Transcription Guidelines Explained: The Complete Guide for Beginners and Pros

1. Introduction — Why We Need Transcription Guidelines for Transcriptions

Spoken words are fleeting. A meeting is over, an interview ends, a court date concludes. Without transcription, details vanish. Transcription turns sound into text. Transcription guidelines maintain order in the process. They determine how we note pauses, laughter, or dialect. Guidelines make transcripts comparable, searchable, and legally compliant.

Imagine a big puzzle. Each piece is a spoken utterance. Transcription guidelines are the framework that ensures all pieces fit perfectly in the end.

2. What Are Transcription Guidelines?

Transcription guidelines are the rules for writing down what has been said. They describe:

• Character set: Which symbols represent pauses, overlaps, or emphasis?
• Notation: Do we write dialect phonetically or translate it into standard language?
• Format: Does every speaker start on a new line with an abbreviation?

They differ from regular spelling rules. While orthography ensures correct word spelling, transcription guidelines decide whether a filler like "uh" is kept or omitted.

3. Why Are Transcription Guidelines Important?

• Uniformity — Everyone on the team transcribes using the same pattern. Everything aligns.
• Traceability — Researchers can verify that an analysis was based on a faithful transcription.
• Legal certainty — In court transcripts, every word matters. Guidelines capture wording accurately.
• Efficiency — If you know the rules, you transcribe faster. Software can automate parts of the process.

A simple example: Two people transcribe the same interview. Without transcription guidelines, chaos ensues. With guidelines, they match line breaks, timestamps, and symbols. Collaboration becomes possible.

4. Overview of Common Transcription Systems

Dresing & Pehl — low to medium

Use: Qualitative interviews, bachelor theses.
Focus: Content. Dialect becomes Standard German. Filler words only when necessary.

Kuckartz — low to medium

Use: Content analyses, teaching research.
Similar to Dresing & Pehl, small variations in time stamps.

GAT/GAT2 — high

Use: Conversation analysis, linguistics.
Draws break lengths, emphasis, intonation. Three upgrade levels (Minimal, Basic, Fine).

Jefferson — very high

Use: English conversation analysis.
Detailed signs for breathing, volume, and overlaps.

HIAT — very high

Use: Multilingual group calls.
Special symbols for pitch curves and simultaneous speech.

IPA — phonetic

Use: Pronunciation studies, speech therapy.
Uses phonetic alphabet, represents every phoneme.

Which fits when?

• Just save the content? → Dresing & Pehl or Kuckartz.
• Investigate linguistic "how"? → GAT2 or Jefferson.
• Record the finest sounds? → IPA.

5. Typical Guidelines in Practice

5.1 Breaks

• Short break: (.)
• Longer break: (2.3) — Number shows seconds.

Why? Breaks reveal reflection, uncertainty, or excitement.

5.2 Emphasis & Volume

• Capitalization means LOUD.
• Underlined word in GAT2 shows intonation.
• Quiet whisper? °so° in Jefferson.

5.3 Laugh & Breathe

• (laughs) is often enough.
• Write for detail fanatics: "hahaha" or (.hhh) for audible inhalation.

5.4 Overlap

• Square brackets mark talking at the same time:
  A: "We should act [immediately]."
  B: "[Yes], I'm in."

5.5 Filler Words & Slips

• "Um," "uh" are allowed to stay if they mean something.
• Slips of the tongue end with -, such as "forgive-"

5.6 Dialect & Vernacular

• Simple system: translate ("gonna" → "going to").
• Complex system: leave original. Consistency is important.

5.7 Nonverbal Elements

• ((door closes)), ((knocks)) — double brackets indicate sounds or gestures.

6. Formatting & Technology

• Speaker labels — I: for interviewer, B: for interviewee
• Line breaks — New speaker = new line
• Timestamps — [00:05:30] helps navigation
• File format — .docx or .txt for transcripts, .srt for subtitles

Helpful transcription software:

• f4transcript — With time markers
• oTranscribe — Free browser tool
• Express Scribe — Pedal-compatible software
• Sally AI — AI meeting assistant that auto-logs meetings and can transcribe them, automate workflows

7. Legal & Ethical Aspects

• Consent — Always obtain clear permission before recording
• GDPR — Audio is personal data; protect it accordingly
• Anonymization — Use aliases, redact sensitive info
• Data storage — Encrypt files, limit access
• Cloud tools — Check server locations and contracts

No recording without consent. No transcript without protection.

8. Transcription Challenges & Quality Assurance

• Time spent —Calculate 5—10 × the audio length when transcribing manually.
• Fatigue — Take breaks and type for a maximum of 2 hours at a time.
• Intelligibility — Bad audio track? Use headphones, audio filters, or ask for control from a second person.
• Consistency — Record your transcription guidelines in writing.
• Four-eyes principle — One person writes, one checks with audio.

9. AI Transcription and the Future

Voice recognition is getting better. Services such as Sally AI type along. But even 95% accuracy means 5% error. That can distort meaning. The future is hybrid:

• AI creates a raw transcript in minutes.
• Humans correct, apply transcription guidelines, and check names.

The result: Quick and clean.

Outlook: Soon, tools will be able to automatically record break lengths and emphasis. Until then, humans remain the guardians of subtleties.

10. Practical Examples

Research

Sociologist Lisa conducts interviews. With Dresing & Pehl, she records content. She later codes topics such as trust or power.

Business

Project manager Tom uses Sally AI in team calls. The software writes along, lists to-dos. Tom saves himself a headache and many hours a week.

Media

Podcast host Jenny posts the transcript online. Search engines recognize keywords. Her episodes rank higher.

Legal

Court interpreter Anna produces literal copies. Every break counts. The protocol serves as proof.

11. Conclusion — How to Find the Right Transcription Guidelines

Transcription guidelines are your compass in the jungle of spoken words. Choose your system by goal:

• Just content? → Simple guidelines (Dresing & Pehl or Kuckartz) or no guidelines
• Language details? → GAT2 or Jefferson
• Phonetics? → IPA

Stick to your choice consistently. Use tools, but test them. Protect data. The result is a transcript that is clear, reliable, and valuable.

PS: You can test our tool Sally for free. With Sally, you can transcribe audios and videos and even have you meetings transcribed and summarized as they happen.

Start your next transcript with a clear set of transcription guidelines — this saves time, prevents errors, and ensures clarity.