Tutorial: How to Transcribe

Enrich - Find a document and start transcribing

First, find an item (a single document) you want to enrich by searching and browsing the project collection on the Discover page. Here you can filter your search results by language, completion status, etc. Click on a story (1) and select an item from the story page (2), or select an item directly from your discovery results.

Additionaly, you can search for the documents on the map.

You can only add new enrichments to items marked with the grey (Not Started) or yellow (Edit) statuses.  Tasks for items in the orange and green statuses are explained in the Review section of this tutorial.

Step 1: Transcription

To start working on an item, click  “Start Transcription” button above the title of the story. This will lead you to the first non-started item of the story. Alternatively, you can also click on the item of your choosing. To start transcribing, click on the pen icon on the transcription field, or maximize icon in the tool list, situated on the left side of the image.

Now you are transcribing in full-screen mode as seen on the image to the right. Over the transcription field, you can find several enrichment sections for each step of your work. The tab 'Transcription' is chosen as a default.Now you can start transcribing by clicking on the pen icon (or inside the field). When needed, use the toolbar to format your text and to add special characters and tables. A guide to the transcription toolbar is available in the Formatting section of this tutorial.

Using , you can adjust the position of the window as per your preference.

Identify the language(s) of the text using the dropdown list under the transcription box. You can select multiple languages at once. If the item has no text to transcribe, tick the checkbox ‘No Text’.

Once you have finished your transcription, click 'SAVE'. We would also advice to save your work a couple of times during working.

Step 2: Locations

Next step is adding locations. select the 'Location' tab at the top menu of the Activity Panel. . Click on the plus next to the heading LOCATIONS.

If you find a location mentioned or recognise a place in the item, you can create a geotag and pin it to the item map. Multiple locations can be attached to the item.

Type the location into the search bar and select the result that best applies. A new pin will be placed into the map. The location name should be a clear georeference, e.g. a country, city or address. Make adjustments to the location name if necessary. You can also adjust the position of the pin by dragging it on the map.

If you want to add further details to the location, you can write a (short) description. This could include extra information about the geotag (e.g. the building name or a significant event that took place at the location) or the relevance of the place to the item (e.g. the hometown of the author).

You can also add a Wikidata reference to link the location to a stable source. Search for the reference using the Wikidata fields.

Once you have finished your location tag, click 'SAVE' ( ). Now you can find the place(s) tagged to the item in grey at the bottom of the Location(s) section.

Step 3: Description

You can add a description and further enrichments to the item underneath the Description section.

Step 4: People

People mentioned as creators or subjects in the item can also be tagged. Depending on the information you might have, you can enter the person’s first and last names, as well as their dates of birth and death. There is also the option to write a short description of the person, explaining who they are or their relevance to the item, e.g. the person’s occupation or their relation to another tagged person.

Please check the correct box to indicate if a person you added is the document creator, a person to whom the document is addressed, or a person simply mentioned in the document.

Multiple people can be tagged to one item.

To add another person, click on the plus icon to the right of the PEOPLE heading.

Once you have finished your person tag, click on the 'SAVE' icon ( ) on the right.

Step 5: Mark for Review

Once you have saved your contribution, the task will automatically change to the Edit status.

If you think that one of the tasks (Transcription, Description, Tagging) is finished, you can mark it for review. Note that you have to be at Runner level or above to do this (see: Miles and Levels). Click on the yellow circle next to the section heading and select Review. The task now needs to go under review by another volunteer.

Review

All enrichments need to be edited and reviewed by more than one volunteer to ensure that they are as accurate as possible.

Only Sprinters and Champions can edit tasks in the Review stage and mark them as Completed (see: ‘Miles and Levels’) You can review a task (Transcription, Description, Locations, or Tagging) when the circle next to the heading is coloured orange.

During the review process, pay close attention to the following requirements:

1. Transcription: The complete text in the item has been properly transcribed and the transcription is formatted as accurately as possible. The correct language(s) are selected and the transcription contains no missing or unclear icons.
2. Description: The description is accurate and detailed (especially items without text to transcribe, e.g. photos), and the appropriate categories have been ticked.
3. Locations: All locations have been correctly tagged. The location name is accurate and matches the coordinates and the pin on the map. The description is clear and concise, and the Wikidata reference (if any) is correct.
4. Tagging: Document dates are completed and as precise as possible. All mentioned people are tagged and their data is correct. All added keywords are applicable to the item, and other sources have accurate information and functioning links.

Once you think a task has fulfilled the requirements and is indeed finished, you can mark the task as complete. Click the orange circle next to the section heading and select Completed in the list that appears. When all 4 tasks in the item are finished, the item status will be fully complete and change to green.

Completion Statuses