Why Dictation?

When the spoken word is to be transformed into printed form, if we look closely, we will find an efficiency produced by the division of labor between dictator and transcriber. 

The dictator brings the skills of the author, physician, attorney, executive, and so forth, to bear in the creation of documents for use by others or for the record. It is not necessarily the dictator's job to be a good communicator in a journalistic sense. Rather, he or she produces a narrative for the permanent record, whether it is an entry into a patient's medical chart, a legal brief for pending litigation, or a memorandum of policy for internal distribution.

The focus of a document originator (dictator) may vary widely. Speaking 'for the record' is normally a strength, and the skilled dictator can produce a remarkable volume of work, and much faster than by typing. Speech proceeds at 200-500 words per minute, whereas keyboarding proceeds at... well, you get the idea. In addition, copy editing may not be a strength. Keyboarding and copy editing are more commonly the domain of the transcriptionist.

As the words of the dictator pass through the ears of the transcriptionist and out the fingers to the keyboard many changes occur. Intent (sometimes unclear) is transformed into received meaning; words and technical terms are given standard spellings; acronyms are decoded and hopefully expanded; syntax is verified and corrected; punctuation is inserted; proper nouns are capitalized, and if possible (indeed, it is not always possible), ambiguities are resolved. As mastery of technical terminology is essential for professionals of every discipline, so mastery of technical vocabularies is likewise necessary for the administrative assistant, transcriptionist, or whoever must forge a document on behalf of the author.

This partnership that harnesses the skills and synergy of two people to produce a document for broader use relies on the simple technology of dictation equipment and its counterpart, transcription equipment. Whether digitally recorded audio, or analog tape equipment is used, it is the division of labor that makes it work. To this end, Office Electronics Online offers Dictaphone, Lanier, Olympus and Sanyo dictation and transcription equipment for medical transcription, legal transcription, business communication, court reporting, writers, insurance professionals, and others, all at substantial discount. For details and pricing of available products please click on a brand logo.