False Starts and Leading Words
Guidelines for handling false starts and leading words in edited verbatim.
False Starts and Leading Words
Most false starts, erms, may be omitted where not deliberately uttered by the speaker. However, there will be times where such utterances are deliberate, and should be left in.
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When to Keep False Starts
For instance, where a speaker answers with uncertainty, the erm should remain:
Example: "Erm, I'm not really sure."
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Leading Words
Be careful when choosing if to omit leading words such as 'And' and 'So', as sometimes these are used to indicate a new sentence, or shift in topic, and should be left in where obviously used as verbal grammar in this manner.
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General Principle
In most interviews, it's best to omit fillers and false starts to aid readability. There are exceptions, such as when:
- Fillers contribute to meaning (e.g. to express uncertainty)
- Fillers are relevant to the wider interview context (e.g. oral history or sociological research)
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Decision Making
The key is determining whether the false start or filler:
- Adds meaning → Keep it
- Is deliberate → Keep it
- Merely fills space → Remove it
- Impedes readability → Remove it