What do you expect from a scopist?

[Marla Sharp]

I'm wondering if most reporters are expecting what I'm expecting from a scopist. I'd be curious to hear both reporters' and scopists' opinions, of course.

Do you expect your scopist to:

Look up on the Internet spellings of any proper noun, i.e., company names, cities, doctors, products?

Fix wrong punctuation at the end of a sentence? Example:
"You were there what dates."

Follow your preferences as best they can? Examples:
Paragraph frequently
Put "BY" lines after any interruption in Q&A

When it's a video, go over the videotape word for word and be sure every word is in there?

Follow basic punctuation rules? And I know this is an area of much controversy and disagreement, but there are several basic punctuation rules that both Morson's and the rest of the world uses (Chicago Manual of Style and others). I'm very curious what punctuation most people can agree on.

How about these:

Comma between two independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction. Example: "He was happy, but he didn't like it." "She went up the stairs, and she fell down on her crown."

Break up run-on or choppy sentences - at least in SOME way. Example:
Q Do you recall during the time, I think you told me you worked there for about a year, during the time you worked at Rain Bird, was there any type of safety training that went about there?

Let me know what you think. Are there basics we all expect?

[Sherrelle L. Johnson]

Hello, I'm very new to scoping, but I feel that I have some input that would be very valuable to the discussion. First, Marla, I don't feel that your expectations or any of the other court reporters expectations are too high. When doing research to determine if this career was for me, I was well informed by websites but also it was re-iterated by Devon Roberts (owner of Joyful Scoping) the expectations and job duties of this profession. So for those scopists who are not providing that level of service, need to get on the ball. With knowing that, I stepped in with both feet, enrolling in both an online scoping program (Joyful Scoping) and also a traditional CR school because I wanted to get the best of both worlds and be fully competent before taking on my first job. I decided to do this because when reviewing online programs vs. traditional CR scopist programs, they both had their pluses and minuses, so I figured I would get the best of both worlds. (Thus far both programs are really great, but it is a financial strain.) I say this because obviously I'm very new to scoping school and no where near ready for my first job, so I'm not looking for advertisement. But instead, since I've been on the CR forum, I've constantly heard of bad experiences and job performance that scopists are doing. I hear of many reporters that have/are turning away from using scopists completely because of these problems. So I would just like to say (to Shannon Wise, respectfully) please don't think that just because someone is young or a new scopist that they aren't as educated, lack adequate training, or just trying to scam CR because that's definitely not the case for me or many other young and new scopists that I have associated with. I found too in my research, most times, not all, but often times CR are using scopists, for the first time, in emergency situations and not communicating with the scopist. And when they receive the final product, it's not up to the CR expectations because there was no communication (this is aside from scopists who shouldn't be scopist because of poor job performance). In closing, I feel communicating your expectations are key because all CR are different and what one scopist finds to be suitable for one CR might not be suitable for the other. Also, I feel that CR should examine the scopist better or request a transcript they've already completed, or have them do a couple of pages of scoping for a transcript you need. I know this will put a strain on scopists, including myself when ready. But I definitely feel this will weed out those who are really interested and care about their work/profession and the transcript just as much as a CR because ultimately a good scopist is concerned about a lasting relationship with a CR, which means steady work, than merely a few hundred dollars one time for a job. Well at least, that's how I look at it.

[Agnes Novak]

Hello, I am a scopist and a transcriptionist. I google all proper nouns, including cities, districts, doctor's names, addresses, etc.

On your choppy sentences, I like to use dashes. Example:
Q Do you recall during the time -- I think you told me you worked there for about a year -- during the time that you worked at Rain Bird, was there any type of safety training that went about there?

Punctuation is sometimes the reporter's preference. Some reporters would put a comma where you have it; some reporters would put a semi-colon; and other reporters -- who hate commas and overpunctuation -- would not put in anything. I pay attention to the reporter's preferences.

Agnes

[Tana]

Thanks for the comment. I thought I would let you know that I am now working with three reporters and have not had a complaint. Actually, I just received an e-mail for another job. Equally important, I've been given a few compliments on my completed work. You have probably been working in this field for a while and I am sure you have made many mistakes. You took the time to send this long, very long e-mail about how bad some of the wording and punctuation is that some of us have sent, but you are not perfect. Its people like you that make others give up in something they love. But as for me, I just take what you said, am more careful and move on.

[Marla Sharp]

Tana, who is you comment directed to?