NCJ Number
123908
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 34 Issue: 5 Dated: (September 1989) Pages: 1250-1258
Date Published
1989
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Misconceptions about what constitutes a transcript of a voice recording have created problems for law enforcement.
Abstract
The paper analyzes a variety of transcript types, pointing out that transcripts for use by the law enforcement community have special requirements that need to be recognized, that are not being met by transcript types currently in use, and that would distinguish this type of transcript from other types. These other types of transcripts include oral history interviews, business dictation, those written as in a play script, and an elaboration of this type where a second column is used for commentary. For those who use these types of transcripts an exact rendering of the language would be cumbersome and even detrimental to the purpose of the transcript. The language would be cumbersome and even detrimental to the purpose of the transcript. The transcriber in these examples is required to do some editing, an important factor when a secretary in a law enforcement agency, who is used to the boss-secretary type of transcribing or has only a play- and novel-reading background to draw upon, is required to produce an evidential transcript from a voice recording. The law enforcement evidential transcript must be a precise, written rendering of the words in use, as well as a close indication of the timing of existing sounds. The authors present a format and suggested techniques and styles designed to meet this need for a true verbatim rendering of the evidential transcript. 2 figures, 5 references. (Author abstract modified)