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Frequently Asked Questions
1.0 - Installation and System Requirements
1.1 - What are the requirements to use the Transcription Assistant?The Transcription Assistant
Software requires that the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and Java Advanced Imaging (JAI) be installed on your computer.
JVM is reuired to execute the software, and the Transcription Assistant requires JAI to operate on manuscript images.
Both packages are available for free from Sun at the
Java Virtual Machine download page and the
Java Advanced Imaging download page.
1.2 - Where can I download the software?You can download the software at our download page. In
order to download our software, we require that you register with the website.
1.3 - Why do I need to sign up for an account to download the software?
We require that you register with our website, so that we can collect information on the distribution of our Transcription Assistant, in order to
inform you of major build releases, as this is an ongoing project, and in order get an account started for you for the later development of this website,
when collaboration and searching of existing transcriptions begins.
2.0 - Motivation for Development
2.1 - Why are you developing the software?
Currently, transcribers of manuscripts have a copy of the manuscript and use a standard text editor to take the written word and put it into a new
document. This method does not preserve the format or images included in the original text. Our software allows the transcribers to see a digital copy
of the manuscript side by side with the final layout of the transcription. The format of the original text is mantained by drawing boxes around words and
images, and placing these boxes, in typed text, on the layout of the final markup. Earlier versions of our software required users to draw boxes by hand, which
did not improve the job or transcribing. The current version of the Transcription Assistant draws boxes automatically and allows users to modify the computer
rendered boxes, as needed. Eventually, we want to develop OCR for the each of the boxes so that our software transcribes automatically, so that transcribers
eventually will only have to proof read the generated manuscript.
2.2 - Why are you developing the website?
The software that we are developing allows for individual transcribers to work on transcribing documents, however it doesn't allow them to access work that other
transcribers have completed. By developing a robust community web site, transcribers will be able to collaborate their work by rating the quality of other user's
transcriptions. By ranking the transcriptions, specific versions of transcriptions will emerge as an authority for that manuscript. Furthmore, individual users\
will be emerge as consistantly accurate transcribers, affording them the ability to be cited in scholarly papaers.
2.3 - How are you implementing the software and the website?
The software is written in Java and uses the Java Advanced Imaging library to perform operations on images. The website backend is implemented in Perl with Perl's
DBI package interfacing with the mySQL database backend.
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