GIMELLI SYSTEM OF MULTI-TRACK VOICE WRITING AN EVALUATION OF A NEW COURT REPORTING TECHNIQUE - A SUMMARY REPORT

• NCJ Number: 17421
• Author(s): J M GREENWOOD; E H SHORT; N B ELKIND
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 11 pages
• Grant Number(s): 72-NI-99-0031
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: National Ctr for State Courts
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DESCRIPTION OF SIMULTANEOUS ORAL AND TAPE RECORDING METHOD AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION AS A TEST PROJECT.

Abstract

MULTI-TRACK VOICE WRITING COMBINES THE USE OF ELECTRONIC RECORDING WITH A PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED VOICE WRITER. THE VOICE WRITER DICTATES IN COURT THE OFFICIAL VERBATIM RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS ON TAPE AND THE VOICES OF PARTICIPANTS ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY RECORDED ON THE SAME TAPE. TWENTY APPLICANTS COMPLETED A THREE-MONTH TRAINING PROGRAM, AND ACHIEVED EXCELLENT LEVELS OF PROFICIENCY ON SEVERAL STATE AND FEDERAL COURT REPORTER EXAMINATIONS. IN ADDITION, THESE VOICE WRITERS WERE EVALUATED BY JUDGES IN SEVEN STATES, AND JUDICIAL REACTION WAS STRONGLY FAVORABLE. COMPARISON OF VOICE WRITING TO STENOTYPING INDICATED SEVERAL POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES TO VOICE WRITING INCLUDING - (1) LOWER TRANSCRIPT COSTS, (2) FASTER PRODUCTION OF TRANSCRIPTS, (3) FASTER TRAINING AND HIGHER PROFICIENCY LEVELS OF NEW REPORTERS (4) BETTER COURT CONTROL OF TRANSCRIPT PROCESS, AND (5) INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION OF THE RECORD. INCLUDED IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TRAINING CURRICULUM AND RECOMMENDED REVISIONS FOR FUTURE TRAINING PROGRAMS. THIS REPORT CONCLUDES THAT MULTI-TRACK VOICE WRITING IS A PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVE OFFERING SEVERAL UNIQUE FEATURES TO IMPROVE COURT REPORTING SERVICES BY ELIMINATING TRANSCRIPT DELAYS WHILE ATTAINING HIGH TRANSCRIPT STANDARDS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)