A textbook case: audio-to-text transcripts
Here is a story of audio-to-text transcripts which went on to become a famous text book, brought to you by Tigerfish Transcribing, your source for conference call transcription, corporate transcription, financial transcription, legal transcription, and general transcription services.
Famous Transcripts in History: The Feynman Lectures Part 5
When Richard Feynman delivered the new first-year physics course lectures in 1961, the idea of teaching ‘modern’ physics – atomic physics, and quantum theory – to undergraduates was unprecedented, and there was no textbook. To provide the students with study notes, faculty decided to tape the lectures and make audio-to-text transcriptions
Feynman wore a radio microphone hanging from his neck (you can see a picture here: http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/) which was coupled to a magnetic tape recorder in another room. The lectures were transcribed by a typist transcriptionist, Julie Cursio.
The process of this audio-to-text transcript
In Feynman’s Tips on Physics Robert Leighton describes the process:
“The lectures were taped: Feynman used one of those cordless lapel microphones, and we hired a young lady to transcribe them. She was just as happy as could be, listening to that material and typing it. [A note from the blogger: Women undergraduates were not admitted to Caltech until 1970, so this may have been her way of studying physics.] She did a fine job.”
But as it turns out, transcriptionists are part of a team! Verbatim audio-to-text transcription is sometimes exactly what’s needed, and sometimes it needs editing (see Part 6)…
Ellen Park
See More - Topics:
- Best Practices
- Famous Transcripts
- Local Color
- The Wide World of Transcription
- Tigerfish News
- Transcription Technology
- Transcription Tips
- Video Transcription
- What is Transcription?
