Tips and Guidelines

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1. Create a free account here.
2. Once you are all set up you can browse our projects.
3. Be sure to read our transcription tips below for best practices!
4. Did all of the above? You're all set to get started! Pick a project and enjoy.

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General Transcription Tips

1. Use Original Spelling
Transcribe the material word for word.

2. Punctuation
Write what you see on the page. Do not add modern punctuation. If you feel the need to fix a spelling mistake, please indicate with square brackets.

3. Line Breaks
Hit return once after each line ends. Two returns indicate a new paragraph.

4. Indentations
Do not include indentations to the transcription; the application does not allow for this.

5. Hyphenation
Do not use hyphenation; write the complete word on the line. This helps us with keyword searching later.

6. Square Brackets
Are used in many different situations such as number 1, 2, 7, 9, and 10.

7. Illegible Readings
Indicate these illegible words, symbols etc. with square brackets. Ex.) [?]

8. Columns
Materials should be transcribed the way it is read, a mark-up, i.e. [left column], can indicate the position on the page.

9. Doodles, Drawings, or Illustrations
Describe doodles, drawings, and illustrations by containing the description within square brackets.

10. Stamps
Materials that have been adhered to the page should be described as it appears on the material.