Assured Transcription provides an accurate, cost-effective, confidential transcription service to businesses, sprofessionals and academic clients. All transcripts are processed by professional UK-based transcribers.
Upload your recording to our secure online file transfer facility and we will return your transcript in accordance with your instructions. You can relax knowing you will receive your transcript in a timely manner and transcribed to a professional standard with no fuss and no hassles.
All enquiries are assured of a courteous and helpful response, so please do telephone or email to find out more.
There are many tools and applications available to record your telephone and video conference calls. Please click here to find out more or contact us by email or telephone.
Transcription Services
Building surveys and reports
Qualitative research interviews
Roundtables and focus groups
Video conferences
Business and personal transcription
Copy Typing
Send us your manuscript and we will type it following a format of your choice, returning the finished document either by email or post, as required.
Other Recordings
In addition to digital files sent online, we are able to transcribe from cassettes, CD, DVD or mini disc.
Subject to copyright permission we can access and transcribe recordings posted online, including You Tube videos.
Assured Transcription is a home-based audio typing and transcription service, established by Mary Anne Evans in January 2008.
Mary Anne has been an audio typist for over 30 years and has been offering freelance typing and transcription services since 2003.
With the advent of digital recording devices and the launch of Assured Transcription's website the service offered is now faster, smoother and more convenient than ever.
All transcripts are delivered by professional UK-based transcribers and finished with the attention to detail that means you can be sure your documents will be returned on time and to a high standard. 100% customer satisfaction is our aim and you will always receive a courteous and helpful reply to any enquiry you make.
Quality
All transcribers are native English speakers based in the UK.
All transcripts are proofread to ensure consistency and high quality.
Confidentiality
All material transcribed by Assured Transcription is treated as highly confidential.
We can provide a written statement of confidentiality, or are happy to sign a client's non disclosure or confidentiality agreement.
File encryption is available on request.
Experience
We have a wealth of experience in transcribing building surveys and reports, qualitative research interviews, telephone interviews, video conferences, financial roundtables, podcasts, TV scripts and more.
Rates for transcription and typing
The rates outlined below are for guidance. These rates may vary to take account of factors such as strong accents, poor audio quality or excessive background noise which will materially affect the time taken to produce an acceptable transcript. In the event of variation of rates, this would be discussed with the client prior to proceeding with the transcript. There is no VAT applicable to the rates shown.
Rates are per minute of recording.
Audio transcription of plain dictation 1.10
1:1 interviews - intelligent verbatim (see note below) 1.30
1:1 interviews - verbatim (see note below) 1.40
Focus groups/multi-speaker recordings - intelligent verbatim from 1.50
Focus groups/multi-speaker recordings - verbatim from 1.65
These prices are for guidance only. Please do call or email us for a quotation
NOTE: Verbatim transcripts will include very utterence, whereas intelligent verbatim will omit any ums, uhs, stammering, false starts and repetitions to make the transcript easier to read. Full verbatim is often used by academic researchers to analyse the speech, this takes longer to transcribe and therefore is charged at a higher rate; for general transcription this level of detail may be unnecessary or undesirable. Please see the example below if you are unsure which level of transcript you require.
Full verbatim:
Interviewer: Okay, well, let's start. Can I ask what your, um, position is within the organisation?
Respondent: Well, um, I'm, uh, I'm the Head of, um, Head of Sales for the, um, for the region.
Intelligent verbatim: Okay, let's start. Can I ask what your position is within the organisation?
Respondent: I'm the Head of Sales for the region.
Video Conference Software
There are very many applications available to record your audio and video conference calls, many of which are very simple to use.
We have tried out a few of these in order to assist clients to gain high quality recordings of interviews conducted via digital applications.
Those listed below are those which we have run a short trial in and found to be simple to use and easy to record. We will be adding to this list as we are able to check out more applications.
Clients are reminded to check with their own information governance departments whether these applications meet their organisation's security requirements.
Cisco Webex
e found this software easy to set up and it promises high grade encryption. There are free and paid plans depending on your requirements.
This is a very easy to use and attractive application. There has been some discussion in the press as to its security, so users should check whether it meets their compliance requirements.
Although we have not had a chance to test this software yet, we do use several of their software applications which have always proved reliable. This would have the advantage of recording just the output from your computer speakers, so would be as secure as your PC system.
Microsoft Teams
This is included as part of the Microsoft 365 package. Reasonably easy to use, and i believe it is secure.
Skype
Skype claims end to end encryption and is easily available.
Whichever software you chose, please remember these basic guidelines when recording your audio and video conference calls:
- Keep background noise to an absolute minimum - microphones can be very sensitive and pick up a great deal of surrounding noise - be conscious of rustling paper, pens scratching, cups clinking, etc.
- Keep other electrical equipment well away from your recording device. Mobile phones in particular will cause electrical interference.
- Remind speakers to take turns and not speak over each other.
- Wherever possible connect by USB or Ethernet to your router to avoid the possibility of signal losses and disconnections.
Get the best recorded interviews and focus groups
If you are recording interviews or focus groups for research purposes you will want to get the most accurate transcripts possible. Here are some tips to help ensure your recording is as clear as possible, which in turn will allow for a higher quality, accurate transcript:
Choose a quiet location - consider what background noise could be picked up, for instance from an open window. Microphones on today's devices are very sensitive.
If available use a good quality stereo microphone; place the microphone at a central point between participants.
Mobile phones should be removed from the vicinity of the recording device - even if they do not ring electronic noise will be picked up and obscure speech.
Remind speakers to speak clearly and audibly at all times.
Where appropriate set guidelines for the participants before starting to record. Request that speakers refrain from speaking over each other, and ask them not to rattle cups and saucers, rustle papers, tap the table, etc.
If you think the line may have distorted a response it can be helpful, where appropriate, to repeat the response back to the participant. Try to avoid speaking over each other, though when using online video conferences this can be difficult due to delays on the line. In online focus groups the facilitator or moderator can invite the participants to speak or use the "hand up” function on the conferencing software.
If appropriate ask each speaker to introduce themselves before they first speak. If there is a larger number of speakers, again if appropriate, each speaker should give their name before they speak each time.
Tips when dictating
The better the quality of your recording the more accurate your transcript will be. The following tips are given purely for guidance. The time taken to transcribe recordings will vary depending on the content.
Get to know your recording equipment, how it works and how to maintain it. Ensure you are aware of where all the buttons are located. If you are unsure, refer to your user manual. Try to remember to have your dictation equipment serviced at least annually; this will ensure that your equipment stays in good condition and that recording quality remains high.
Before you start your dictation, organise yourself. Assemble all the information you may need before you start dictating, this ensures that you have everything to hand and helps maintain your concentration.
When dictating, if you need to find a file or a piece of information, Stop the dictating machine. Once you have started your recorder, pause for a moment before dictating, and when you have finished speaking, allow the recording to continue for a second, this will help to ensure that none of your dictation has been clipped off.
Try to speak clearly and at a regular pace, spelling any difficult and unusual words, or names with various different spellings.
When dictating a letter state the recipient’s full name and mailing address as clearly as possible, and spell any unusual street and town names. Also spell ambiguous words.
Make sure you are in a quiet area so your dictation can be heard clearly by the typist, background noise can be distracting and can also distort or obscure words when recording, increasing the risk of errors. A quiet area will also help you maintain your concentration during dictation. Noises that cause particular problems are shuffling papers, rattling of coffee cups, tapping on the table where the recorder is mounted, wind noise if air passes across the microphone. Interference from mobile phones is a particular problem and will arise when a mobile phone is situated near a recording device, whether the phone rings or not. If recording multiple speakers try to avoid speaking over one another.
Speak with your mouth at the recommended distance from your particular brand of dictation equipment for optimum sound levels. (Refer to the user manual.) If you are too close, your dictation can be distorted, and if you are too far, he dictation is too quiet; if you vary between the two, this can deafen the typist and is very uncomfortable.
Try to be aware of punctuation, say the words ‘comma’, ‘full stop’, ‘new paragraph’, ‘question mark’, etc. This will ensure that your document is easy to read and minimises editing.
Try to breathe between sentences; you may pride yourself on being able to fit 10 minutes of dictation into two minutes of tape but if your speech is rushed the recording will take much longer to type and the error rate will be higher.
When you have finished dictating, please let us know. You could say ‘end of dictation’, this way we will know that your document is complete.
What our clients say:
Mary Anne Evans has transcibed over 100 interviews for me in the past two years. I have found her to be both reliable and efficient - she has always been realistic about turn-around times and has always delivered transcipts at the time agreed. Her transcipts are clear and well laid out, and I have been particularly impressed with her ability to produce excellent transcipts from audio recordings with a great deal of background noise or where the speakers had very strong accents that were challenging to understand.
Health Services Researcher, Department of Public Health, University of Oxford
I have used Assured Transcription's service for several years and find this to be efficient, professional and reliable. It's easy to upload audio files to be transcribed and deadlines are always met. The service is also very reasonable. Quite frankly, we couldn't do without Mary Anne!.
Practice Manager, Jenner Jones, Surveyors
I am pleased to say that your service has been outstanding on all occasions. I will not hesitate to contact you the next time the need arises.
High Tech Translations
You were recommended by a colleague and I'll definitely recommend to you others. You were realistic about when you could do the transcriptions and then did the work reliably and accurately, which was particularly impressive when some of the interviews had poor sound quality and some of the interviewees had very challenging accents.
Researcher, University of Oxford (October 2014)
I think the logistics of working with you have functioned extremely well. Making an enquiry, getting a response, and sending the files has all flowed very smoothly. I have no complaints about accuracy or the time taken to transcribe the tapes. Delivery of the transcripts has been prompt. In general I think the service has been excellent.
Eurofish International Organisation
I used Assured Transcription in 2012 to support my MA in Managing Medical Careers and the examiners felt that the quotes used in my dissertation really brought the research alive. I was able to discuss and agree my requirements for transcription and set timescales for delivery of completed work. The standards of service were high and I was completely satisfied with both the quality and speed of transcription. Many thanks for all your help
Dr Melanie Jones, Associate Dean - Careers and LTFT, Wales Deanery
I am most grateful to you for the transcription services you have provided throughout the past year. Whenever I have had the need, invariably at very short notice and whether the transcription required was verbatim or not, irrespective of length and special formatting requirements (such as time indexing) you have always managed to provide a comprehensive result within my given deadline. I could not ask for a better service and your prices have been consistent and reasonable too.
Paul Hunter, Connect Computer Solutions
The service I received was excellent - quick, accurate and everything I could have wanted. I believe it represented excellent value for money.
Dr Christopher Warwick
We have been very happy with the service supplied by Assured Transcription over 2012 in terms of quality, service and meeting deadlines. We hope to work with Assured in 2013.
Knockhundred Translations Ltd
My comments on your service are:
Initial contact by telephone - I was easily able to explain my needs and the purpose of my study, also clear identification of timescales and costs
Excellent suggestions from this service on what they could do to improve my transcript to make it fit for purpose - this really helped when I came to do the thematic analysis.
Mary Anne provided quick responses to my emails.
Voice file submitted to drop box without difficulty and receipt of same acknowledged same day.
Transcript arrived on the exact date promised and to my specifications.
Overall - I was very pleased with the service offered and will be using it again in 2012.
Associate Dean, Wales Deanery, Cardiff
I am pleased to go on record as saying that I am very pleased with the service I always get from Assured Transcription, and am happy to highly recommend them.
Peter Littlewood, Southern Landlords' Association
I cannot fault the service you provide. It is a very good service.
Chris Bell, Base Building Consultancy Ltd
We're very happy with the service thank you - very friendly, helpful and efficient. Always endeavouring to work towards our requirements and a good quality of work is returned in good time.
Firm of employment of lawyers, Tunbridge Wells
I have spoken to the researchers who were involved in the interviews that you transcribed for us and they were all very pleased with your work. They mentioned that your accuracy was excellent and that they were very pleased that you had put so much effort into making sure that all of speech was transcribed, even the difficult parts. They were also very pleased at the promptness of your response to our request for work and that your work was completed well within the deadline given; that is always very much appreciated in their field of work.
I would also like to say that your drop box system for arranging work works very smoothly and your flexible and positive attitude is very much appreciated. It has been a pleasure working with you and I would not hesitate to contact you in future for any other transcription services that we need and I would be very happy to recommend you to any colleagues here at the University.
Research Secretary, University of Stirling
Assured Transcription was able to turn around my large projects very quickly and while retaining remarkable quality. I was incredibly grateful for the friendly, professional, and affordable service that I received from Assured Transcription. I would recommend their services to anyone.
Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Kent
I am very happy with the service you provided in 2010. I was very much impressed with the speed that my transcriptions were delivered, the communication but most of all the flexibility from your side.
I have no negative remarks or experiences.
Learning Advisor Contracting & Procurement, Shell
Assured Transcription’s dependability and accuracy have saved us many hours of work. We trust Assured Transcription and remain faithful customers.
Executive Editor, International Council for Exploration of the Seas
Thank you so much for providing a prompt and accurate audio typing service for me on the Poundbury Series at the Princes Foundation. I appreciated your unfussy approach that enabled me to get the scripts when I needed them.
I am happy to recommend your service and I will let my colleagues at the foundation know about the service you provide in case they have similar requirements.
Noel Isherwood, Poundbury Representative, The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment
Over the years I have worked with numerous transcribers. Mary Anne is the fastest and most importantly most accurate professional I have had the pleasure to meet. Not only correct spelling but layout and formatting too. With her amazing swift turnaround our reports are now flying out the office. She has really made a difference. To top it off her fees are very reasonable!
Chris Tomlin, Croft SE Structural Engineers (2010)
It has been a pleasure working with you throughout the year. You have always provided an efficient, friendly and helpful service. The speed and accuracy of your transcriptions, however poor the original recording supplied, continues to impress and we look forward to working with you in the future.
Katie Drapes, Interim Accredited Programme Manager, Kent, Surrey and Sussex Deanery
Mary Anne offers a quick and highly efficient transcription service. Turnaround times are crucial for our organisation and Mary Anne has never failed to deliver, meeting and exceeding expectations each and every time. The transcriptions are always high quality and I would have no hesitation in recommending Mary Anne’s services.
Anita Douglas, HR Director, Peter Vardy Ltd, Chain of New and Used Car Dealerships, Scotland
"We have never been less than delighted with Mary Anne's work. She is fast and reliable and very accommodating to demanding requirements, allowing us to offer a great additional service to our customers. I would recommend her work to anyone and I will certainly be using her for all my typing needs in the future."
Ruth Bennett, Student Proofreading Ltd
"The work we received was of a high standard, with great customer service throughout our time working together. I would 100% recommend Assured Transcription and would always use them again."
Isabel’s Typing Service
I am very pleased with the service received.
Philip Swift, CMA Loss Adjusters
You're the best supplier we've ever had, that goes for reliability, efficiency and accuracy. You can quote me on that.
Russell Jones, Instant Ideas Ltd
"Assured Transcription provided both value for money and excellent professional support. My commissions were delivered on time and to budget and the quality is faultless - who could ask for more? I would have no hesitation in recommending this service."
Head of Flexible Learning, Holborn College (Holborn College is one of the UK's leading independent Law and Business colleges)
A large part of the work produced by Mary Anne has been transcription, via broadband/email externally. This has proved very successful to the business with a very rapid response from Mary Anne, with documents completed quickly and to a high standard.
Her knowledge of word processing is extensive, her service professional, reliable as well as flexible and she is a very valued member of our staff.
Barbara Simmons, Robin Simmons Associates, Chartered Building Surveyors
Thanks very much for the last batch of transcripts... Can I also say a huge thanks to you and your team – it was a big task and from my perspective, it has gone very smoothly with good quality transcription at a price that was within my budget. I really appreciate the hard work that has been put in. I should also say that we have bid for some more work today and if successful will be looking for transcription services again towards the middle of the year. AT will be my first port of call.
Researcher, Oxford University
Confidentiality
As the majority of our transcription is instructed online, Assured Transcription uses a file transfer facility with end to end encryption. This facility allows clients to upload recordings and receive files securely. When you upload a file for us to transcribe, you will receive a notification to confirm successful upload, and we will receive a notification that you have uploaded a file.
All files are treated as highly confidential. Assured Transcription is happy to sign a non-disclosure or confidentiality document, and requires all its transcribers to sign and comply with the same. Where files are of a sensitive nature these can be individually encrypted if required.
Assured Transcription collects the personal data of clients for the sole purpose of providing transcription services:
Receipt of audio files and instructions
Return of completed transcripts
Invoicing and feedback
Providing information on changes to services
We will not send you marketing or promotional emails or share your personal details with any third party.
Assured Transcription holds data provided by transcribers for the sole purpose of providing transcription work, communicating about the transcription work and remuneration for this work, and are treated with the strictest confidence.
If you have any queries or require further information please email mae@assuredtranscription.co.uk or telephone Mary Anne on 01732 810502.
Terms and Conditions
An invoice will be issued on completion of each assignment unless agreed otherwise, the invoice will state when the payment is due. For new clients payment will be required before the work is released, for regular clients a short period of credit may be offered. Payment can be made by cheque payable to Assured Transcription, by BACS or alternatively by credit or debit card via Paypal (service charge applies when paying by Paypal). If for any reason the bank returns an uncleared cheque the client will be responsible for all related charges plus an administration fee of £10. Overdue invoices will be subject to interest charged in accordance with late payment legislation.
In the event of a client cancelling an assignment after work has started, the client will be charged for any work completed up to that time.
Although Assured Transcription proof reads all work, the client is responsible for final proofreading. Any errors or omissions brought to our attention within 48 hours of receipt will be amended free of charge. Any other additions or amendments made by the client may be charged.
If full instructions are not given or changes made clear to Assured Transcription no responsibility can be taken for such discrepancies whatsoever if these are not made clear prior to or during work on the project.
Assured Transcription cannot be held liable for damage to any media supplied by the customer either in our possession or in transit.
Copies of clients’ files will be kept for a maximum period of three months, it is therefore suggested that the client makes a back-up copy of any documents they may require. If the client requires, files will be permanently deleted at a specified time.
Any work returned by post will be via Royal Mail signed for delivery with costs invoiced to the client. Clients are advised to use a similar method of postage for any documents sent to Assured Transcription.
All incoming emails or other media will be scanned for viruses. Assured Transcription will not open unsolicited attachments or attachments which do not have an explanatory message. We endeavour to scan all emails and attachments sent to customers for viruses etc. however it is the responsibility of recipients to check text, graphics and attachments before opening the file as no responsibility or liability will be accepted by us.
Assured Transcription is not responsible for the end use of any document produced or edited by us, nor are we responsible for the content of any document supplied. Clients are solely responsible for abiding by copyright laws. We reserve the right to reject any work which contains material we consider to be illegal, immoral or offensive.
Contact Assured Transcription:
Tel :01732 810502
Mobile: 07791 625921
email@ mae@assuredtranscription.co.uk
Feedback:
We always welcome feedback on our service and would be happy to receive this using the form below, or you can contact us by telephone or email.
In the unlikely event that you are not completely happy, please rest assured that we will do everything we can to rectify any problem that may have arisen and prevent any future recurrence.