The Discipline of Timestamping
Launch library · evergreen read
Marking the time at intervals throughout a transcript, tying the written text back to specific points in the original recording, makes later verification considerably easier, allowing anyone reviewing the material to jump directly to a disputed or important passage rather than searching through the entire recording.
The habit costs a small amount of extra effort during transcription but saves considerably more later, particularly for longer interviews where locating a specific remembered passage without timestamps can otherwise become a genuinely tedious task. Anyone returning to the material later can jump directly to a disputed passage rather than searching the whole recording by ear.
Consistency in the interval chosen, whether every minute or at each new topic, matters more than the specific choice itself, since a predictable system is far more useful than an irregular one applied without a clear pattern. A predictable interval, applied consistently throughout, is worth more than a more elaborate system used unevenly.