Using [sic] in Brackets to Flag Errors in the Record
Parentheses
Rulebase Summary
Use the word sic in brackets [sic] after an element in the transcript that is blatantly and factually incorrect — such as a wrong date, a wrong place name, or a misspelled word in a document being read into the record.
Do not use [sic] for simple mispronunciations or made-up words; instead, transcribe the correct word or use quotation marks around the unusual word. Do not use [sic] when the error is immediately corrected by another speaker in the proceedings. Use [sic] sparingly — overuse reduces readability. Some reporters use [verbatim] as a softer alternative to flag speaker errors in grammar or word choice.
Examples
A. We filed it on Friday, June 31.
A. We filed it on Friday, June 31 [sic].
June has only 30 days — [sic] flags the factual impossibility.
A. I went to the libary [sic] to pick up the file.
A. I went to the library to pick up the file.
Slight mispronunciation — transcribe the correct word, don't preserve the mispronunciation with [sic].
A. I started at the company in 2017 [sic].
Q. Didn't you testify earlier it was 2018?
A. Right — 2018. My mistake.
A. I started at the company in 2017.
Q. Didn't you testify earlier it was 2018?
A. Right — 2018. My mistake.
Error corrected immediately on the record by the next speaker — [sic] is redundant; the correction already speaks for itself.
Transcript Notes
As the editor of the transcript, [sic] shows that an error belongs to the speaker, not to you. Use brackets, not parentheses — parentheses are reserved for reporter notations about proceedings (going off the record, marking exhibits, etc.). Use [sic] sparingly and only when no other remedy is available; a transcript full of [sic] notations reads poorly.
Style Guide References (3)
BGGP
BGGP
BGGP