What are the most effective ways to transcribe handwritten archival sources?

1 Prepare your materials

Before you start transcribing, you need to prepare your materials and tools. You should have a clear and high-resolution digital image of the source, preferably in color and with good contrast. You should also have a transcription software or platform that allows you to create, edit, and save your transcripts, and that supports the format, language, and style of the source. Some examples of transcription software are Transkribus, T-PEN, Scripto, and FromThePage. You should also have a reference guide or dictionary that helps you identify and interpret the handwriting, spelling, abbreviations, and symbols of the source.

2 Choose your transcription level

Another important decision you need to make is the level of transcription you want to achieve. There are different levels of transcription, ranging from diplomatic to normalized, that reflect the degree of fidelity and intervention in reproducing the source. A diplomatic transcription tries to copy the source as faithfully as possible, preserving all the features and peculiarities of the original text. A normalized transcription, on the other hand, tries to make the source more readable and consistent, by applying modern spelling, punctuation, and grammar rules. Depending on your research purpose and audience, you may choose a different level of transcription, or even combine them in a hybrid approach.

3 Follow your transcription rules

Once you have chosen your transcription level, you must adhere to certain rules and conventions that guarantee accuracy and consistency in your transcripts. These rules may differ depending on the type and period of the source, but some common ones include using square brackets [ ] to indicate missing or illegible words or letters, angle brackets < > for words or letters inserted or corrected by the transcriber, curly brackets { } to indicate crossed out or deleted words or letters in the source, a slash / to denote a line break in the source, double slash // for a paragraph break in the source, tilde ~ to signify an unclear or doubtful word or letter in the source, and a caret ^ to represent a superscript or an insertion above the line in the source.

4 Check your transcription quality

After you have finished transcribing, you need to check your transcription quality and correct any errors or inconsistencies. You can do this by comparing your transcript with the original image, by using a spell-checker or a validator tool, by asking a colleague or a peer to review your transcript, or by using a crowdsourcing or collaborative platform that allows other users to provide feedback and suggestions. You should also document your transcription process and decisions, and provide metadata and annotations that describe and contextualize your source and transcript.

5 Use your transcription data

Finally, you need to use your transcription data for your research analysis and presentation. You can use your transcripts to extract and compare information, to identify and interpret patterns and trends, to create and visualize data sets, to generate and test hypotheses, and to support and illustrate your arguments and findings. You can also share your transcripts with other researchers and the public, by publishing them online, by depositing them in a repository or a database, or by integrating them in a digital edition or a project.