Transcribing multimodal interaction – Preparing and transcribing video data (2022)

December 19-20/2022

Online through Zoom

Registration to Hanne P.Clausen: hannepc@ikp.aau.dk - Deadline Dec 16.

NOTE: Participants must purchase a DOTE pro or DOTE Pro Community license (www.dote.aau.dk). If you do not acquire DOTE, your spot will be offered to another participant. 

Max no of participants: 15

This course introduces participants to multimodal transcription of human social actions captured with video. The course will cover several components. Before transcribing video data, researchers are tasked with the job of preparing the data, e.g. stitching together videos into a composite video or generating the best possible audio track based on the microphones used. We will introduce some of the tricks and solutions to get your data in the best shape for transcription. After preparing the data, the practical work of transcription begins. The course will give a basic introduction to how to do multimodal transcription with different transcription systems, but we will also introduce software that support transcription, especially our own software called DOTE (a digital transcription environment), which has a bunch of unique features. Lastly, we will present and discuss some of the theoretical and methodological issues to accompany transcription.

Learning objectives:

  • Develop basic skills on how to prepare video data for transcription.
  • Develop a basic understanding of the theory and practice of transcription.
  • Give a solid understanding of digital transcription software tools.

Train how to use the DOTE software to undertake different transcription tasks.

Teaching methods:

  • Online virtual lectures.
  • Online virtual demonstrations and exercises.
  • Hands-on practice with our new transcription software.

Course schedule:

Day 1

10:00-11:00 - Preparing audiovisual data

In the first module of the day, we learn how to prepare audio and video data for transcription.

11:00-12:00 - Basics of transcription

In this module, we learn the basics of common transcription systems.

13:00-14:00 - Visual transcription

In this module, we learn some of the ways to transcribe using visual transcription systems.

14:00-15:00 - Using transcription software

In the last module, we try out some of the software solutions that support transcription.


Day 2

10:00-11:00 - Setting up DOTE

In the first module of the day, we present a practical guide to how to setup DOTE to enhance your transcription practices.

11:00-12:00 - Using DOTE to transcribe

In this module, we practice some of the key technqiues using DOTE to transcribe according to Jeffersonian or Mondadian conventions.

13:00-14:00 - Advanced DOTE

In this module, we present practice tips on using the more advanced features of DOTE.

14:00-15:00 - Theoretical and methodological issues

In the last module, we present and discuss some of the core issues that are inimical to transcription

Key literature:

  • McIlvenny, Paul & Davidsen, Jacob (2017). A Big Video Manifesto: Re-sensing Video and Audio. Nordicom Information 39(2): 15-21. https://www.nordicom.gu.se/sites/default/files/kapitel-pdf/mcilvenny_davidsen.pdf.-
  • McIlvenny, Paul (2020). New Technology and Tools to Enhance Collaborative Video Analysis in Live 'Data Sessions'. QuiViRR: Qualitative Video Research Reports 1: a0001. DOI: 10.5278/ojs.quivirr.v1.2020.a0001.
  • Jefferson, Gail (2004). Glossary of Transcript Symbols with an Introduction. In: Lerner, Gene (ed.), Conversation Analysis. Studies from the First Generation. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 13-31.
  • Bucholtz, Mary (2000). The Politics of Transcription. Journal of Pragmatics 32(10): 1439-1465.
  • Bucholtz, Mary (2007). Variation in Transcription. Discourse Studies 9(6): 784-808. DOI: 10.1177/1461445607082580.
  • Mondada, Lorenza (2007). Commentary: Transcript Variations and the Indexicality of Transcribing Practices. Discourse Studies 9(6): 809-821. DOI: 10.1177/1461445607082581.
  • Bucholtz, Mary (2007). Reply: Variability in Transcribers. Discourse Studies 9(6): 837-842. DOI: 10.1177/1461445607082585.
  • Kitzinger, Celia (1998). Inaccuracies in Quoting from Data Transcripts: Or Inaccuracy in Quotings from Data Transcripts. Discourse & Society 9(1): 136-143.
  • Ayaß, Ruth (2015). Doing Data: The Status of Transcripts in Conversation Analysis. Discourse Studies 7(5): 505-528. DOI: 10.1177/1461445615590717.
  • Hepburn, Alexa & Bolden, Galina B. (2017). Transcribing for Social Research. London: Sage.
  • Mondada, Lorenza (2019). Transcribing Silent Actions: A Multimodal Approach of Sequence Organization Social Interaction: Video-Based Studies of Human Sociality 2(1). DOI: 10.7146/si.v2i1.113150. https://tidsskrift.dk/socialinteraction/article/view/113150.
  • Laurier, Eric (2014). The Graphic Transcript: Poaching Comic Book Grammar for Inscribing the Visual, Spatial and Temporal Aspects of Action. Geography Compass 9(4): 235-248.
  • Murphy, Keith M. (2021). Transcription Aesthetics. Semiotic Review 9. https://www.semioticreview.com/ojs/index.php/sr/article/view/68.
  • O'Connell, Daniel C. & Kowal, Sabine (2000). Are Transcripts Reproducible? Pragmatics 10(2): 247-269.
  • Skedsmo, Kristian (2021). How to Use Comic-Strip Graphics to Represent Signed Conversation. Research on Language and Social Interaction. 10.1080/08351813.2021.1936801.
  • Aarsand, Pål & Sparrman, Anna (2019). Visual Transcriptions as Socio-Technical Assemblages. Visual Communication 20(2): 289-309. DOI: 10.1177/1470357219852134. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1470357219852134.
  • Albert, Saul, Heath, Claude, Skach, Sophie, Harris, Matthew Tobias, Miller, Madeline & Healey, Patrick G. T. (2019). Drawing as Transcription: How Do Graphical Techniques Inform Interaction Analysis? Social Interaction: Video-Based Studies of Human Sociality 2(1). DOI: 10.7146/si.v2i1.113145 https://tidsskrift.dk/socialinteraction/article/view/113145.