After the deposition, the work is only beginning. What follows is the process of turning raw information on a steno machine into a finished, polished transcript.
After the deposition, the court reporter downloads the raw information from the steno machine into a laptop computer, and the draft notes are translated into English for editing.
Over their career, court reporters build a dictionary of words and phrases from technical fields. The draft transcript is compared with this dictionary. Next, the reporter corrects punctuation and looks up any words that did not initially translate.
At this point, the audio back up tape comes into play. The process of referring to the audio tape is called "scoping," and is primarily used to fill any gaps or unclear passages, and to identify speakers.
The first draft is now ready for another set of eyes.
A proofreader now reviews the first draft, and corrections are recommended.
The draft is then returned to the court reporter, who reviews the corrections against her original notes and produces the final draft.
The final draft goes back to the computer for formatting: page numbers, index, and condensed transcript. That is in turned formatted for electronic transcripts.
Final step before the transcript is delivered. The transcript is printed, tabs are added, exhibits are copied, and the transcript is bound. The paper original and copies are delivered, and the electronic transcript is emailed.
After the deponent has reviewed the transcript, made changes, and signed the transcript, the court reporter files the original transcript with the court.
