1. All Together Now
Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center
&
Engaging Digital Volunteers
Meghan Ferriter, Ph.D.
22 January 2014

2. Transcription & Crowdsourcing
Tasks include:
• Manuscript (narrative) transcription
• Record Creation
• Specific form data population
• Geolocation
• Translation

3. With Success in SI
Digitization, Some
Challenges Emerge
As we increase volume of digitized collections and
open access, in what ways can we:
Improve and Increase the Quality of Engagement?
Increase Access and Use of Resources?
Create Pathways of Learning and New Knowledge?
Maintain and Build Trust with Communities of
Interest, Stakeholders, and Audiences?

4. What Is It?
Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center
a. An interactive space for audiences
b. Flexible and can be changed to suit project
needs and evolving SI and Unit goals
c. Allows us to create pathways & experiences with
digitized resources
d. And link these resources to physical collections
& experiences (“seriously amazing”)

5. Assumptions & Concerns
•
Misbehavior & Vandalism
•
Quality & Trustworthiness
•
Process & Workflow - Center & Unit
•
Resources - Units & Users
•
Motivation - If We Build It, Will They Come?

6. Transcription Center:
By the Numbers
•
Approximately 6 months of growth: June/July 2013
•
2403+ Registered Users
•
75+ Projects
•
8 participating units (+2 in the pipeline)
•
2 Templates: Narrative and Form Data
•
Engaging Users: from 15 to 135 per unit
•
Soft launch, minimal promotion, and organic social

7. Recalling Pilot Discoveries
•
Workflow & Experience prevents vandalism (but not
discrepancies)
•
Quality is… HIGH! – though we must continue to assess
quality and accuracy
•
Unit-specific but Center-focused Process – leading users
through and to specific tasks
•
What are we doing? Using templates to drive workflow to
a) reviewing manuscript transcripts and b) create
collections records
•
User Motivation is CONNECTING with and HELPING the
Smithsonian - “being involved” and “having access”

8. What’s Next?
•
Refining Process for Units
•
Improving UI for Units and Users
•
Outreach: Contribute & Connect; Compel Reviews
•
Making Meaningful Metrics in Pursuit of Goals
•
Working with Units to Determining Material Selection
Strategy
•
Introducing and Integrating other Units and Materials

9. Power Users
•
Top 20 Users by total events–
•
all total events over 1000 (drop by 200+ after)
•
Top 20 “Power Users” (high vol transcribers &
reviewers & projects) completed 5365 – 469 events
•
Relationships of Activity: 10 of 20 in Top 20
transcribers & Top 20 reviewers
•
Projects: 4 users over 20, 9 between 10-20 -- Max: 25,
Min: 3
•
Joined: August (7) – November (5); top 2 Oct & Nov
•
15 active within the last week (13-19 January 2014)

10. Traffic & Referrals
*Greatest traffic, by far: ORGANIC (927) and Google (584)
*Top 5 Referrals from
• SI.edu: 170
• Facebook.com: 159
• T.Co (twitter): 94
• m.facebook.com: 77
• Siarchives.si.edu: 44
In top 25 referrals: SIA, Botany, Collections Search, AAA,
Smithsonian Tumblr, forbes, AmericanHistory, SI-SIRIS,
anthropology; Also: teachers, geneology, ushistoryeducatorblog

11. Behavior on Site
• If pushed into homepage, users tend to leave within two
clicks (pages)
• If pushed into an active project page, users drill down 3-4
pages further (decreased dropoff)
• Users want to do it right – seeking instructions & tips
• Recently time on site is increasing (with increase in
reviewing?)
• Increasing returning visits
• Sustained rate of sign up & % visits last more than 10 sec
• Excellent response on Calls to Action – C&C and project
description changes

12. What Does It All Mean?
•
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•
•
•
•
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Users want MORE, MORE, MORE
Must improve UI for Units and Users to speed approval
Must establish “pipeline” queue of projects & selfservice
Outreach is effective: Contribute & Connect & directed
SIMULTANEOUSLY
Units are primed for great interaction around TC projects
in social/blog/web presence
TC must establish stronger social presence & apply
approach catering to relatedness + tasks + needs
Finding BEST way to combine amazing materials and
units capabilities – unit-by-unit process and strategy

13. Questions?
Thank you
Let’s chat!
Meghan Ferriter - ferriterm@si.edu - 202-633-2932