Transcribe Spoken Words as Words, Not Abbreviations or Symbols
Abbreviations
Rulebase Summary
In general, do not reduce a spoken word to an abbreviation or a symbol in a transcript (except for titles). When a word is said, transcribe it as a word.
The only symbols used in reporting are the dollar sign ($) before a figure and the at sign (@) for email addresses. If a shortened form of a word is said and is recognizable, transcribe it as said without a period. This applies to company incorporation terms — transcribe 'Incorporated' or 'Inc.' as spoken. Use the full name of a state, not the two-letter postal abbreviation. Write out the word 'okay' in full.
Examples
A. It was 30 ft. across and weighed 2,000 lbs.
A. It was 30 feet across and weighed 2,000 pounds.
Transcribe spoken words as words, not abbreviations.
A. She grew up in Bloomington, IN.
A. She grew up in Bloomington, Indiana.
Use the full state name, not the two-letter abbreviation.
Transcript Notes
The verbatim principle applies here — if someone says the shortened form, transcribe it as said. If they say the full word, transcribe the full word. Use the full state name in transcripts; if someone says a state abbreviation as an abbreviation, transcribe it as spoken. Symbols like #, %, ft., oz., and Ave. are not used in reporting transcripts.
All abbreviations in the transcript should reflect the manner in which they were spoken. If the word 'television' appears in the stenographic notes, it is wrong to use the abbreviation 'TV.' If 'incorporated' is spoken, it is wrong to use 'Inc.' Internet addresses are an exception — they appear in the transcript in cyberspace format with words like 'dot' and 'at' rather than symbols.
Consult specialized directories of organizations and dictionaries for the preferred form of abbreviations. The trend is to use all caps and drop periods (ASAP, CEO, GNP, NAACP, NCRA), but some lowercase abbreviations are more clearly read with the periods (a.k.a., c.o.d., d.b.a., m.p.g., r.p.m.).
Style Guide References (7)
BGGP
BGGP
BGGP
BGGP
Morson's
Morson's
Morson's