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Editorial Comments

General Guidelines

Editorial comments clarify when external factors interfere with speech or when additional context is necessary to understand the discussion. Their primary purpose is to reduce the use of "[unintelligible 00:00]" by offering more specific descriptions of audio issues and indicating any emotion expressed by the speakers.

  • Use editorial comments only when required to clarify the transcript.
  • If an audio issue prevents understanding but cannot be described specifically, use: [unintelligible hh:mm:ss]
  • Format all editorial comments in italicized brackets: [Laughter].
  • Follow standard capitalization and punctuation rules.

Examples:

Interviewer: [Laughter] Very funny.

Interviewee: It was very funny, [laughter] but he didn’t think so.

Editorial comments should be inserted in-line where they occur unless they apply to all speakers (see Break in Line section).

Time Stamping Editorial Comments

Apply timestamps only when:

  • The comment interferes with speech. E.g: [Crosstalk 01:30] [Background noise 23:45][Laughter 39:56]
  • The sound/pause/extraneous conversation lasts more than five seconds.

Formatting:

  • Under five seconds: Add a timestamp at the end.

    • [Laughter 00:00]

  • Over five seconds: Add timestamps at the beginning and end.

    • [Laughter 00:00 - 00:00]

Important: Avoid placing punctuation (e.g., periods, commas, question marks) in italics directly after an editorial comment.

Break in Line

When an editorial comment (e.g., a pause, interjection, or other interruption) causes a line break, re-insert the speaker label on the next line to maintain clarity about who is speaking.

Example:

Interviewee: Yes. I like to go to school and learn—

[Pause 00:10 - 00:20]

Interviewee: -new things.

If more than one speaker is laughing, crying, talking over each other, etc., insert a comment breaking the line, flush with the margin as such:

Interviewer: That’s very funny.

[Laughter]

Interviewee: Yes, it is very funny.

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Always break the line when indicating an extraneous conversation takes place in the interview.

Example:

Interviewer: Yeah, so I appreciate your time.

[Extraneous conversation 01:45:00 - 01:45:30]

Interviewer: It was really lovely to meet you, and I really hope I see you again.

Interviewee: Me too. It’s been my pleasure. Bye.

Indicating Speaker Emotions

Use editorial comments to reflect emotions that are clearly audible and affect the conversation. These should be inserted in-line where they occur.

Examples:

Interviewer: What happened next?

Interviewee: It was really difficult [sighs] but I managed to continue.

Interviewer: That must have been exciting.

Interviewee: Yes! I couldn’t believe it! [excited] I won first place!

Interviewer: Do you remember his reaction?

Interviewee: Oh, absolutely. [laughs] He was speechless!

Interviewer: Did you feel relieved?

Interviewee: [Crying 12:45] Yes, after all that effort, it finally paid off.

Common Editorial Comments

Comment
Description
Laughter, Crying, Coughing, Whispering, Sneezing, Phone Ringing, etc.
Describes sounds that add context to a conversation. *Prefer laughter over laughing.
Unintelligible
Use when speech is inaudible or unclear after three listens. Example: Interviewer: [Unintelligible 07:31] and it would begin in August.
Pause
Any break in speech over five seconds. Place on a separate line and timestamp both start and end. Example: [Pause 05:21 - 05:34]
Crosstalk
Used when multiple participants speak simultaneously, making it difficult to discern words. Example: Interviewer: Do you [crosstalk 02:25] the library?
Faint Audio
Indicates when a speaker’s voice trails off. Example: Interviewee: I’ve been part of this group [faint audio 10:02 - 10:10].
Extraneous Conversation
Non-relevant speech (e.g., someone entering the room) can be omitted. Always timestamp both start and end and break line. Example: [Extraneous conversation 15:39 - 18:00]
Audio Cuts Out, Distorted Audio, Static
Describes poor audio quality preventing comprehension.
Background Noise
Describes identifiable noises in the background.
Extraneous Noise
Describes an unidentifiable sound.
Foreign Language
Always timestamp when a foreign language is spoken. Do not identify the language. Example: [Foreign language 04:40 - 05:10]
Note: Never attempt to phonetically spell or guess foreign words. Some clients may require translation, and translators rely on the [Foreign language 00:00] tag.

Editorial Comments for Multiple Speakers

When applying editorial comments in multi-speaker conversations, ensure clarity by:

  • Placing the comment directly after the relevant speaker’s words.
  • Using separate lines for comments that apply to all speakers (e.g., extended crosstalk, long pauses).

If more than one speaker is laughing, crying, talking over each other, etc., insert a comment breaking the line and flush to the left.

Example:

Interviewer:          That’s very funny.

[Laughter]

Interviewee:          Yes, it is very funny.