(Note: it is recommended that you keep this page open in a separate tab for reference while you are transcribing).
Basic Transcription Guidelines
This guide provides instructions for how to handle the most common transcription processes.* We expect this page to grow, and we are standing ready to provide help on how to handle transcription scenarios that are not included on the list. Please contact TrexlerTranscribes@muhlenberg.edu with questions.
Have fun! This is a crowdsourced project; many eyes will be on each document, so if you aren't sure exactly what you're reading, someone else will.
Tagging
As you read, you will see that we have included encoding, or "tagging," as part of the transcription process. Encoding allows certain features of a text (such as names, places, additions, underlining, etc.) to be recognizable by computers for future analysis of the text. Nearly all of the tags include an opening and closing tag, such as <personName>Rebecca</personName>. Each tag should be preceded and followed by a space just as when you type any words.
Please visit our Tagging Shortcuts page for guidance and a handy set of cut-and-paste tags that you don't need to type yourself!
Do not use the buttons in the blue bar shown below; only use the tagging conventions seen in Tagging Shortcuts.
Type What You See
Copy the words and paragraphs as you see them. Use original spelling, even if technically “wrong” by our 21st-century standards (do not use [sic]). Punctuation, capitalization, special characters (! ? &), abbreviations, and Roman numerals should also be transcribed as closely as possible to how they appear in the original document.
Margins
Type everything at the left-most side of the page, even words such as place and date which are often written to the right. Do not create a gutter or margin: every line should start flush to the left.
Line Breaks
Transcribe the lines of text to match exactly with the original document. Do not change the line breaks even though it may appear to make the document more readable. Following line breaks will help us sync your transcription to the original document. Please hit “Enter” at the end of each line. Do not double-space between lines unless there is a paragraph break (see below).
Paragraphs
Do not worry about indenting new paragraphs. Simply separate paragraphs by typing the "Enter" key twice to create a line space between paragraphs.
Hyphenated Words
When words at the end of a line are hyphenated (e.g. assign-ment) and finished on the line below, type the full word on the line in which it first appears.
In any event I expect to take a
Page Numbers
Ignore the page numbers that appear on most documents in the upper corners. These were added later as an organizational tool. Should you occasionally see a page number that appears to be original, treat it as its own line of text. Only transcribe page numbers that were written as part of the original document.
Superscripts & Abbreviations
Throughout the documents you will encounter superscript being used for titles (Govr., Mr.) and for dates. In this case, you do not need to worry about capturing formatting. Transcribe the words as written but without the superscript.
Unclear or Illegible Words
Use [unclear] for words, sentences, and paragraphs that you cannot decipher.
Deletions
When words and portions of text have been deleted (strikethrough or crossed-out) and are still readable, use <deletion> tags around the eliminated words.
If you are unable to read the crossed-out words, use the [unclear] and <deletion> tags.
suppose <personName>Betsey</personName> will be up much longer, & <personName>Mother</personName> is
Additions
When you come across words that have been added or inserted above or below the written text line, transcribe the word(s) in the text line and enclose the added word(s) in <add> tags. Include the carat ˄ symbol if written in document.
Complex Additions & Replacements
You may come across a combination of added and deleted text, where the added text is intended to replace the text that is deleted with a strikethrough. This is known as a substitution. Transcribe the text where the added words follow the deleted words and tag each portion accordingly.
Underlined Text
Enclose underlined text with opening and closing <hi> tags (as in “highlight”).
Non-English Words
When you come across short paragraphs, passages, or words in another language than English, enclose the non-English text in <foreign> tags.
Hund so kommt man ueber den Schwantz.”</foreign> Ho! Ho! I had
Names, Dates, Places
Please use the following tags where appropriate: <placeName>, <personName>, <date>.
<personName>Henry</personName>, untill the return of <personName>Mr. Richards</personName>, but you
When a name or place is used possessively, apply the tags to the name only, and then add the apostrophe-S afterwards.
Text Direction
In some of the documents you will come across text written in a variety of directions. When you encounter this, transcribe the body of the text first, insert a line space, and transcribe the remaining text in its own paragraph. You can rotate the page for easier viewing by clicking on the image and hitting the "R" key.
*Much of the content in this guide has been adapted from or inspired by the guidelines of the Georgian Papers Programme.