A careful pair of ears.

Write what you can hear, not what you expect the speaker to mean. Keep the original language. If a word is unclear, mark the uncertainty rather than silently replacing it with a guess.

Pause, replay a short section and return later if necessary. A draft is allowed to be unfinished. Saving your work and asking for another listener’s help are part of the process, not signs of failure.

Transcription and publication are different decisions. Completing a transcript does not grant permission to release a recording. Reviewed contributions and consent checks remain separate.