CrowdSurf General Guidelines

Section One- Most Common Requirements

Rule Instruction Example

Clean Verbatim Transcription Transcribe the audio content exactly as Spoken:

heard, but leave out I, i, It, it, was in two, 2000, uh, 2015.

Transcribe as:
Your transcripts provide captions for It was in 2015.
deaf and hard of hearing viewers! 1. Disfluencies (um, uh, ah, eh);

2. Filler words (hm, you know, like);

3. Stutters, stammers, unnecessary

Spoken:
repetitions, and false starts (where
Person 1: I, I, I was um, uh, wa- waiting
the speaker changes idea mid-
outside and it was sooo cold, ya know?
sentence).
The sky was the colour of slate-
Person 2: Hm.
Exceptions:
Person 1: And I had this idear…

1. Nonconsecutive repeated phrases

Transcribe as:
should not be removed
I was waiting outside and it was so cold.
2. Leave deliberate repetitions in the
The sky was the color of slate and I had
transcript.
this idea,

Use correct American English spelling

and grammar. No exceptions.
Spoken:
When transcribing dialogue, leave out
any filler words that interrupt the primary So you know, like, what do we do when
speaker. we have text files, CSV files?

Transcribe as:

*You may be directed to transcribe True What do we do when we have text files,
Verbatim (transcribe exactly as said) on CSV files?
jobs with Special Guidelines pop-ups
 Rule Instruction Example

Spoken:

If you launch it at too high of an engine

rpm, like 1201 RPM, you incinerate the
rear tires.

Transcribe as:

If you launch it at too high of an engine

rpm like 1201 RPM, you incinerate the
rear tires.

Spoken:
I don't think, Paul, I don't think that's the
case.

Transcribe as:

I don't think, Paul, I don't think that's the

case

Transcript Format 1. Always capitalize the first letter of 1. To send the report. I need it by
the first word in a HIT, even if it's tomorrow morning at
1. Beginning of HIT
not the start of a sentence. 2. We will call them back tomorrow.
2. End of HIT
2. Always close a HIT with a period,
unless you're sure that it's the
middle of a sentence, then leave it
open or with a comma.

3. Never close a hit with a dash (- or -

-) or ellipses (...).
 Rule Instruction Example

Transcript Style 1. Use the video to guide style,

formatting (i.e. capitalization), and
Consistency is key!
spelling in your transcript.

2. If the speaker references

something on screen, transcribe it
as shown.

3. Transcribe elements of a computer

interface as they appear on screen.

Sentence Format 1. Always capitalize the first letter of So tomorrow we will see the

the first word. Challenger-

>> Yes, the Challenger Jobs Report.
2. Separate sentences with a period.
1. Beginning 3. Use a dash to indicate an abrupt Spoken:
2. Punctuation interruption mid-sentence by >> But before I can do the install, I-
another speaker. Never use a dash > >> Mm-hm.
3. Interruptions
to indicate a stutter. Leave out >> Have to first make sure the server is
4. Dialogue
stutters in Clean Verbatim. up-
5. Spacing
4. With spoken dialogue do not >> Mm-hm.
6. Sentence Breaks transcribe verbal tics (like habitual >> And running and then
mm-hms) that interrupt the primary
speaker’s sentence.

5. Use a single space between

Transcribe as:
sentences. But before I can do the install, I have to
6. Break up run-on compound first make sure the server is up and
sentences, and join fragments into running and then
complete sentences when
possible.

Spoken:
Now you can see that once again we've
got, you know, the preview going on if I
Do your best to make coherent sentences click submit you can see that it does not
out of the speaker’s speech patterns. It is ah, make uh, it, it doesn't make a
perfectly acceptable to start a sentence request, and query string, you can see
with ‘And’ or ‘But’ in CrowdSurf actually, that when I click submit, uh
transcripts.
 Rule Instruction Example

actually, it's gonna, you know, make the

network request in the background.

Transcribe as:
Now you can see that once again we've
got the preview going on. If I click
submit you can see that it does not
make a request, and query string. You
can see actually, that when I click
submit, actually, it's gonna make the
network request in the background.

Names and Industry Jargon 1. All person, product, and company Massachusetts, freemium

names must be spelled and

formatted correctly.

Use the CrowdSurf Glossary for help 2. If unsure of the spelling, Google The people working at Apple are very
with technical terms. the word. Capitalize all place nice.
names and proper nouns.

Exception: Some company, software and

other names are not capitalized or W3 Communication is located over
contain unique titles with numbers etc. there.

Represent them as they represent

themselves. Note that the logo is
My iPod is broken.
separate from the company name.

Speaker Change Flag for tasks with 1. Each time there is a new speaker Hey Charlie. >> Hello Amy, how are
Multiple Speakers in the media, indicate the change you? >> Just fine Charlie. >> [LAUGH]

with a double chevron >>

2. If only one speaker, do not use a

>> in the transcript.

3. If more than one person is talking

at the same time, use your best
judgment as to where to put the >>.
 Rule Instruction Example

4. Where the dialogue is not

transcribable due to overlap use
[CROSSTALK].

5. Use >> to indicate a change in

speaker with human-made sounds
like [LAUGH], [COUGH],
[APPLAUSE], etc.

Punctuation Marks Do not use

1. quotation marks (“ “),

2. semi-colons (;),
I was talking to him and he said yeah,
3. colons (:),
I'd love to go see The Wizard of Oz.
4. ellipses (…),

5. em-dashes (--)

in CrowdSurf transcripts.

Exception: If specifically shown on-screen

in a title or a line of code, then these
punctuation marks may be included.

Silence, Sounds and Non-Verbal 1. Use one tag per uninterrupted Check your sound settings before
noises period of silence, sound, music, or submitting [BLANK_AUDIO].

non-verbal noises.

2. Use bbb (for BLANK_AUDIO)

All plot-relevant audio content should be when there is no audio, silence, or All sound tag shortcuts available on the
recorded in your transcript. non-relevant sounds (like static) right side of media tool. Do not make
for 2 seconds or more in a clip. up your own tags.
3. Use mmm (for MUSIC) to indicate
music and singing in the media. Do
not use this for background music
 Rule Instruction Example

played simultaneously with Spoken: I know that we all want to work

speaker. Insert a music tag when towards equality, (audience applauds
there is only music or song for a second or two, overlapping the
for 2 seconds or more in the media. speaker's next word or phrase] but it's

4. Use speaker changes with ccc (for not always easy when

COUGH), lll (for LAUGH), aaa (for

APPLAUSE), etc.

5. Use sss (for SOUND) or nnn (for Transcribe as:

NOISE) for distinct, plot-relevant I know that we all want to work towards
noises in transcripts. equality,
6. Use Aah! to indicate a scream. >> [APPLAUSE]
>> But it's not always easy when

Static In Audio [BLANK_AUDIO]

Ignore it. Don't type sss to denote sound.

If the clip is nothing but static, then use
bbb.

Noisy Lecture Halls [BLANK_AUDIO]

Ignore it. Don't type sss or nnn to denote

the noise. (It is not relevant to the content
of the lecture) If the clip contains
unintelligble crowd noise, please use bbb.

Audio Issues and Cut Off Words 1. If the audio quality is too
challenging, please skip the HIT.

2. If the cut-off word is obvious based

on the portion of it you heard and
the context of the sentence, then
complete the word.
 Rule Instruction Example

3. If you cannot discern the cut-off

word, type iii or [INAUDIBLE].

4. If the word is cut off at the

beginning and you can't hear it, do
not type anything.

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Section Two- Spelling & Grammar

1. Accepted Spellings

As part of Clean Verbatim transcripts, spelling should adhere to the following rules:

Correct Incorrect Example

All right Alright All right, are we ready to get

started?

Okay / OK button Kay, ok, Mkay Okay, when you’re ready to get
started click OK.

Mm-hm Mmm hmm, Mmhmm, Mm-hm, I agree. Mm-hm.

Uh-huh Uh huh, Uhuh Uh-huh, I understand you.

etc. etcetera Use webinars for classes,

presentations, sales, etc.
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2. Accepted Slang
Our system will automatically correct the following slang terms, transcribe them as spoken. Example: speaker
says "kinda", transcribe as kinda not kind of. If they say "kind of", transcribe as kind of.
If not included in this list, please transcribe the full, correct word as shown in your favorite dictionary. Example: speaker
says ‘em, always transcribe as them.

Correct Incorrect

Yeah Ya, yea

Cuz Cause, cus

Yep Yip, yeap

Gonna Going To

Kinda Kind of

Sorta Sort of

Wanna Want to

Gotta Got to
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3. Contractions

Rule Instruction Example

We'll vs. Well 1. We'll is a contraction of we will, 1a. We'll meet in the morning.
without the apostrophe, well, has a
different meaning. 1b. You have done well on this
assignment.

Let’s vs. Lets 2. Let's is a contraction for let us, without 2a. Let's go to the beach tomorrow
the apostrophe, lets, is a synonym for 2b. This ski pass lets you ski all season.
allows.

I'm vs. Im 3. I'm is a contraction of I am, i’m and Im 3. I'm looking forward to the weekend.
are not correct.

Should’ve vs. Should of 4. Should’ve is a contraction of should 4. You should’ve been there, it was
have, should of is not correct. awesome!
 Rule Instruction Example

Who’s vs. Whose 5. Who’s is a contraction of who is, I know a woman whose kids study there.
whose is a possessive of who. >> Who’s that?
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4. Homophones

Rule Instruction Example

1. It’s 1. ‘It's’ is a contraction of the words it 1. It's cold out today.

2. Its is. 2. The dog is looking for its owner.

2. ‘Its’ is a possessive pronoun.

1. Your 1. The word ‘your’ is the possessive 1. Your dog is so playful.

2. You’re form of you 2. You're welcome.

2. ‘You're’ is a contraction of the
words you are.

1. There 1. Use ‘there’ when referring to a 1. He is over there.

2. Their location or direction. 2. I accidentally crashed into their

3. They’re 2. Use ‘their’ to indicate possession. car.

3. ‘They're’ is a contraction of the 3. They're going to be happy to hear

words they are. the good news.

1. To 1. ‘To’ indicates direction or action. 1. Please go to the store.

2. Too 2. ‘Too’ means also, very or 2. This class is too difficult.

3. Two excessively. 3. I have two young children.

3. ‘Two’ is a number.

1. Then 1. Then refers to time. 1. He was about to leave, but then

2. Than 2. Than is usually used to indicate got distracted.

comparisons. 2. She is more helpful than you.

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Section Three- Punctuation
Rule Instruction Example
General Punctuation 1. Use proper punctuation whenever
possible.

2. Begin all HITs with a capital

letter, end all HITs with a period.

Exception: If you are confident the HIT

ends mid-sentence leave the sentence
without punctuation.

Discouraged Punctuation Marks 1. Em-dash -- I just read The Hunger Games.

2. Ellipses …
She said my email address is
3. Quotation Marks “ “ [email protected].
4. Semi-colon ;

5. Colon :

Exception: When punctuation is shown

on screen in computer programming
media, on-screen formatting takes
precedence over punctuation rules.

Speaker Interruption 1. Use an en-dash to indicate a mid- Jiminy Crick-

sentence interruption by a second >> Oh my!

speaker

2. Do not use an en-dash if the

speaker interrupts him/herself.

Punctuation and Numbers 1. Do not use an apostrophe with 1. The 60s were an exciting time in the
ages or decades. US.

2. Do not use a dash with number 2. You should exercise every day for
ranges, spell out ‘to’ or ‘through’. 30 to 40 minutes.
 Rule Instruction Example

Sentence Style & Breakpoints 1. Break up run-on sentences. Too long:

Okay, now you can see that once again
2. Join sentence fragments.
we've got the preview going on, if I click
3. Think about how your sentences
Submit you can see that it does not make
will be displayed on screen as
a request.
video captions.
Too short:
Hint: Generally 40-60 characters is the
Okay.
optimal sentence length.
Now you can see that once again.
We’ve got the preview going on.
Ideal Transcript:
If I click Submit.
Okay, now you can see that once again
You can see that it does not make a
we've got the preview going on.
request.
If I click Submit you can see that it does
not make a request.
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Section Four- Numbers

Write out numbers zero through ten, numbers above ten represent with numerical digits.

Rule Instruction Example

Writing Out Numbers zero Write out all numbers zero through These are two of the ideas that I want to
through ten ten, unless they are part of the share.
following:
Spoken:
1. Court rulings (4-3), Two times two equals four.
2. Sports records (10-7-0),
Shown on screen:
3. Height measurements (6'9")
2x2=4
4. Mathematical or scientific
equations or computer code Transcribe as:
(transcribe as seen in lecture 2 x 2 = 4.
slides)
 Rule Instruction Example

5. Time (12:15PM)
6. List (1. Sign up 2. Log in...)
7. Biblical references (John 3:16)
8. Storage units (1 GB)
9. Binary (0101)
10. Dates (April 7th, 2015)

Numerals for Numbers 11 and 1. Write numerically all numbers 1. Their tour will stop in 21 cities
above between 11 and above. around North America.
2. For numbers above 999,999, 2. This new policy will affect roughly
substitute million, billion, etc. 400,000 people in New Mexico.
for the zeros. 3. She’s got 1 million new followers on
Twitter.
Incorrect: This new policy will affect
roughly 400 thousand people in New
Mexico.

Imprecise Number Amounts 1. For imprecise numerical Spoken:

We need to raise a hundred dollars.
amounts spell out the numbers.
2. This applies when the speaker Transcribe as:
We need to raise $100.
is estimating or using an
exaggeration which is not
intended to be a precise
quantity. Spoken:
The team raised a few hundred dollars.
Examples: a few hundred, a few Transcribe as:
thousand, a million The team raised a few hundred dollars.

Spoken:
I've got about a billion things to do today.

Transcribe as:
I've got about a billion things to do today.
 Rule Instruction Example

Range of Numbers and 1. Do Not use a dash, always spell

Consistency out “to”
2. Use consistent formatting
1. The President will need 60 to 70%
within sentences, use numerals
approval rating in the polls.
(when at least one of the
2. Skip ahead 10 to 20 frames and click
numbers is over 10) for
Play.
quantities with related units,
lists, or numbers with a
statistical relationship.

Ordinal Numbers – 1. Spell out the word for first 1. I will be visiting their second grade
First, Second, Third, etc. through tenth. class on June 25th.
2. Use numerals for 11th and 2. She was first woman admitted in the
above. 19th century.

Roman Numerals Use Roman numerals to describe World War II, King John II,
sequences like in wars, events, or Super Bowl XLIX
people.

1. Use the numeral followed by 1. 57%

‘%’, unless speaker uses a 2. What percent correct do I need to get
Percentages
fraction of a percent. an A in this class?
2. Exception: Do not use ‘%’ if a
number is not associated with Spoken:
it. We’re seeing an increase of a quarter of a
percent versus last year’s increase of twelve
percent.

Transcribe as:
We’re seeing an increase of a quarter of a
percent versus last year’s increase of 12%.

Decimal Numbers If the number is less than one, then 0.7 seconds, 0.5%
use a leading 0 before the decimal
point.
 Rule Instruction Example

Year No apostrophe necessary when The 1980s, the 60s

referencing the time period.

Age Don’t add zeros when referencing age She is probably in her thirties.
range or quantity.
He wrote hundreds of pages.
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Section Five- Sound Quickies

Sound Quickies are for representing nonverbal parts of media. There are several rules to follow;

 Use sound tags to indicate sound, noise, music, or periods of silence in transcripts. One tag per section of
uninterrupted sound.
 Transcribe all plot-relevant sounds, music, blank audio to describe the audio content of the media. For example, if the
HIT is primarily a gun fight with the musical soundtrack played simultaneously in the background, transcribe [NOISE]
for the gunfight, ignore the music.
 Type short code in all lowercase letters mmm and all Tags in uppercase [MUSIC]. All else will be incorrect.
 Do not add punctuation after standalone sound tags.

Rule Instruction Example

Blank Audio 1. Use when there is silence, no plot- bbb or [BLANK_AUDIO]
relevant audio, or just static in a
Blank Audio tags are imperative for Spoken:
HIT. Example: If a professor is
correct timing of video captions. So now you see I’ll add in twenty
flipping pages, typing, writing on
pixels (typing noise for 1 second) of
the board, or clicking through
padding on each side (typing noise for
slides this should be blank audio,
4 seconds) there you go
not sound.
2. Verify that the video has loaded On screen:
correctly and that computer audio padding: 20px;
settings are correct.
Transcribe as:
So now you see I’ll add in 20px of
 Rule Instruction Example

3. OR use [BLANK_AUDIO] to padding on each side.

indicate a lapse of 2 or more [BLANK_AUDIO] There you go.
seconds or more of no speech.

Indiscernible Audio Notation can be used to replace one iii or [INAUDIBLE]

word, or a phrase that cannot be heard.
(Try to use as rarely as possible)
Incorrect Format examples:
[iii], (iii), Iii, III, sp, sp?, [sp], xx, [x],
etc

Crosstalk Use when two or more speakers talk ttt or [CROSSTALK]

simultaneously and their words cannot
(Two or more speakers talking at be distinguished.
once)
Incorrect: tt, TTT, (??), etc.

Unknown If absolutely not sure of the word, use uuu or [UNKNOWN]

uuu or [UNKNOWN].
(Try to use as rarely as possible)

Guess Phonetically spell the word and append Onomatopoeia/g

/g to the end.
You’re making a reasonable spelling
guess based on the sound or context. Google for correct spelling before using
/g.

Laugh Speaker laughs or giggles. May be mid- lll or [LAUGH]

sentence or a standalone tag.
Spoken:
Use a speaker change between laugher So I told him to bugger off (second
and previous speaker. speaker laughs) or I'd have him
arrested before he could say boo

Transcribe as:
So I told him to bugger off-
>> [LAUGH]
 Rule Instruction Example
>> Or I'd have him arrested before he
could say boo.

Music or singing 1. Insert a music tag when there is mmm or [MUSIC]

only music or song for 2 seconds
or more in the media.
2. Do NOT insert tag when music is
playing in the background,
simultaneous to speech.
3. Lyrics should only be transcribed
when a pop-up message
specifically instructs you to
transcribe lyrics. If in doubt, only
use a [MUSIC] tag.

Sound 1. Use for distinct sounds. sss or [SOUND] or nnn or [NOISE]

2. Do not use for static. Type bbb for

(Heard Phone Beep, Mechanical
all static or noisy lecture hall
Noises, Distinct Background Sounds,
sounds.
sighs, non-verbal utterances etc.)
3. Do not insert tag when sound is
playing in the background of
speaker talking.
4. Do not create your own sound
tags for specific noises or human-
made sounds.

Cough 1. Use for coughing or throat ccc or [COUGH]

clearing, mid-sentence or in a
(Cough or throat clearing noise)
stand-alone sentence.
2. Do not transcribe if cougher is
off-screen (i.e. if unidentified
student coughs mid-lecture)
3. Use a speaker change flag to
distinguish between cougher and
previous speaker.
 Rule Instruction Example

Foreign Language 1. Use in place of any language fff or [FOREIGN]

other than English, even if you are
able to understand the foreign
language.
Spoken:
2. You may be asked to copy He has a certain joie de vivre about
English subtitles when prompted him.
by Special Guidelines, no
FOREIGN tag necessary in this Transcribe as:
case. He has a certain joie de vivre about
3. Use a speaker change flag to him
indicate a change in speaker, even
if in foreign language.
Spoken:
Je vois pas trop le rapport avec
Marseille, mais bon, je vais cliquer
sur. Marseille dans le Rhône, et là!

Transcribe as:
[FOREIGN]

Applause 1. Use for group clapping or aaa or [APPLAUSE]

cheering.
2. Incorrect Format examples:
[applause] AAA (cheering)

Bleep 1. Use only when media bleeps over xxx or [BLEEP]

an expletive.
2. Do not use if expletive is spoken
in the media.
3. Incorrect Format examples: [xxx]
(bleep)

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Section Six- Currency and Time
Rule Instruction Example

Dollars and Cents 1. Do not write “dollars” use $ sign I owe you $12 for lunch today.
for a quantifiable amount.
The startup raised $1.2 million in
2. When less than $1 use the format
round one.
$0.xx.
The profit margin is $0.50 per unit.

Bucks If the speaker says ‘bucks’ instead of 25 bucks

'dollars’, spell out bucks.

Foreign Currency When transcribing foreign currency, I just visited England and I have 100
type out the word for it, rather than the pounds left over from the trip.
symbol.

AM and PM 1. Use AM and PM not a.m. and 1:17 PM or 1 PM

p.m.
2. If the time is on the hour,
transcribe without :00

12 o’clock If the speaker says o’clock transcribe it 12 o’clock

as heard.
not 12:00 o’clock

Military Time If spoken as x hundred hours, use the 17:00 hours

00:00 format.
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Section Seven- Math & Science
Capture the audio content of the HIT in your transcript, use the video to guide your formatting of any numbers, variables or
terms that the speaker references.

Go by audio first, use video for clarifications.

Rule Instruction Example

Equations 1. Transcribe the equation as Spoken:

spoken, by the speaker. The slope of the secant line through a,
f of a, and a second point a plus h f of
2. Use the video to guide your
a plus h provides an approximation
formatting, spacing, and
when h is small.
capitalization. Try to match
your transcript to the video as
Shown on screen:
much as possible.
The slope of the secant line through
(a, f(a)) and a second point (a + h,
Exception: CrowdSurf transcripts do not
f(a+h)) provides an approximation
support the following symbols:
when h is small.
 Subscripts/superscripts (transcribe
Transcribe as:
side-by-side p0)
The slope of the secant line through
 Greek letters (spell out pi, rho)
(a, f(a)) and a second point (a + h,
 Fractions (two-thirds) f(a+h)) provides an approximation
 Special Characters like integral, when h is small.
derivative, square root.

Notations If not shown on screen, transcribe the Multiplication: 4 times 7 equals 28.
spoken word instead of the symbol. (In
(+,-,x, /) math equations, still keep numbers as Division: 28 divided by 4 equals 7.
numerals even if under 10.)
Addition: 2 plus 2 equals 4.

Subtraction: 2 minus 2 equals 0.

Squared, Cubed, Power etc. For all equations involving exponential 1. 4 to the 2nd equals 16
numbers, use the spoken word.
2. 3 to the 3rd equals 27
3. The square root of 4 equals 2
 Rule Instruction Example

4. x to the nth equals 25

Negative Numbers If not shown on screen, for all 3 minus 4 equals negative 1.
mathematical notations involving
negative numbers, use the spoken word.

Trigonometric Functions Spell out all trigonometric functions, do 1. sine (sounds like sign)
not abbreviate.
2. cosine
3. tangent
4. secant
5. cosecant
6. cotangent

Fractions For all mathematical notations involving 1 plus 1 and two-thirds equals x.
fractions, transcribe the spoken word.

Variables All mathematical variables (a, b, c, x, y, Spoken:

etc.) should be written lowercase unless Um, e to the 2 pi i k, m minus n
shown in the video or specifically divided by capital N.
spoken by the instructor as uppercase.
On screen:
e 2 π i k (m - n) / N

Transcribe as:
e to the 2 pi i k (m – n) / N

Scientific Terminology, proper Research name or term to ensure proper Leibniz notation
names spelling.

Simply input the phonetic spelling of the

term into your favorite search engine to
check spelling.

Transcribe your best guess and append

the word with /g if you are not sure.
 Rule Instruction Example

Professor writing on board If the speaker makes noise while, Spoken:

If we want to minimize J of theta
 Flipping pages, (writes on board for 5 seconds) then
 Writing on a board or projector we’ll need to take the derivative
screen,
On screen:
 Or any typing noises
J(θ) =
and all else is silent for 2 or more
Transcribe as:
seconds, transcribe as
[BLANK_AUDIO].
If we want to minimize J(theta),
[BLANK_AUDIO] Then we’ll need to
take the derivative

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Section Eight- Computers & Software

Capture the audio content of the HIT in your transcript, use the video to guide your formatting of any buttons, tabs, or other
elements of the computer interface.

Rule Instruction Example

Shift Shift Shift-click to select all of the files in the

folder

Alt (And other keyboard Alt If it Sounds like : Hold alt, control,
combinations) delete.

Transcribe like this: Hold

Alt+Ctrl+Delete

Option Option Option+N creates the ñ character.

Command Cmd Press Cmd+Z (Mac) to undo the last

action.
 Rule Instruction Example

Control Ctrl Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) to undo the

last action.

Enter or Return Enter or Return Then hit Enter.

Arrow up / arrow down Arrow up or arrow down Press the arrow up or arrow down keys
to increase or decrease the pen
diameter.

Comma Spell out symbol keys like “comma” Press Ctrl+comma to increase the
brush size.

“Dot” and File names When a speaker says “dot” DO NOT My email address is [email protected].
spell it out, transcribe it with a period.

Transcribe the final version of the file

name as it appears on screen. Spoken:
I’ve uploaded the image dot P N G file.

Transcribe as:
I’ve uploaded the image.png file.

Space bar Space bar

F three Transcribe as the letter and numeral F3

(or any function key)

Double-click double-click Double-click the border symbol to open

it in symbol editing mode.

OK button Follow the spelling and formatting I'm gonna go to the Emulate tab, select
shown on screen in the computer Mobile Devices option, then click OK.
interface.

e.g. Capitalize words that are shown as

capitalized in the computer interface.

Only use this spelling, OK, when

referring to the computer command.

CamelCase and code formatting Follow on-screen formatting in I will be using PowerPoint today.
computer-related HITs. If a line of
computer programming code shows Use the onCreate method.
 Rule Instruction Example

(Writing compound words or phrases specific spacing, capitalization, and

so that each word begins with a capital punctuation, use the same in your
letter.) transcript.

Software names All software and company names must Spoken:

be spelled correctly. If you are not V M ware was the first company to
sure, look it up to find correct spelling successfully virtualize the x eighty-six
and formatting. architecture.

Use the CrowdSurf Glossary for Transcribe as:

assistance. VMware was the first company to
successfully virtualize the x86
architecture.

File Path Instructions When the speaker instructs the user to Spoken:
go to a menu or to press a certain Go to File, then Documents, then
combination of keys, use the following Open.
conventions, with a space on either
side of the “>”. Transcribe as:
Go to File > Documents > Open

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Section Nine- Internet & Contact Information

Rule Instruction Example

Spelling a Name, Address, Word, If a speaker spells out a last name or My name is Christina, C-H-R-I-S-T-I-N-
etc. street or something, indicate the A.
recitation of letters with hyphens in
between each letter.

Internet Internet must always be capitalized. You must have a stable Internet
connection to work on Mturk.
 Rule Instruction Example

URLs Transcribe the final web address even Spoken:

if the speaker has completely spelled it You can find us at W S J dot com.
out.
Transcribe as:
You can find us at WSJ.com

Emails Transcribe the final email address Spoken:

even if the speaker has completely My email is J O H N dot D O E at g
spelled it out. mail dot com.

Transcribe as:
My email is [email protected].

Telephone Number Transcribe the final telephone number My cell number is (123)-444-5555.
in digits and dashes form.

IP Addresses Transcribe the final IP address in 98.182.30.194

digits and periods form.

Hashtags If used as a word in a sentence, spell Contact me at the hashtag shown below.
out the word hashtag.

If used in the format #blablabla use the

pound sign, # Spoken:
What’s your opinion? Let us know at
hashtag CrowdSurf.

Transcribe as:
What’s your opinion? Let us know at
#CrowdSurf.

Twitter handles Use the at sign, @, when someone Find me on Twitter @AshleyEsqueda.
references their twitter handle

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Section Ten- Sample Transcripts!
Rule Spoken Correct Transcripts

 Clean Verbatim Yesterday at around twelve o clock I Yesterday, at around 12 o'clock I was
was, um, visiting, uh, doctor smith’s visiting Dr. Smith's office. And he was
 Punctuation
office and he wa- was saying, saying exercise is an important part of
 Currency and Time
“exercise is an important part of one's one's cardiovascular regimen.
cardiovascular regimen“

 Speaker Change Flags Speaker 1: Let's welcome Mary to the call. Mary
Let's welcome Mary to the call. how do you spell your last name?
 Contact information
Mary, how do you spell your last
name? >> W-O-R-T-H-I-N as in Nancy, G-T-O-
N.
Speaker 2:
W O R T H I N as in Nancy G T O N. >> And what’s your email address?

Speaker 1: >> [email protected].

And what’s your email address?

Speaker 2:
M Worthington at Hotmail dot com.

 Numbers We've seen a fifty percent increase in We've seen a 50% increase in our
our market share, representing over market share, representing over $4
 Percentages
four million dollars in potential million in potential revenue.
 Monetary amounts
revenue

 Numbers Don't you mean 5 point 1 million? Or Don't you mean 5.1 million, or are you
are you leavin’ out latin America? leaving out Latin America?
 Slang
 Capitalization of proper nouns

 Sentence breakpoints We give you the code for actually We give you the code for actually
downloading the, uh, the image so its downloading the image. So it's called
 On-screen formatting
called download image, you give it a downloadImage. You give it a context
 Computer Coding
context and a url that you want to and a URL that you want to download.
 Camel Case download, and it goes and does a And it goes and does a bunch of magic
bunch of magic to download things to download things.
 Rule Spoken Correct Transcripts

Shown on screen:
(line of code) public static Url
downloadImage

 On-screen formatting The first property [clears throat], The first property [COUGH] states that
states that A to the N times a to the m A to the n x A to the m is equal to A to
 Math variables
equals a to the N plus M, and is often the (n+m), and is often referred to as the
 Sound tags
referred to as the product rule. Product Rule.

Shown on screen:

Product Rule: An x Am = A(n+m)

 Speaker change flags Speaker 1: Will we be discussing ciphertexts this

Will we be discussing ciphertexts this semester? Or is-
 Speaker Interruptions
semester? Or is- (interrupted by
 Punctuation >> Ciphertexts, also known as encoded
second speaker)
 Spelling consistency or encrypted information, will be part of
 Research unknown terms Speaker 2: our discussion on Turing machines and
Cypher texts, also known as encoded the different algorithms that are used in
or encrypted information will be part a computer's CPU.
of our discussion on touring machines
and the different algorhythms that are
used in a computers cpu.

 Sound tags (violin note for 2 seconds) Okay, just [SOUND] Okay, just went a little bit
went a little bit sharp. Now I’m gonna sharp. Now I’m gonna give a tug for a
 Slang
give a tug for a little slack. And test it little slack. And test it again. [SOUND]
again. (violin note for 4 seconds) Perfect.
Perfect.