Truth Transcription Services

Once we have received your audio files, an account manager will contact you to discuss the nature of your transcription requirements. If your needs are complex and you require a full, verbatim transcription of an audio file, we can arrange for an experienced truth transcriber to handle your project.

Truth transcription ensures that every word or utterance is transcribed and is often required in court, interviews, conferences and during the research process where greater detail and analysis is needed.

Depending on your individual project or ad hoc needs, we offer three different types of truth transcription from strict verbatim right through to the carefully edited intelligent verbatim and the more advanced discourse analysis where the style of what is said is noted.

Strict verbatim

In strict or true verbatim, every word or utterance is faithfully transcribed so that the full context of the transcript is revealed. This means that every um, ah, stutter, false start, repetition and remark such as ‘you know’ and ‘like’ is included. Any external noises and inflections such as coughs, sneezes, laughter, crying, shuffling, falls or dropped objects are also captured.

Strict verbatim is usually requested for court transcripts, business or academic research, depositions and any other occasion where a full, unabridged transcript is needed for more in-depth anaylsis.

Intelligent verbatim

Intelligent verbatim or smooth verbatim is where we will omit utterances like um, erm or verbal tics that you do not deem relevant to the nature or flow of the conversation. We will still, of course, include any slang, colloquialisms, made up words or webspeak. We agree with you beforehand how much or how little we leave out so that the full meaning of your recording is transcribed without those awkward space fillers getting in the way.

Intelligent verbatim is used mostly for interviews, business meetings, presentations, Q & A sessions, conferences and focus groups.

Discourse analysis

Discourse analysis builds on strict verbatim transcription where style, tonal quality, pitch and emotional responses are all referred to in the transcript. This includes silences, short and long pauses, hesitations, vocal inflections, surprise, reluctance, anger or bitterness.

Discourse analysis can apply to any given situation, however, it may be particularly required by courts, police, solicitors, researchers, doctors and psychologists and any other individuals where the way in which words are spoken makes a significant contribution to the transcript.

Please ask a member of our team for further information on truth transcription or for an assessment of your transcription needs, by calling 0800 102 63 17 , going online, or emailing us at: