts or other special characters. For example, in the "20/20" Reference Sheet, the anchor's name is listed as John Quiñones, and so the ñ character should appear in all instances of his name in the job. However, you would not be expected to include the ñ character in "piña coladas."
Note: Copy and paste is the fastest method for adding special characters.
Research Process
For a deep dive into research best practices, see the Research Guide.
As a general process:
1. Check the Reference Sheet for the show in question.
2. If the Reference Sheet does not give you the information you need, the Internet is your best available resource.
Google will be your resource for any research done on Special Content, as its "Did you mean..." feature will parse any close guesses into what may be the correct term for the Special Content you were looking for. Please note that if you are unable to locate Special Content because you used a search engine other than Google, you will still be held responsible for that content.
Example
Let's say you hear the following in a video:
"This Ethiopian food is delicious, but the texture is strange. It's the colcho that takes a while to chew. Interesting bread."
Unless you are well-versed in Ethiopian food, the word "colcho" will likely be unfamiliar. You already have the Reference Sheet for this show open, but it does not give you your answer. Your next stop will be Google. Remembering the context, the best search would be for "colcho ethiopian food."
For this particular search, Google returns "Did you mean: kocho Ethiopian food?" On checking the first couple of links, you find that kocho is a type of bread, meaning that this is what you were looking for. You have found the correct spelling and your research is done.
Whenever you come across a name, the same process can be followed. Adding any organizations the person belongs to or actions they have taken, such as a crime they committed or an award they won, can be immensely useful.