Transcription Guidelines

In general, we are looking for transcriptions of Jane Bigelow’s diaries based on her intent with a “plain text” rendition as the output. This means your transcription should follow her writing word-for-word on each page. Other guidelines to follow:

  1. Transcriptions should be typed in a plain, non-stylized font. 
  2. If you come upon blank pages, please note [Blank] as the transcription for the page.
  3. The transcription should follow the basic format of the diary entry. 
    1. Try to preserve the capitalization, punctuation, and paragraphs that the writer intended. Do not worry about white space. You should also line break where the writer did, so you should type one line and hit the "Enter" key to start the next line. Exception: If there are pages that represent columns or lists, they should still be on separate pages. Please note: there may be times when the saved transcript does not show the line breaks a transcriber added. This is a known issue and we are working to fix it. Meanwhile, please continue to transcribe using "Enter" but do not worry if your line breaks do not show. Thank you!
  4. If you come across words or phrases that you are unsure of please use the following table as a guide (taken from the Metropolitan Museum of Art transcription guide - http://files.archivists.org/groups/museum/standards/10-MMA_Archives_Transcription_guide.pdf )
     
  5. SAVE YOUR WORK OFTEN. Failture to hit the save button during your progress may result in lost work. Please read more here.

Notation

Description

Example

[illegible]

One illegible word.

There are two plates of the same character the [illegible] Kensington, and they were bought as far back as 1854 for about £35 each.

[illegible words]

More than one illegible word. The editor may also use “phrase,” “sentence,” “passage,” etc.

collection it would answer the picture as the name [illegible words] in English sale catalogue [illegible words] in it as considered a very good origin

[sic]

Word typed as it was found

So don’t give me away gratulitously [sic]

Deletion

Word or words that have been struck or scribbled out, when they are still legible.

And I confer with can tell Henry Wallis what they say; Wallis is a very good man to advise, & he can get the National Gallery “varnisher & taker-off of varnish” to look at the picture.

[illegible deletion]

An illegible word or words that have been struck or scribbled out.

There is no [illegible deletion] similar fear respecting Turner, but on the contrary, I learn more about him every day.

Illegi[---]

Part of word illegible. Dashes correspond to approximate proportion of illegible letters.

 That has more to do with her belle[----] than anything, I suppose. Her husband published that horr[----] blue book in 1922. Nevertheless, I qu[--]e admire the old bard.

[loss]

Loss of word or words due to physical damage (torn, discolored) of paper.

We have had an unusually hard time of it here in the old country and I see every other day in the papers accurate accounts of “blizzards” and other unpleasant visitations on the other side of the Atlantic [loss]

Lo[loss] to a part of a word

Loss of part of word due to physical damage (torn, discolored) of paper

 The Martello Tower stood pro[loss] in the brisk morning sun.

[Supposed word or phrase]

Transcriber is not certain about word or phrase.

And of which time alone can [mitigate] the [bittersweet]

Supp[osed] part of a word

Transcriber is not certain about part of word

 The owl's hoot frightened me! I turned around to run away, and I stu[mbl]ed over a twisted piece of wood, falling clumsily to the rough ground, ripping my best pair of breeches.
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