Written Rummage

An Exploration of Crowdsourcing and Digital Transcription

By Joshua Rio-Ross

Crowdsourcing

Outsourcing a task to an undefined group of people (a crowd) rather than contracting professionals.Crowd: volunteer or hire A few extant examples: Open Solubility Challenge Open Dinosaur Project Galaxy Zoo

Amazon’s Mechanical Turk

Digital Libraries

Increasing prominence in information age

Sharing among academic institutions Broader exposition of collections Facilitated/expanded academic research

Drawback: unsearchable

Extant examples: Google Books Hathitrust.org

OCR & Transcription

OCR: Optical Character Recognition Useful for most type-written texts, some hand OCR programs still not flawless Captcha/ReCaptcha

There are some things OCR can’t rewrite;For everything else, there’s people.Professional is undesirably expensive $2.50-8.00 per page

The Need

Libraries have the stash

Students near and far need the stash

Searchable texts are ideal and often imperative for research

Libraries can’t transcribe entire manuscript collections, though often can upload them.

A resource for affordable mass transcription is necessary

The Project

Written Rummage Use crowdsourcing resources to distribute large

handwritten documents to unknown taskforce for transcription.

Use crowdsourcing resources to enact quality control (i.e. proofread and correct) the submitted transcriptions.

Pursue possibly systematizing to provide a non-profit organization for libraries, universities and other private collectors.

Snapter

Online program

Free version functional

Advanced version (library compatible)

Photograph pages rather than scan

Ideal for manuscript health

Program reshapes images for readability

Converts to PDF

PDF can be given URL

Mechanical Turk

Online crowdsourcing resource

Ideal for distribution of small, simple tasks (called HITs)

“Requester-Worker” dynamic

Description and pay proposed by requester; worker decides on tasks

Pay at requester’s discretion

Text-box option

Can code URL links into HITs

MTurk Practicality

Can publish numerous HITs at a time (.cvs)Can vary prices and expiration time per HIT or HIT batchLittle incentive to do poor workPoor work can be quality-controlledCost-effectiveNotable: HIT completion time vs. Pay

Google Docs

Google account holders can share documents online in varying degrees.

Each document receives own URL

Can be shared with non-account holders

Equipped with most type-necessary tools (I.e. paragraphing, font mod, cut/paste)

Google Doc Practicality

Copy-Paste submitted transcription to Google Doc.Save and thus create URL to “share with everyone.”Provide link to that URL in Proofread templateAlso provide link to original manuscript for comparison.Insert and inform users of errors

Process

Link image URL(s) to HITEstablish HIT compensationReceive transcriptionsStore to Google Docs, make sharableMake HIT with transcription and image linkEstablish HIT compensationReceive 2nd transcriptions and store in Google DocsCheck off in Transcription Track Speadsheet

Results

Collection: Frederick Douglass Diary

Number transcribed: 68/72

Number transcribed and proofread: 28/72

Quality: inconsistent

Frederick Douglass Diary Manuscript # 2

  Several letters came on board and were handed to me after after our voyage began and we were well on our way to the gates of the Sea, and unfortunately the Pilots left the ship too soon to permits of sending in word of answer or a word of farewell to many dear friends to whom its would have been a pleasure to ahve sent such a word. We have now been on this noble ship about .8. hours. and no sign of the dreaded trouble of Sea Sickness. Had two or Three Shark talks with mr Brulock and mr Trayland. The latter is a remarkable clever talker, and is a man very free from pretense, but I fear is a little biased in his politics by mugwanfuism I like him. We have but few few passengers and of them there is a large sprinkling of ladies. Most of the latter thus far have spent their time on deck in Steamer chains with Books <strike>laze</strike> peacefully closed on this Lazy morn as <strike>soon</strike> moments tharn for uses while the Men walk the deck and

   Several letters came on board and were handed to me after our voyage began and we were well on our way to the gates of the sea and unfortunately the pilots left the ship too soon to possibility of sending a word of answer or a word of farewell to many dear friends to whom it would have been a pleasure to have sent such a word. We have now been on this noble ship about 8 hours and no sign of the dreaded trouble of sea sickness. Had two or three sharp talks with Mr Brulock and Mr Wayland. The latter is a remarkable clever talker and is a man very free from pretense but I fear is a little biased in his politics by mugrerantism. I like him.We have but few few passengers and of them there is a large sprinkling of ladies. Much of the latter thus for have spend their time on deck in steamer chairs with books peacefully closed on their laps more as ornaments than for use while the men walk the deck and

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Frederick Douglass Diary Manuscript #21

• Jan 21. Another bright day. Cool and bracing and the blue sky answered well stereotyped descriptions. The time was favorable for viewing the vast assemblage of shattered ruins spread out before us in the great Roman Forum. The Forum of Tragic and other features of the ancient greatness of Rome we did not view these alone. Men and women were there penhafed , from each quarter of the globe, seated or standing in the sunlight with pencils, pens and note books in their hands, noticing the fuller columns, broken tablets over which skillful artificers thought and wrought long before the Babe of Bethlehem was born. I have seen nothing more impressive and solemn. Nothing that tells so eloquently the story that all who live must die and at last - not only for man but for all his best endeavors it is dust to dust ashes to ashes. Marble, granite in whatever vastness shape hardness or position. Much yeild to the deft touch of time. Yet how grandly and persistently have these old tablets marble blocks resisted. How nobly they have continued to bear testimony to the energy the ambition and the greatness of the people who two thousand years

Jan 21. Another bright day. Cool and bracing and the blue sky answered well stereotyped descriptions. The time was favorable for viewing the vast assemblage of shattered ruins spread out before us in the great Roman Forum.

Results: Process & Economics

Base 1st submission pay: $0.03Current 1st submission pay: $0.10Base 2nd submission pay: $0.05Current 2nd submission pay: $0.10If task not completed after slated time, increase wage by $0.01 or $0.02Amazon MTurk service fee (10%)Total Paid: $13.418More tests pending for time/pay variable

Results: Problems

Choppy production paceIncreased wages Quicker production Same quality of production

Processing pace tedious Google Doc transfer Proofreading accountability

Need system to verify accuracy

Projections, Expansions, Visions

Functional automated programReceive digital images from librariesFormat submitted manuscripts (Snapter)Whole batch of manuscripts made HITsNot done: increase pay by intervalsAutomated error generator?Better proofreading accountabilitySend manuscripts back to library

Lecheim