WAVEFORMS

Waveforms

Each time you load a new video into Transana for the first time, a message will pop up asking if you want to create a waveform.

Say Yes.

Transana extracts the audio track from your media file so that it can create a waveform diagram of the media file’s audio track. A waveform diagram is a visual representation of the intensity of the video’s sound. This image shows the Transana screen with a video in the Video window, and the waveform in the Visualization window.

Because audio extraction sometimes takes a few minutes, Transana saves the extracted audio files in the waveforms directory, as defined in Program Settings. If the media files are shared, it often works out well to also share a waveforms directory. Further, you need to treat Transana’s audio extraction files with the same care you treat other confidential data.

Analytic Memos

Once you have added an Episode and created a Transcript and have a waveform, you should document it with an analytic memo.

Right-click (Ctrl-click on the Mac) the Episode and choose “Add Episode Note” from the popup menu. Name the new Note and enter your initials as NoteTaker. Press OK.

Press Ctrl-T on Windows or Cmd-T on macOS to insert a date-time stamp in the note. It’s probably a good idea to record information about when and where your media file was created or collected and how it fits into the larger study. Also include any other information about the Episode that might be relevant to the analytic process, such as initial analytic thoughts and impressions you want to remember later. When you are done recording your analytic process information, close the Episode Note.

Now right-click (Ctrl-click on the Mac) the Transcript record you created for the Episode and choose “Add Transcript Note” from the popup menu. Name your Note, enter your initials as NoteTaker, and press OK.

Again, start by pressing Ctrl/Cmd-T to insert a date-time stamp in the note. Now write your analytic memo about the Transcript. Here, you might record the type of transcription contained in this Transcript, as well as time-stamped insights that you have while doing the transcription and any other information that might be relevant to the transcript or transcription process. Close the Note when you are finished recording your analytic memo.