Transcript Guidance
This document establishes the standardised protocol for the plaintext migration of Scole Experiment transcripts. It defines the strict rules for structural formatting, timestamping, speaker identification, and cross-referencing required to ensure that all text-based session data remains machine-readable, chronologically accurate, and consistent across the archive.
Archive file
Scole-01-ADM-03-TRX-Transcript-Guidance.txt [Drive]
Document content
Below is the plaintext HTML extraction of the Archive file.
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FILE ID: Scole-01-ADM-03-TRX-Transcript-Guidance.txt
LOCATION: 01-ADM-Administrative/ADM-01-SANS-Documentation/
ARCHIVE-ID: Scole-01-ADM-GUI-12
PURPOSE: Standardised protocol for Plaintext migration of Scole Transcripts.
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ARCHIVE-ID: Scole-01-ADM-GUI-12
LOCATION: 01-ADM-Administrative/ADM-01-SANS-Documentation/
SUBJECT: Series 03-TRX Transcript Standards
DATE: 08/04/2026
TAGS: #Transcripts #TRX #Archiving #SANS
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1. ATTENDANCE vs. SPEAKER KEY
- ATTENDANCE: List everyone physically/spiritually present, regardless
of whether they spoke.
- SPEAKER KEY: List ONLY the individuals who actually speak or produce
audible sound in the specific transcript file.
2. HEADER, ATTENDANCE & SPEAKER KEY ORDER
To ensure consistency, both the Attendance and Speaker Key must follow this
priority order, with individuals sorted alphabetically within each group:
1. GROUP PARTICIPANTS (Alphabetical by Surname)
2. GUEST PARTICIPANTS (Alphabetical by Surname)
3. COMMUNICATORS (Alphabetical by Name)
3. SPEAKER KEY SYNTAX
[ID] [SPACE] [COLON] [SPACE] [Full Name] (Role)
Example: RF : Foy, Robin (Group Participant)
Note: Do not put a colon after the ID itself in the Key section.
4. TRANSCRIPT BODY FORMAT
To ensure the file is "Spreadsheet Ready," use the following structure:
[TIMESTAMP] [TAB] [SPEAKER]: [TAB] [DIALOGUE/EVENT]
- TIMESTAMP RULE: Use the [HH:MM:SS] format (e.g., [00:15:30]) to ensure
vertical column alignment regardless of session length.
- SPEAKER COLON RULE: Every speaker in the Transcript Body MUST be followed
by a colon (e.g., RF:).
- [SPEAKER] COLUMN RULE: Even if a communicator has two names, only the
name they are known by (EMILY) is displayed in this column.
- If no timestamp is available, use the placeholder [--:--:--].
5. BRACKETING RULES
- [square brackets]: Environmental events, technical tape notes, or
inaudible markers. Always lowercase.
- NOTE: Do not use the prefix '[event]:'. The brackets alone signify
an event. Example: [--:--:--] [crosstalk].
- EXCEPTION: Environmental events in [square brackets] do NOT use a colon.
- (round brackets): Speaker mannerisms or emotional states.
Always lowercase: (laughing), (excited).
- [page ##]: Insert physical page numbers as technical events.
6. FILE NAMING & FRAGMENTATION
Files exceeding 60 minutes should be split.
Format: Scole-03-TRX-[YYYY-MM-DD]-[SESSION]-[T#S#].txt
Note: The segment identifier (e.g., T1S1) must not contain internal hyphens.
7. SESSION NOTES & DIALOGUE SUMMARY
Located after the Metadata/Attendance and before the Transcript.
- TECHNICAL: Technical details about the recording (hiss, tape issues).
- COMMUNICATORS: Notations on voices, accents, or specific identities.
- DIALOGUE SUMMARY: A high-level, thematic overview of topics.
8. RESEARCHER CONTRIBUTIONS
Located after the Transcript body to provide analytical context.
- ANALYSIS: Preliminary interpretation of the material and expert insights.
- COMMENTARY: Relevant contextual commentary and observations.
9. ARCHIVAL NOTES, CROSS-REFERENCES & REVISION HISTORY
- ARCHIVAL NOTES: Standard declaration: "This transcript has been compiled
from the audio recording(s) of the relevant session." followed by
specific segment notes.
- CROSS-REFERENCES: Links to corresponding Audio, Diary, and Session Log IDs.
- REVISION HISTORY: Log of all file versions and standardisation updates.
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REVISION HISTORY:
v1.9 - 17/10/2026 - Updated structural dividers to 5-character and 3-character SANS responsive standard.
v1.8 - 08/04/2026 - Removed all citation markers per archival rules.
v1.7 - 08/04/2026 - Added Researcher Contributions section and updated Communicators nomenclature.
v1.6 - 20/03/2026 - Refined Speaker Key rule: Only active speakers are listed in the Key; all attendees remain in the Attendance Log.
v1.5 - 20/03/2026 - Unified sorting rules and fixed Speaker Key syntax.
v1.4 - 20/03/2026 - Standardised the use of colons after Speaker IDs.
v1.3 - 20/03/2026 - Standardised timestamp to [HH:MM:SS] format.
v1.2 - 20/03/2026 - Standardised segment identifier to [T#S#] (no hyphen).
v1.1 - 20/03/2026 - Standardised "Clean Event" and "Single Name Speaker".
v1.0 - 15/03/2026 - Initial Standard for Plaintext Transcript Migration.
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