Do you have a scopist friend? Ever wondered where he or she got his scopist training? It is not easy to find scoping courses online but there are some that will give you the knowledge you need to be a successful scopist. The Internet Scoping School is among the few that offer scopist training.
There are so many questions that people ask when you mention scoping to them. One of the popular ones is, what is scoping? We will answer that as we go deep into the article. Whether you are here to learn how to become a scopist with Internet Scoping School or learn more about the school, you can all agree with me that this niche is unique. It needs thorough training for you to be the best. But before we get into details, let’s find what is scoping.
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What is scoping?
The meaning of some words sometimes changes based on the situation. Just to ensure you understand, we want to give you a simple definition of scoping. When it comes to court reporting, editing is referred to as scoping. Therefore, the person doing scoping is known as a scopist.
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Scoping is the process of editing a transcript in accordance with the audio received from a court reporter. Here is what happens; When a scopist receives audio and a transcript from a court reporter, she downloads it into her software. She then edits the transcript to ensure it is accurate according to the audio. This means, to be a successful scopist, you need to have exceptional punctuation, vocabulary, and word usage skills.
Note:
You should never confuse scoping with editing or proofreading. If you are an editor or proofreader, this does not make you a scopist. As you can see, scopists are on a different and unique niche.Click To Tweet However, if you intend to become one, you should get scopist training from Internet Scoping School first.Now that you should not confuse proofreading and scoping, what next? Well, I have you covered.
What is the difference between a scopist and proofreader?
Scoping
As I said earlier, a proofreader and scopist are different in terms of what they do. While they do different things, there is one unique character. Scopists can proofread their transcripts but proofreaders don’t scope. This sounds more confusing, right? Don’t worry, I have your back.
Although scopists may proofread as they continue with their work, their scope is meager and more technical than proofreading. The main role of a scopist is to ensure that the steno is translated correctly. A scopist uses the same software the court reporter uses and checks the transcript against audio when things appear misleading.
In case of a missing byline or wrong translation by the stenographer, the scopist can fix that. If he finds duplicate content, he can as well change that and then inform the court reporter of the wrong entries. As part of the procedure, they identify the incorrect use of words and misspellings. However, this is not their primary role.
Proofreading
It seems like proofreading can be confused with more than one task. Some may confuse it with editing. Check the difference in my previous article on online proofreading jobs for beginners. A proofreader is a person who checks the final transcript. After a scopist has carried out his task well, the proofreader focuses on giving the transcript a final check to avoid simple errors. Such errors if not checked may cause unnecessary embarrassment.
A proofreader comes in after the scopist has ensured that all of the steno is correctly translated. The proofreader ensures the following;
- Good capitalization
- No spelling mistakes
- Proper word usage
- No stray formatting
- No transposed words
- There are no punctuation mistakes
In simple words, a proofreader gives the final polish to a transcript to ensure that the reporter stands out from the rest. However, there are some court reporters who do the scoping task and hire proofreaders. Also, there are those who hire scopists and do the proofreading task. If you are interested in becoming a proofreader, you can enroll in Catlin Pyle’s free proofreading workshop and start learning.
Is it necessary to have scopist Training?
Now that you know what is scoping, I know you want to know if you need scopist training to be a successful scopist. Well, nothing comes for free. The answer is to this question is yes, you need the training to do exceptional scoping work.
As a scopist, you work from home doing scoping jobs. While you don’t need a certificate to be a scopist, it is not easy to obtain every information without getting the right training. The best place to train as a scopist is the Internet Scoping School. You can enroll in the scoping mini course here and start learning. Alternatively, you can get this book Morson’s English Guide for Court Reporters so you can understand the terms and much more.
How to become a scopist
Before you learn how to become a scopist, it is vital that you know some of the basic skills that you need to have. While you may develop these skills, you are safe if you have them already.
Self-discipline
The first rule when it comes to working from home is self-discipline. If you are one person who can’t overcome your weakness, scoping is not for you. It is normal to feel down and not want to work. But can you motivate yourself and handle the project. If you can’t it means you will not meet the deadlines. In this case, self-motivation is crucial.
If your weakness is time management, you need to find a way on how to manage it effectively and deliver. Remember, there is no one to manage you or guide you on what to do next. That is why you need to start learning to do things systematically without anyone following you.
Mental toughness
As I said earlier, this is a unique industry. It needs mental toughness because of the different cases you will be scoping. Some of them might be disturbing and others quite interesting to handle. If you are sensitive or empathetic, you might face difficulties mentally while doing scopist jobs.
Grammar and punctuation skills
This is another essential skill that any scopist should have. The court reporters who hire scopists trust that the person in question has good punctuation and grammar skills. If your grammar is bad and you don’t know where to put a comma, this job is not for you. You should be ready to argue with your employer about the use of Oxford comma in your transcript. In short, you should have a keen eye to spot mistakes. In simple terms, you need a powerful command of the English Language.
Ability to withstand pressure
Jobs are different. There are some that don’t have pressure on deadlines and others, you have to burn the midnight oil to meet the deadlines. For scoping, you may encounter tight deadlines. This means putting other tasks on hold to complete your scoping project. You need to be flexible to handle such tasks.
Scopist training: Do I need any software?
In every job, there are always recommended tools and some of them are necessary. Scoping is not different. You need some software to work. In this case, you should get yourself the computer-aided transcription software, CAT. There are many options you can choose from but it all depends on the software that works well for you. For example, there are some who like StenoCat and others Eclipse.
So, what else do you need? Some of the things you need to ensure you work comfortably include the following;
- Good internet connection
- Reliable computer or laptop
- A good office chair with a supportive back
- Excellent headphones. You should consider getting these headphones here.
Since training is necessary for one to become a scopist, there are different ways you can learn to become one. Let’s have a look at them below.
Ways to learn how to become a scopist
Train yourself
One of the ways to become a scopist is to train yourself. While this might be a low-cost option, it might not be effective for everyone. There are some things that you might not teach yourself but it is possible to self-training scoping. The first step to doing this alone is to purchase scoping software, read and follow the instructions provided by the user manual.
Although it sounds easy, it is not. It is one of the hardest scopist training paths you can ever take. But if you don’t have the funds, what do you do? Keep in mind that legal documents need careful handling. Therefore, accurate transcription is required. Also, you should have a solid comprehension of how to scope ere you begin to do it. In simple terms, there is more to learn that just reading the user’s manual.
N/B: Self-train in situations where you don’t have money for training.
Study it from a scopist or court reporter
If you are a quick learner, these people are the best to learn from. Scoping is a huge part of the court reporters’ work. Therefore, all court reporters comprehend or know how to scope. Court reporters utilize court software. The software is more involved than scoping software. However, they both have the same functionality.
So, what next? If you happen to have a scopist friend or know any court reporters, you may want to ask them if they can train you to scope. This mode of training is less expensive or it can be free 0f charge. It all depends on how you agree. Another good thing about learning to scope from a scopist or court reporter is that you learn the fundamentals and receive one-on-one training. This makes it easy to understand things.
The only downside to learning to scope from a court reporter or scopist is that you don’t pick the software. You will have to use the same as your trainer since it is the one you are conversant with.
Become a court reporter
They say if you can’t beat them, join them. So, if you can’t find scopist training near you, become a court reporter first. As I mentioned earlier, court reporters know scoping since scoping their work is apart of their work. Therefore, if you are already enrolled in court reporting school or planning to become one, you don’t have to worry. If you are not yet a court reporting student, you need to enroll for one. This is how to become a scopist without having to pay for expensive courses. After completion, you will have all the needed skills to stand out from the rest.
The bright side of becoming a court reporter is that it easy since you learn court reporting and scoping at once. This is because you will have to scope your transcripts. You gain more experience in both. You can market yourself as a court reporter, both, or a scopist. This means you can have more clients because of your skills.
See also; Websites for building your resume
Enroll in a scoping school (recommended)
This is the best way on how to become a scopist. You have many options. You can train with an online scoping school or with a physical location in your area. That is if there is one. You can get online Training at Internet Scoping School and through Brick and Mortar Institutions.
While you can learn offline or at a physical location, most people are going online. Learning online is becoming popular and most courses including scoping are offered online. Apart from Internet Scoping School, where else can you learn to scope? Have a look.
- BeST Scoping Techniques
- Brick and Mortar School
Getting trained by reputable institutions or schools is the most recommendable way to learn scoping. Most of them have the software you need to learn scoping and have experienced trainers. While there are no scoping schools with a physical location, there are online programs that will offer you exceptional training. Additionally, you can find community colleges that grant court reporting degrees. Most of them have courses on how you can be a scopist.
The good thing with this kind of training is that you learn how to use different scoping software and the training is self-paced. This means you will fully understand everything you need to succeed in scoping.
Conclusion
So, the answer to our question on if scopist training is necessary is yes. You can only become the best by getting training. You can choose to self-train, learn from a court reporter or join an online course. The choice is yours. Above all, you should know the basic skills you that you need to stand out from the rest and do your work effectively. If you don’t have those skills you can learn and grow them. Ready to become a scopist? Enroll here now!
