Do not use ellipses . . . in transcribing oral history recordings because they may suggest to readers that material has been left out.
Press the ENTER or RETURN key to start a new paragraph whenever the speaker changes, or wherever topics change, where subtopics are introduced, or where other dialogue is introduced. The transcription software will insert a timestamp and the name of the next interlocutor (change the name if necessary).
Ellipses should not be used when the speaker trails off. A period or an em dash should be used instead of an ellipse in these cases. Alternatively, brackets may be used to emphasize a speaker trailing off if it makes the transcript more intelligible.
Example: [trailing off]
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