armourersergeant Posted 21 August , 2003 Share Posted 21 August , 2003 Has anyone used a dictaphone to record documents and how easy is it to do. Has anyone had experience of doing so and found it then esay to transcripe it afterwards. I wish to view some docs at the IWM and there will be too many for me to photocopy, so i was wondering if this was a viable solution. Also as an aside has anybody spent time at the IWM reading room and what are the facilities like. Do they allow the use of dictaphones. They have told me i can not use a camera. Arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 21 August , 2003 Share Posted 21 August , 2003 Arm, You say They have told me i can not use a camera. Does this represent a change in policy at the PRO where digital cameras have been widely used recently, or is it just a reference to conventional cameras and the ban on the use of flash. My local county records office has been happy with digital/no flash (subject to a copyright declaration. That apart I have not used a dictaphone, but it sounds like a good idea - you could even try playing it back to a good voice recognition system! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hill 60 Posted 21 August , 2003 Share Posted 21 August , 2003 Does this represent a change in policy at the PRO Martin - I think Arm is refering to the IWM, digi-cams can still be used at the PRO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 21 August , 2003 Share Posted 21 August , 2003 I have used a dictaphone to dictate an on-the-spot record of war memorials for writing-up later. It's a good idea in principle. The only problem is you have to keep stoppping and starting the machine when playing back to type up what you said, and this can be very time-consuming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmac Posted 21 August , 2003 Share Posted 21 August , 2003 I have used a program called Dragon Naturally Speaking to dictate hand written documents into my computer (I scan the rest). Comes with a microphone headset although I upgraded this. I have gone through various versions of the program and each one has been a distinct improvement in accuracy and ease of use. You can teach it to recognise French village names for example. I would guess at about 90-95% accuracy at normal speaking rate. What I haven't yet tried, though I have set the software up for it, is to dictate into a minidisc recorder offsite and then plug the minidisc into the computer and play back for the software to recognise the text. Accuracy levels will probably not be so high but it might be worth trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Parker Posted 21 August , 2003 Share Posted 21 August , 2003 Arm I would check with the IWM before going there. They may not allow you to use a dictaphone as it will distract other researchers. Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gem22 Posted 21 August , 2003 Share Posted 21 August , 2003 Arm I can't help with the dictaphone / camera question but I have used the reading room. The staff were very friendly and helpful but facilities were sparse to say the least. It is very small, gets quite busy, and you are escorted more closely than a top security prisoner. But it is a tremendous place to visit . Good luck Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock Bruce Posted 22 August , 2003 Share Posted 22 August , 2003 Arm Assuming the IWM will let you use one (and on my infrequent visits I've never seen one in use), I suggest you experiment with it beforehand so that the controls are second nature. Get used to speaking very softly - even a cheapo machine like mine copes easily. A soft voice is less disturbing for others than a silibant whisper. Unless you are/have an audiotypist, speak more slowly than normal - makes transcription easier. Develop the habit of including an audible start/end for each item - I simply say 'start' or 'end'. This helps with transcription. Include the doc ref, date, etc at the start of each item. Take spare tapes and batteries. Jock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 22 August , 2003 Author Share Posted 22 August , 2003 thanks for the replies so far also does anybody know whats involved and how long it takes to get a readers ticket? Arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock Bruce Posted 22 August , 2003 Share Posted 22 August , 2003 Arm, you need to book ahead, but apart from the security escorting mentioned above is is hassle free - I'm assuming you know the references you wish to consult ? See http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/ref-doc.htm Jock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 22 August , 2003 Author Share Posted 22 August , 2003 Yes Jock i do thats the big problem if i photo copied each page it would cost me £189.oo...ooch. Just to clarify i do need a readers ticket..Yes? Arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock Bruce Posted 22 August , 2003 Share Posted 22 August , 2003 Arm, no need for a reader's ticket, haven't been for over a year so can't recall if they expect a form of ID .. I would check when you book Jock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now