I understand the term 'transcription of handwritten manuscripts into digital text' as the process of converting historical or old handwritten documents into a modern digital textual form. This process involves the accurate transfer of letters, words, and structures from the original handwriting into a readable and searchable digital representation. Unlike transcribing spoken text, this method aims to preserve historical texts and make them accessible for broader digital use.
There are widely accepted rules and conventions for the scholarly transcription of manuscripts. These rules aim to ensure an accurate representation of the original manuscript while creating a readable and consistent transcription.
Rules and Conventions
Here are some key guidelines frequently employed in the scholarly transcription of manuscripts. It's important to note that specific rules may vary depending on the field of study and the nature of the manuscript.
- Accurate Representation: Transcription should faithfully reflect the original manuscript, including all letters, words, punctuation, abbreviations, line breaks, etc.
- Abbreviations: Abbreviations should be transcribed accurately, with commonly used abbreviations explained within parentheses.
- Illegible Parts: Illegible parts should be marked with square brackets [ ] to indicate that the transcriber couldn't discern the exact text.
- Punctuation: Punctuation should be reproduced as it appears in the original manuscript. If necessary, missing punctuation can be added within square brackets.
- Capitalization: Capitalization should be retained according to the original manuscript. If not clearly distinguishable, the transcription can use lowercase.
- Layout: The manuscript's layout should be maintained as closely as possible. For instance, indentations, paragraphs, line breaks, and marginalia should be preserved.
- Insertions: If an inserted text is present in the manuscript (e.g., a later added sentence), it can be marked with square brackets or indicated as an insertion.
- Omissions: If parts of the text are struck out or illegible in the manuscript and are omitted, this should be indicated with ellipses (...) or square brackets.
- Special Characters: Special characters like underlines, strikethroughs, highlights, etc., should be transcribed as accurately as possible.
- Transcriber's Notes: If the transcriber adds explanations or comments about the manuscript or the transcription itself, these should be indicated with square brackets or footnotes.
- Page Numbers: In scholarly manuscript transcription, page numbers are usually indicated in square brackets to differentiate them from transcribed text passages. For example: "[Page 42]" or "[fol. 12v]" (where "fol." stands for "Folium," referring to a leaf in a manuscript).
- Dating: Paleography involves the ability to date and localize manuscripts based on writing styles and letter variants. Dates are typically given in formats like "circa 12th century" or "between 1400 and 1450."