How to Improve Your Transcription Efficiency & Lower Your TAT

4/16/2018

Transcription is the process by which speech or audio files are converted into the written format. A good transcriptionist should have multitasking abilities, be research-oriented, and must have fast and accurate typing skills. As a transcriptionist, you can improve your transcription efficiency by learning to type faster, using the right equipment, and designing your workspace ergonomically. If you practice hard and are dedicated, you easily learn to transcribe faster in quick time.

Tips to Improve Your Transcription Efficiency

1. Get Hold of High-Quality Headphones

Using good quality headphones will help you to hear audio sounds clearly, and therefore understand them easily. This way, you won't need to replay the audio over and over again, trying to figure out words that seem inaudible. The benefits of buying quality headphones far outweigh the small price you will need to pay for buying them. Good headphones also offer comfort, frequency range, and sound isolation.

2. Make Use of Transcription Software

Good transcription software has “hot” keys or keyboard shortcuts that allow you to rewind, pause, rewind, or speed up or slow down the audio whenever you need to. Good examples of such free software are Express Scribe, InqScribe, etc.

3. “Correction” Tools Are Really Handy

Correction tools, like Autocorrect on MS Word and Word Perfect's QuickCorrect, can help you reduce the frequency of keystrokes that you make while typing, thereby significantly improve your transcription efficiency by increasing your accuracy and speed. Since these tools are quite often turned on by default, you will need to check your settings for ensuring that these functions are actually enabled.

4. Look for “auto-complete” Functions

Word processors, like the Microsoft Word, offer functions like “auto-complete”. Since these tools understand certain abbreviations and complete the word that you begin writing, this function will also enhance your transcription speed.

5. Get Yourself a Foot Pedal

Transcription programs like Express Scribe allow you to work with an optional foot pedal. A USB foot pedal will allow you to stop or start playback of audio with your foot. These attributes make a foot pedal indispensable for you if you want to improve your transcription efficiency. Also Read: Necessary Transcription Equipment for Transcribers

6. Templates Can Be Useful

Using a template saves you a considerable time needed to keep recreating documents having a similar format. Read on for an introduction to basic transcription guidelines

7. Aim For Faster Typing

If you want to be successful in transcription work, you should first aim for faster typing. Some tips include using all your ten fingers, learning how to touch type, and memorizing shortcuts on the keyboard. You can improve these skills by practicing with typing apps, like Typing Maniac, Keybr.com, or TypeRacer.

8. Great Ways For Speeding Up Your TurnAround Time (TAT)

Make use of transcription productivity tools for greater output- A simple way of improving your transcription job is to utilize Word Auto-Correct and Macro features. There is Word expander software available, like Instant Text or Shorthand, which can significantly increase your productivity, thereby speeding up your transcription turnaround time. Also, make sure that you are using a foot pedal.
Gain mastery over dialects and accents- Since you may not be personally familiar with the multitude of dialects and accents that are spoken all around the world, your transcription speed can slow down appreciably, as you may not comprehend what you hear in an audio. There are good websites that have a freely-accessible database of audio transcripts covering the various dialects and accents of English language as spoken around the world. You would do well to practice these, for ear-training and improving your transcript turnaround time.
Make your office ergonomically sound- Making your office ergonomically sound is very important for avoiding discomfort while working and it would help enhance your productivity and efficiency, resulting in improved transcription speed.

9. Make Use Of Accuracy Assessment Tool by TCI

If you want to improve your transcription skills and find out what your accuracy rate is, you're highly recommended to try out practice tools, like the one offered by TCI. The TCI tool has an assortment of practice files to gain hands-on experience and what's more, you get your accuracy results instantly. The tool assesses you on accuracy, spelling, and formatting, like speaker labels. The tool allows you to use your foot pedal that will give you a real feel while transcribing 60 minutes of practice transcription files. Also, you can use the wpm counter for improving your typing speed. The criteria on which your transcription would be assessed are accuracy, spelling, punctuation, and the use of formatting features, like the use of speaker labels.

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Mahesh Kumar

Mahesh is the spokesperson of the Transcription Certification Institute, a Nashville, TN, based company that provides comprehensive online general transcription training certification courses. This transcription certification course facilitates careers in transcription because it provides a guaranteed internship with a major transcription company upon certification.