Fill out an interview summary report as soon as possible after the interview. Your project coordinator will send you a link to the Project Management Spreadsheet.
If necessary, export the files from the recording device (procedures will vary).
Assemble any accompanying materials. These include the signed consent form and a photograph of the interviewee (recommended but optional). For third party photographs please complete third party photo release.
Prepare the files for upload to the project’s Google Drive folder by naming them according to the model below.
LastName_FirstName_documentType_fileNumber_date
Examples:
Smith_John_audio_01_2018-01-12.mp3
Smith_John_audio_02_2018-01-12.mp3
Smith_Jane_video_01_2018-01-13.mp4
Smith_Jane_photo_2015.jpg
Smith_John_consent_2018-01-12.docx
You can also easily rename files in Google Drive by right clicking on file and select Rename.
Upload the files to the appropriate project folder in Google Drive. Link can be found in the Project Description and Guidelines sent to you by the project coordinator.
University-owned equipment should be returned to:
SCUA
Parks Library 403
701 Morrill Road
Ames, IA 50011-2102
archives@iastate.edu
Pending funding availability, SCUA will have interviews transcribed and captioned by a vendor. Both the interviewer and interviewee will receive a link to a Google Drive folder containing the interview recordings and the raw transcript of the interview. Please review the transcript and, observing the guidelines below, make any necessary corrections prior to the deadline (typically one month) indicated in the email.
If, due to travel or other circumstances, you need to establish a new deadline, email your project coordinator or archives@iastate.edu immediately. Upon the expiration of the review deadline, interview materials will be deposited into SCUA.
Use the “Suggesting” feature to track transcript changes
In the Google Document, click the “Editing” menu in right upper menu bar. Select “Suggesting” to use the track changes functionality.
Corrections
Examples of commonly made corrections to transcripts include misspellings of names of people or places, incorrectly transcribed words, typographical or stylistic errors, and filling in places marked “inaudible” by the transcriber.
Additions and Substitutions
If you would like to add additional information to the transcript (e.g., to clarify a statement or elaborate upon something), please place that information in brackets []. Similarly, if you change a substantive word, date, or number due to having misspoke during the interview, place the substituted information in brackets. For example, if you accidentally said in the interview, “I was born in 1951,” when you were actually born in 1952, then correct the transcript as follows: “I was born in [1952].” Brackets help us to understand discrepancies between the audio/video recordings and the typed transcript.
Deletions
It is standard practice to delete crutch words and false starts from oral history transcripts to enhance readability. Feel free to clean up the transcript in this way if you are so inclined, but take care not to overly edit it. The spoken word is very different from the written word, and we don’t want to lose the unique quality of your voice.
If you would like to delete more than a few words of content from the transcript, please indicate the place where a deletion has occurred via explanatory text in brackets, (e.g. [Sentences deleted]). If, as a result of significant deletions, audio/video files will differ markedly from the transcript, please consult with the project coordinator or the university archivist on how to address this.
For more detailed information see our Editing Guidelines.
When completely finished reviewing the transcript, email your project coordinator to let them know that you are done. Please also let them know about any special issues or concerns that you might have. Remember that unless you arrange for an extension, upon the expiration of the review deadline, interview materials will be deposited into SCUA.
When transcript review is complete, project coordinators should update the project management sheet to indicate status. Any special issues with transcripts should be brought to the attention of archives@iastate.edu.
That’s it! You’re all done. SCUA will then accession the materials and let you know when the materials are available online.
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