An Efficient Method for Transcribing Genealogical Records

I did not always believe in transcribing the records that I found for my ancestors and their descendants. Obviously, it is a ton of work to transcribe the original records. But now I consider it a necessary part of research.  

An example of a transcription that I completed of my 4th great-grandfathers application for 160 acres under the Armed Occupation Act of 1842.

The most important reason is that it forces the researcher to read and process each word of a document in correlation with all the information contained on the page. Transcribing the items that I find forces me to analyze every detail out of a record. There have been many times that I missed small facts (even after reading the document 2 or 3 times!) that ended up being big points when correlated with other evidence.

Secondarily, it creates a searchable document for the researcher (and anyone collaborating on the research) to use in conjunction with all the other records.  

Finally, since I’m going to be attaching the transcription to a digital version of the original record, it encourages me to add any items of importance that should be considered when reviewing and interpreting the record as well as any facts that can be concluded about the ancestor referenced in the record.

An example of an “Of Note” section that I often include after the transcription of a document. I try to include items that help explain exactly what facts we can attempt to glean from the record and why those items are relevant.

However, transcribing a record can be an extremely daunting task. It is not a quick process. I wanted to share the most efficient way that I have found to transcribe genealogical records.

Step 1: On a computer or tablet, open the record to be transcribed and zoom in as much as needed to be able to read the document easily.

Step 2: On your phone, create a new email that you address to yourself.  

Step 3: Once in the body of the email, click the dictation button.

Step 4: Holding the phone close to your mouth, begin reading the record out loud. Speak at a measured pace and enunciate as clearly as possible. 

Once complete, click the dictation button again to end the recording. There is no need to check that the dictation was accurate at this point.

Step 5: Hit “Send” so that the email arrives in your inbox.

Step 6: Open GenScriber.exe (download for free to your computer or Mac if you do not already have this program from https://genscriber.com/download/)

Step 7: Browse to find the image or pdf of the record that you are transcribing.

Step 8: Zoom in or out as much as needed so that the record fits within the width of the viewing pane. You will scroll down as needed to view the whole document as you check the transcription. Play with the contrast and clarity as needed. You can even add a red box so that you know which line you are currently working on. Play around with it and do what works best for you.

Step 9: Copy the dictated text from the email that you just sent to yourself and paste it into the Textpad of the GenScriber platform.  

Step 10: Read through and compare the dictated transcription to the original document. Make corrections as needed.

Step 11: Copy the finalized text from the notepad of the GenScriber platform and paste it wherever you will be saving the final transcription. Done!

I recently received a forty-nine-page Bounty Land Application housed at the National Archives. I’m averaging about 15 minutes per page using this transcription technique. That means that it will take over 12 hours to transcribe the whole record! But it would take even longer if I were physically typing each word and then reviewing my transcription for accuracy. I have made it a goal to complete one page a day. So, in less than 2 months, the whole document will be transcribed completely. 

Better than never!