What Is a Bookmark?

A bookmark is a special set of characters that indicates when sections of a transcription are of questionable accuracy. Using a bookmark macro creates a time marker in a job that can later be clicked on (in your F2 tab in Formalizer) in order to quickly return to a questionable section if you think you will be able to clear it up.

How to Use a Bookmark

Every bookmark has a macro assigned to it:

<Garbled> = "garb"
<?> = "qm"
<sp?> = "nso"
<Lost Signal> = "lsi"
<Background Noise> = "bni"

Creating a bookmark is just like utilizing a regular macro: type it out and hit the spacebar to expand it.

Note: Treat the bookmark like a word. There should be a space before/after it, except where punctuation should be in direct contact with the bookmark before/after it.

Note: Since bookmarks are macros, you have to make sure to hit the spacebar after entering the bookmark. If you put punctuation directly following the bookmark macro without hitting the spacebar first, the macro will not expand and the bookmark will not be placed correctly.

Note: Do not make your own macros for any of the bookmarks. Though a new macro may look the same as a bookmark macro, it will not function the same way.

Purpose of Bookmarks

Bookmarks serve three main purposes:

All bookmarks appear in the final e-mail version of the transcriptions that we send out. This allows the recipients to pinpoint the questionable areas in the transcriptions, so they can make their own assumptions or adjustments about what may or may not be inaccurate text.
Bookmarks help you, the transcriptionist, evaluate the accuracy of your own work and determine whether or not the job you're on needs to be sent to QA for further review. For more information on what role bookmarks play in the reasons to send a job to QA, refer to the Reasons to Send to QA section of the Reasons for FDS/FQA document. Bookmarks also allow you to quickly review tricky sections of text at the end of the job if context has helped you better understand something the customer said earlier in the dictation because they allow you to jump to a specific section of the text/audio with a single click.
Bookmarks are also there to help the QA evaluate the transcriptionist's performance and decision-making.

Bookmarks are used when you're unsure of what to scribe and you feel your guess is wrong/could be wrong, or if you have multiple guesses which would change the meaning of the sentence in a significant manner depending on which guess you choose.

If your guess could still make sense given the context, put what you think you hear and place the <?> directly after it.
If you do not have a guess or your guess does not make sense given the context, and the reason the audio is unclear is due to the speaker quality, do not guess and put the <Garbled> in place of what you think you heard.
If you do not have a guess or your guess does not make sense given the context, and the reason the audio is unclear is due to the phone line quality, do not guess and put the <Lost Signal> in place of what you think you heard.
If you do not have a guess or your guess does not make sense given the context, and the reason the audio is unclear is due to background noise, do not guess and put the <Background Noise> in place of what you think you heard.
If the customer provides a spelling in which the letters are unclear, take your best guess at the letters and put the <sp?> directly after it.

There are a few other scenarios where bookmark use will be appropriate, and this document will continue to further explain how and why to use bookmarks.

If a customer ever asks for no bookmarks in the job, simply ignore this request and transcribe the job as normal, including any necessary bookmarks. This would not be a reason to send the job to QA, nor a reason to mark the job with any error codes.

Proper Bookmark Use

In an ideal situation, customers always speak clearly, phone lines are static-free, and we always know what the customer is saying. Since this is not the case, it's important that we use bookmarks and use them properly. However, the average job that isn't poor audio (absent of static) should have minimal to no bookmarks for experienced Employees.

Proper use of bookmarks is extremely important. Adding unnecessary bookmarks makes the reader doubt the accuracy of the transcription, whereas not adding bookmarks where they are necessary gives a false representation to the quality of the transcription.

For Experienced Employees:

When you hear a difficult section of dictation, you should give your best effort to try and get it right on the first or second listen.

After one to two listens, if you are unable to accurately transcribe the section of text in question, bookmark it according to the guidelines for that particular bookmark, listed below.

Once you finish the job, prior to sending the job out, you can return to the section in question for a final re-listen. Often times, context clues will add to your understanding of the audio and allow you to clear up a bookmark after having completed the job. If you click on the bookmark on the F2 screen in Formalizer, the cursor and the audio will jump to the area in question.

Always put forth your best effort towards transcribing the section in question, but do not spend more than three to four listens in total per bookmark. In cases where the majority of the job is extremely poor audio quality, do not waste your efforts going back after you've finished the job to re-listen to sections of audio that are obviously unintelligible due to extremely poor audio or dictation quality.

What sounds unclear to one person might sound clear to another. As a Scribe, you must use experience and judgment when deciding whether to bookmark a questionable word or phrase.

While everyone has leeway in using bookmarks, you should not bookmark a section of text simply because it is not 100% clear. In many cases, an experienced Scribe will be expected to not use a bookmark when taking a guess. The big picture is that if you're unsure about what you transcribed, but your guess makes senses in the context of the job, then your guess is probably correct and you should not use a bookmark.

For Brand New Employees (In Your First Two Weeks):

You will be expected to bookmark more heavily, as you are new to the process and are relatively unfamiliar to many terms. For your first two weeks, all of your jobs will be automatically reviewed by the QAs, and they will clear out the majority of your bookmarks. All of your jobs will also be sent back to you from QA for review, so you will have the opportunity to review and re-listen to your jobs, and note any corrections or changes made.

It is sometimes beneficial to put what you think you hear followed by a <?> when you are unsure, rather than to put a <Garbled>. Your jobs will be reviewed by QA, and will subsequently return to you for your review with their corrections. It can be helpful to see what you thought you heard versus what was really stated, rather than seeing a <Garbled> versus what was really stated.

The temptation is there to re-listen to questionable sections of dictation numerous times to decipher what's being said. This may seem like a good strategy, however, the overall goal is to learn how to quickly and accurately transcribe verbatim. Speed and accuracy go hand in hand, so do not re-listen to a section of dictation more than two to three times the first time through, and no more than once or twice after finishing the job. Remember, the job will come back to you for review at a later point, and you will have the opportunity then to re-listen to your bookmarked sections.

NEVER re-listen to an entire dictation before sending it out.

Bookmarks in the Subject Line

Subject Lines are incredibly important. Customers who call in a high volume of jobs need to be able to differentiate between notes, which are listed in their account by the Subject Line. For the casual customer, they may only get one e-mail from us in a given week. In either case, the Subject Line is the very first thing the customer sees from us, and having unnecessary bookmarks in the Subject Line makes our service look sub-par.

Subject Lines need to be scribed as accurately as possible in ALL scenarios, and we need to minimize bookmark use in the Subject Line unless absolutely necessary.

When customers first start to speak, sometimes it is very difficult to understand what they are dictating while their normal speaking voices haven't taken over. However, usually they get easier to understand the longer you listen to them. Should you leave a bookmark in the Subject Line, it is a better use of your time to return to that bookmark after you've finished the job to quickly re-check it (after you've listened to a customer speak for awhile and have context clues), rather than wasting time at the beginning of the job re-listening to it multiple times.

The Bookmarks

GARB <Garbled>

The <Garbled> bookmark is used to indicate any missing words or entire phrases that could not be understood because the customer mumbled, slurred their speech or was hard to understand, or if your best guess makes no sense. You must type everything that you can make out before and after the <Garbled>, and place the bookmark in place of what was said which you could not make out. There is no need to use multiple <Garbled> bookmarks if the customer mumbles many words in a row. One <Garbled> can represent multiple words that were mumbled together.

Example: "The client had <Garbled> in his account. The transfer should be completed by <Garbled>."

Often times context will add clarity. When you encounter an unintelligible section of audio, allow the audio to continue to play for a couple more words before attempting to relisten. What may have sounded confusing at first could be cleared up via the context added by the following words.

For New Employees, sometimes what sounds garbled could simply be a Common Term. Remember to check the Common Terms List for what you think you hear before bookmarking it, and if possible, use Ctrl-F to search through the list using a portion of the word that sounds clear.

The <Garbled> bookmark should be used especially when your best guess makes no sense. For example, if you hear the customer say what sounds like "cheese ham thwarted at 7:00," and even after one to two listens it still sounds like "cheese ham thwarted at 7:00," you would scribe "<Garbled> at 7:00."

If a section of dictation has garbled words occurring intermittently, you should still transcribe any clear words separate from the <Garbled>. Do not group clear words and unclear words in one big <Garbled>, as this results in the unnecessary omission of sections of dictation.

The <Garbled> bookmark should not be used if the phone line quality is the primary factor of why you could not understand the speaker. For bookmarking regarding phone quality issues, see the <Lost Signal> section.

Note: The <Garbled> bookmark and the Garbled Dictation error code are very different. For more clarification on the Garbled error code, please see that section in the Error Codes Explanations document. The <Garbled> bookmark is for words and phrases in a particular dictation. The Garbled error code is for when the dictation as a whole cannot be processed due to being 100% completely unintelligible, as per the Error Codes document.

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QM <?>

The <?> bookmark should be used when you have a guess at what's being said, but you feel your guess could be wrong, or if you have multiple guesses which would change the meaning of the sentence in a significant manner depending on which guess you choose. If your guess could still make sense given the context, put what you think you hear and place the <?> directly after it.

Example: You think you hear the customer say "Every month he saves 50% of his income." The speaker is not clear, so you listen again to confirm it's 50% and not 15%, and you still believe you hear 50%. You would scribe "Every month he saves 50% <?> of his income."

Because 50% and 15% can sound very similar in fast speech and the meaning changes significantly based on which number is chosen, the <?> bookmark should be used here.
It is important to pay attention to context throughout a job, however, as many times clues will pop up a sentence or two later. If later in the dictation the customer says something like "since he's saving half his income," then you know your guess is right and you should go back and remove the <?> bookmark.

It is important to note that the <?> is NOT used every time you take a guess:

Do not use the <?> bookmark if your guess makes sense given the context if you do not believe your guess to be wrong and do not have another guess that would change the meaning of the sentence, but you are simply not 100% confident in what you hear. Your expertise and familiarity with the subject matter should be strong enough to take accurate guesses in most situations without bookmarking.

Example: You think you hear "We're going to keep a little bit of money in that pot," but "a little bit of" was said quickly and slurred, and it might have just been "a bit of." Also "pot" sounded like somewhat like "part." In this example, there should be no bookmarks.

The difference between "a little bit of" and "a bit of" is inconsequential, and both make sense.
Similarly, while "pot" and "part" are somewhat different, in this context they're fairly synonymous.
With both sections, you should put what you think you hear, and even though you're not 100% sure, do not use a <?> bookmark.

If you cannot come up with a logical guess that fits within the context of the dictation, use the <Garbled>, <Lost Signal> or <Background Noise> bookmark in place of what you think you heard (depending on the reason for the lack of clarity: speaker quality, phone line quality, or background noise, respectively). You can return to the section of audio at a later point in the dictation for a final attempt. DO NOT re-listen more than three times initially or on the subsequent attempt.

There will be times when the customer clearly dictates a word/phrase that is known to be incorrect or inconsistent with the rest of the sentence.

Example: "I met with Jim and Susan. Their two daughters Eileen and Mark were also present."

There is no question that the customer clearly said "Mark," so there's no real need to re-listen to it. But Mark is not a girl's name, so "Their two daughters Eileen and Mark" is highly questionable. However since this is clear, there is no need to bookmark the area in question. Scribe what the customer said verbatim without any bookmarks.

There will also be times when the customer clearly dictates a number that is incorrect or confusing, where there is no question that this is what the customer said, but it is still wrong.

Example: "His account is worth twenty-three thousand four hundred thousand and thirty-two dollars."

The customer said the number very clearly, but the number makes no sense, and there is no accurate way to transcribe it other than to type it all out as words. Therefore, you would scribe "His account is worth twenty-three thousand four hundred thousand and thirty-two dollars." with no bookmarks.

The <?> bookmark is also used in certain situations in conjunction with the <Lost Signal> bookmark and the <Background Noise> bookmark. Please see the sections on <Lost Signal> and <Background Noise> for more information.

Note: You only need to use the <?> bookmark after the first instance of the questionable word or phrase, not after every following instance of the same word or phrase.

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NSO <SP?>

The <sp?> bookmark is used to indicate a questionable spelling, but is only used for instances where a customer spells a word or acronym, but the letters are unclear.

If the customer takes the time to spell out a name, you must make every effort to get the spelling correct.

The <sp?> bookmark should seldom be used. There are, however, some pairs/sets of letters that sound alike, especially over the phone, and it is your responsibility as a transcriptionist to pay extra attention to these letters and ensure that you are hearing them correctly. These letters include, but are not limited to: B/V, P/T, M/N, S/F, and O/R/L, depending on accent.

Use the pronunciation of the word or name as guide for its spelling. While P and T do sound alike, "Patterson" does not sound like "Papperson." If the customer clearly says the name "Patterson" and then spells it P-a-t-t-e-r-s-o-n," even though the two T's may sound like P's, the spelling is clearly Patterson.
With acronyms there is no pronunciation. If all the customer says is "PST," then it will often times be difficult to discern similar sounding letters. Many times context will aid with spellings, and sometimes customers will add phonetic spellings to further assist (M as in Mary, P as in Peter, etc.). Many common acronyms are included on the Common Terms list, so if you are unsure of an acronym the customer is dictating, be sure to check the Common Terms List for this acronym or similar-sounding acronyms.

Do NOT use the <sp?> bookmark in the following scenarios:

If the customer states a unique-sounding and unfamiliar name or proper noun that you do not know how to spell, and the customer does not provide a spelling, take a proper phonetic guess at the spelling of the word and do not bookmark. For more information on phonetic spelling, see the phonetic spelling section of the Standards Doc.
If the customer states a name that has alternate spellings but does not spell (Gene/Jean, Ashley/Ashleigh/Ashlee), pick one and stay consistent throughout the rest of the job. Be sure to use context to your advantage and use ctrl+F to change the spelling of the name if context later indicates a different spelling (he/she is dictated) or if the customer spells the name later in the job. Do not bookmark.
If a customer says a name that sounds like another name (Nick/Mick), pick one and stay consistent throughout the rest of the job. Pay attention if the name is said again later in the job, as the second or third iteration may be clearer. Do not bookmark.
If a first and last name are provided together and spelled, only one <sp?> bookmark is needed to cover both names.
If a customer says a name, but then spells it incorrectly, spell it how the customer spelled it and stay consistent throughout the rest of the job. Do not bookmark.
If a customer spells a name, but then spells it differently later, for each instance spell it how the customer spelled it and stay consistent throughout the rest of the job. Do not bookmark.
If a customer completely makes up a word and does not spell it, and you know for certain it is not a word in the English language, spell it to the best of your ability by taking a proper phonetic guess. If a customer mispronounces what you are certain is an English word or a Common Term, spell it correctly, not phonetically. In either case, do not bookmark.
If a customer provides a string of letters and numbers, such as an account number (L24B679X), use the <?> bookmark if any part of the string is unclear.

In these scenarios, do NOT follow the provided spelling of the customer:

If a customer says a common English word, but then spells it incorrectly, spell it the proper way rather than the incorrect provided spelling, unless the context clearly suggests that the customer's incorrect spelling instruction was intentional (such as for a company name). Do not bookmark.
If a customer says a Common Term, but then spells it incorrectly, spell it how it is spelled/formatted on the Common Terms list, unless the context clearly suggests that the customer's incorrect spelling instruction was intentional. Do not bookmark.

Note: Similar to the <?> bookmark, you only need to use the <sp?> bookmark after the first instance of the word or name and not after every following instance of the same word or name. Be sure to continue to spell the word/name the same way consistently throughout the transcription.

Example: Mr. Rittengeiger <sp?> was issued with a back rider on this policy. This is in addition to the neck rider Mr. Rittengeiger already has on his personal policy.

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LSI <Lost Signal>

The <Lost Signal> bookmark is used to indicate any missing words or phrases that could not be understood due to problems with the phone, such as: static, loss of signal, or a sudden drop in audio quality/clarity. <Lost Signal> is also used if a customer gets cut off mid-sentence at the end of the recording or if their call drops mid-sentence. Since all of the customers have some kind of time limit (usually at or around 4:00) on their dictations, getting cut off mid-sentence at the end of the recording is fairly common (usually at 3:45). You must type everything that you can make out before and after the <Lost Signal>, and place the bookmark in place of what was said which you could not make out due to the Lost Signal.

Example:

The client had $10,500 in his <Lost Signal>. The transfer should be completed by the time we come back from <Lost Signal> vacation. (not the end of the dictation)
I had an annual review meeting with <Lost Signal> today, and we talked about cashing in their 10 <Lost Signal> CD and <Lost Signal> (end of the dictation)

If the signal cuts out in the middle of a word, but you can at least make out part of the word and make a reasonable guess, guess at the word. Your degree of certainty will determine whether you need to bookmark the word in question with the <?> bookmark. Refer to the <?> guidelines.

Example:

Next week, we need to make certain <?> <Lost Signal> all due by Friday.

If the signal cuts out in the middle of a word and you cannot make a good guess, do not scribe the word in question. Replace it with the <Lost Signal> bookmark. Do not scribe partial words around a <Lost Signal> bookmark.

Example:

Next week, we need to make <Lost Signal> all due by Friday.

If the signal cuts out in the middle of a number, scribe the part of the number you can clearly hear and put the <Lost Signal> bookmark for the parts that you cannot clearly hear. If the partial number cannot be reasonably scribed numerically, scribe the part you can hear with words.

Example:

She is thinking about moving account number 4586 <Lost Signal> 26 to a different agent.
She has three thousand seventy <Lost Signal> cents in her account.

If the signal cuts out in the middle of a spelled out name and the name was pronounced, take a proper phonetic guess at the spelling of the name and use the <Lost Signal> bookmark after the name. If the name was not pronounced, do not spell any part of the name and just use the <Lost Signal> bookmark.

Example:

"The name is Beth McMullen, M-C-M-U" (signal cuts out) should be scribed as "The name is Beth McMullen <Lost Signal>".
Client's name is Beth M-C-M-U" (signal cuts out) should be scribed as "Client's name is Beth <Lost Signal>".

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BNI <Background Noise>

The <Background Noise> bookmark is used to indicate any missing words or phrases that could not be understood due to background noise interference such as dogs barking, kids screaming, car horn/radio, GPS voice, etc. You must type everything that you can make out before and after the <Background Noise>, and place the bookmark in place of what was said which you could not make out due to the Background Noise.

Example:

The client had a mutual fund in his <Background Noise> and the transfer on death account should be completed by the time we come back <Background Noise> vacation.

If background noise interrupts the speaker in the middle of a word and you can only make out a part of the word, guess at the word if you're able. Your degree of certainty will determine whether you need to bookmark the word in question with the <?> bookmark.

Example:

Next week, we need to make certain <?> <Background Noise> all due by Friday.

If background noise interrupts the speaker in the middle of a word, but you cannot make a good guess, do not scribe the word in question and simply replace it with the <Background Noise> bookmark. Do not scribe a partial word that you understood.

Example:

Next week, we need to make <Background Noise> all due by Friday.

If background noise interrupts the speaker in the middle of a number, scribe the part of the number you can clearly hear, do not guess on the rest of the number, and put the <Background Noise> bookmark for the parts that you cannot clearly hear. If the partial number cannot be reasonably scribed numerically, scribe the part you can hear with words.

Example:

She is thinking about moving account number 4586 <Background Noise> 26 to a different agent.
She earned three thousand and seven <?> <Background Noise>.

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