3 Tips For Accurate Transcripts Every Time
1. Provide Correct Spelling Of Important Words
Court reporters are known for making quick notations using a device called a stenograph. Stenographs record phonetically, meaning that often times correct spelling isn’t included in an initial draft. When later refining their transcripts, court reporters have no way of knowing if something is spelled differently than it sounds. Before the deposition, it can be extremely helpful to present your court reporter with a list of keywords, phrases, and/or names that might pose such a spelling error. Once the deposition is complete, a good court reporter will come to you and verify any odd spellings they’ve encountered. However, if it is something with multiple spellings, please ensure that your court reporter knows which one to use.
Anderson Reporting is proud to offer extensive services for our clients across the great state of Ohio. In addition to real time reporting our law firms often schedule video conferencing and trial support services for us on short notice from Dayton to Cincinnati.
2. Remember To Enunciate And Be Mindful Of The Room’s Acoustics
Certified court reporters can type anywhere from 180 to 200 words per minute, a pace many of us find almost inhuman. However, despite this supposed super power, court reporters are still limited by human senses. In order to obtain the most accurate transcripts possible, it is advised that you not mumble, speak too quickly or speak over another person. When attorneys and deponents are talking over one another, it can be difficult to discern who said what and if your court reporters cannot understand or need to interject for clarification, the natural flow of legal discourse can be disrupted and can lead to transcript inaccuracies.
3. Use Complete Words Instead of Inarticulate Sounds
Inarticulate sounds are commonly used in everyday speech and not something we usually have a problem with. These sounds are given a general, almost universally-understood meaning without being official words. Common sounds like “uh-uh” and “uh-huh” are often used in place of “yes” and “no.” Although these may seem like ideal sounds to record phonetically, court reporters use stenographs to include not only what was said but how it was said, and inarticulate sounds don’t have shorthand notation for intonation. If your witness is using these implied sounds instead of “yes” or “no,” please ask for clarification of their meaning so that everything can be accurately recorded for later use.
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