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SELECTING MEDIA DATA
WITH MULTIPLE TRANSCRIPTS

Selecing Media Data with Multiple Transcripts

Coding and Categorization of media data with multiple transcripts is an extremely powerful analytic technique, but it can be a little tricky to learn. For the purposes of the Tutorial, we are breaking the process into 3 parts, making selections in media data with muliple transcripts, coding selections from media data with multiple transcripts, and categorizing selections from media data with multiple transcripts.

Making Selections

Conceptually, making selections for media data with multiple transcripts is very simple. It is just like making selections for media data with single transcripts, just repeated for the number of transcripts present.

Practically speaking, it can be a little more complicated. The reason for this is that different transcripts can have different time codes to reflect the different time scales that become evident when looking at your data from different points of view. For example, gestures do not necessarily begin and end in a way that conforms to the grammar of speech.

When you make selections in multiple transcripts, Transana will use the earliest of the starting time codes across all transcripts, and the latest of the ending time codes across all transcripts. It’s really easy to end up with more media file than you intend in your selections.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some suggestions of ways to make the process of making selections in media data with multiple transcripts go more smoothly.

  • Put all of your Transcripts in Edit mode. When you click in a Transcript that is in Review mode, Transana will reposition your media file to the time code preceding your cursor placement, ready to play your current segment. This will undo selections made in other transcripts.
  • When placing Time Codes in Transcripts, use Transana’s capacity to place the same time code in multiple open Transcripts at once. Position your media file at the proper location, then place a cursor in all Transcripts (which must be in Edit mode) that should receive the time code and make text selections in transcript that should not, then press the Current button in the Visualization Window.
  • Only make selections in Transcripts you want to include in your Clip. Transcripts that do not have selections will be left out of Clips created from media data with multiple Transcripts.
  • Match Selections in Other Transcripts If you make a selection in one Transcript, then press the Match Selections in Other Transcripts button, Transana will make a selection in all other transcripts that includes your first selection. Selections in other Transcripts may be larger, depending on time code placement.
  • Test your multiple-Transcript selection by pressing the Play Multiple Transcript Selection button in the Document Toolbar to see if your current selections trigger the media file selection you intend.
  • You may need to insert additional Time Codes to get your selection just right.