Malebogo Moji, University of York
I first heard about this software called DOTE that is designed for transcribing and analyzing social and multimodal interactions when I started my PhD journey. DOTE is a specialised transcription software designed for qualitative research, particularly in the fields of conversation analysis and Interactional Linguistics. It is built for a specific purpose, and you can feel that from the get-go. The purpose is to help researchers transcribe social interactions, conversation and multimodal conduct from video and audio recordings. If you’re a beginner like I was, the initial learning curve felt steep. I’ve been slowly but surely getting the hang of it, and the more I use DOTE, the more I appreciate its design. The developers at Aalborg University clearly built this with the user in mind, specifically with the unique needs of researchers and transcribers.
My PhD project involves analyzing several hours of video recordings from clinician-patient interactions in Botswana, and so I needed a robust solution to manage my qualitative data. My biggest apprehension was the learning curve and the question that kept playing in my mind was, ‘would I spend more time figuring out the software than actually analyzing my data considering the limited time I had for the PhD?’. To be honest, I had only ever attended one training session on DOTE during one of our weekly data sessions in the Uni and had also talked about it with my supervisors about it but had never truly dived in. When I started my PhD, I had no background whatsoever on any transcription software or even CA, the approach I was taking to analyse my data! So really the beginning of my PhD introduced me to a whole new world of CA and transcription software options. So in my learning process, I was learning two things simultaneously (CA and DOTE) which I must say, was and is still not a walk in the park for me!
Before actually settling on DOTE, I had already heard about ELAN, and I was torn choosing which one I wanted to use. After much thought and a bit of research on how DOTE works compared to ELAN, I considered some of its advantages over ELAN, and I felt DOTE was the ultimate answer to my dilemma! A few of the interesting features of DOTE that made me settle for it over ELAN were that it includes ‘smart’ features that check transcripts for common errors, and it offers auto-completion for recurrent phrases or speaker names, which is a significant time-saver. Also, it can handle and annotate 360° video files, a crucial feature for researchers working with complex, immersive data and additionally, and it is built to export directly into publishable formats following popular conventions like Jeffersonian and Mondadaian styles. This helps to reduce the need for manual formatting in a word processor. Most importantly, I chose DOTE because it is explicitly designed for CA and related qualitative fields, with a focus on streamlining the workflow. Although DOTE offers a free version its functionality is significantly limited and requires a paid upgrade for full access. The full version has to be purchased by the service user or the university that the user works in. Additionally, users from low- and middle-income countries can apply for a special 50% discount on DOTE’s Pro Edition.
I’ll be honest, when I first tried DOTE as a first-timer to transcription software, I was more than overwhelmed. For starters, the interface seemed too complicated for me as a newcomer. It took some time for me to get used to DOTE’s interface. I learnt transcribing on the go as I went through my data. I must admit, at times it felt all too much and I just wanted to quit DOTE and try ELAN. However I am grateful I stuck with DOTE. I used their youtube tutorials and online help guide every time I encountered a hiccup. I quickly grasped the basics of importing video files, although I still had problems with the process of setting up new transcription projects and saving them. Things that seemed complicated at first are starting to make sense and are proving to be incredibly powerful and useful for me.
I’m starting to see the benefits of some of the features in DOTE which I use as I am working on my data like:
- The integrated video and audio playback, an interface with panels for video/audio on the left and the transcription editor on the right. On this interface, you can import and activate multiple media files (2D, 360-degree video, audio) and play them simultaneously. The player is tightly integrated with the editor, so there’s no need to switch between different applications or windows. The interface also has standard playback controls (play, pause, fast forward, slow-down, etc) that are synchronized across all active media.
- The synchronization of the texts with the media whereby DOTE uses a system of ‘sync codes’ to tie specific lines or points in the transcript to a precise moment in the video/audio. As you type, DOTE automatically creates these links. When you play the media, the transcript scrolls along with the playback and clicking on a specific line of text will jump the media playback to that exact point. This allows for a moment by moment analysis of the data.
- The export for presentation option; this feature allows you to export your transcript in a publishable document format. Here you can choose to export to Rich Text Format (RFT) and even SubRip Text (SRT) for creating subtitles.
While it’s still a work in progress for me, the initial struggle is paying off. I’m finding that DOTE is more than just a transcription tool; it’s an integrated environment that streamlines the entire workflow. For anyone working with qualitative audio/video data, this software has the potential to make a tedious and time-consuming process much more manageable.
To all the other beginners out there, and anyone wanting to try DOTE I would say: hang in there; it will get better with time. The frustration of the first few days is worth it for the efficiency and power you gain. Here are a few tips for you as you get started with DOTE:
- Don’t get overwhelmed by all the features, focus on the fundamental tasks first, such as:
Learning the keyboard shortcuts for basic playback and transcription. The most important ones are for playing/pausing, fast-forwarding, and rewinding.
Mastering how to quickly insert timestamps. This is crucial for linking the text to the exact moment in the audio/video.
- Take advantage of the automation features:
As you type, DOTE can suggest words and names from your previous transcriptions, which saves a lot of time and ensures consistency.
Use the heuristics feature which automatically inserts formatting for things like silences and overlapping speech based on your typing. This will speed up your workflow.
- Learn the formatting conventions:
DOTE supports a wide range of symbols for things like intonation, emphasis, and breath sounds. You don’t need to learn them all at once, knowing the most common ones will make your transcripts more accurate.
- Practice and be patient
Don’t try to transcribe a long video right away. Begin with short clips of a few minutes to get the hang of the software and the transcription process.
After transcribing a segment, play it back while reading your transcript. This is the best way to catch mistakes and ensure your work is accurate.
The DOTE help guide and the online tutorials are a fantastic resource to refer to whenever you have a question about a feature or a formatting convention.
As for me, I’m excited to see what else I discover as I delve deeper into DOTE!