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Important Factors To Consider When Researching Transcription Services

There are many different approaches to how transcription companies choose to operate. And the different methods of how these companies can run, has evolved a lot over time due to different technical advances.

This means there are many different options, and factors to consider when looking into transcription companies. This is due to the fact some companies may operate in a way which does not meet accuracy standards you require.

Are They A UK Transcription Company?

An important fact about transcription companies is that even though they say they are based in the UK, does not guarantee that they are actually a UK transcription company. Some of these companies offer an offshore transcription service, which is very different to using a UK transcription service.

An offshore transcription service is a service where the documents that a client wants transcribed are sent off to various other countries around the world, where freelancers are paid to do the transcription process. When you use companies that use this type of service you can risk the levels of accuracy you receive.

Due to the fact that these transcriptionists are based in other parts of the world you can not guarantee that your work is being sent to someone who has english as their first language. If they do not have a strong understanding of the English language they may face issues when it comes to understanding what it is they are transcribing, meaning the transcribed outcome may not be highly accurate.

Another risk you face when using an offshore transcription service is the fact that you do not know if the companies are operating in a way which is ethical. For example in some countries children are hired to work as part of these companies due to the fact that they can be paid less than an adult. As well as being highly unethical you also would not expect to receive an accurately transcribed result if the audio was transcribed by a child.

By sending your audio files transcribed outside of the UK to use an offshore transcription service also puts you at a higher risk of having your files exposed. This is because once the file has left the UK it is no longer protected by the UK’s privacy policies and laws. This means if the files were to be leaked in the transcription process, you would have trouble seeking legal advice.

Do They Have Any Listed Certifications?

When scrolling on the website of most service based companies they will often mention as many things as they can so that they appear as a reputable company. These often include any insurances, certifications and credentials.

When searching for a transcription company looking for things like this is very important. This is due to the fact that it will assure you that you are sending your files to a company which you can trust. You should also keep a look out for any non-disclosure agreements as due to the fact these are legally bound contracts, the company can not discuss any information on your case.

You can also take into account how the company handles, and processes your data before making a decision on if a company is suitable for your requirements.

Are Your Audio Documents Being Transcribed By A Human?

Due to advances in technology, and new softwares being released, means that there are now such things as machine transcriptionists. This process is still evolving, and the software used is constantly being updated. But this method of transcription still has its limitations.

When it comes to accuracy, human transcription services are still the best, and most reliable options due to the fact that machine transcriptionists struggle picking up on a number of things.The only main benefits from using these machine services is the fact they can be cheaper, and often have a faster outcome.

One reason why the accuracy levels of your transcribed document can be affected by the use of a machine transcriptionist is the fact that unlike human transcriptionists machines do not go through any sort of training. Not only do human transcriptionists train in transcription, they also undergo training in various different industries which use transcription services. This means they have a greater understanding in the industry and produce accurate results based on their knowledge.

There are other limitations which machine transcriptionists face. One of these is that they can not adapt well to audio that is of a poorer quality causing them to miss out on words and information which could be important. A human transcriptionist would not have this issue due to the fact that they can re-listen to any parts that they have missed, as well as adjust the audio to be able to hear it better.

Machines can also come across issues when transcribing conversations by people with different accents due to the fact that the words being said sound different. This would put limits on the types of audio that machines can transcribe.

To Summarise:

To conclude there are many important factors to consider when looking into a reliable transcription service which is going to work for your transcription requirements.

These are just a few things you should look out for when browsing different companies and the way in which they operate, as you want to make sure you are getting the most accurate outcome.

If these are not things that are mentioned on their website you can always ask how they operate to reassure that you are using a trustworthy company.

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