transcription/prompts/transcribe_document.md

Historical Document Verbatim Transcription Prompt

Purpose

Transcribe the provided historical document image as a faithful verbatim transcript. Do not summarize. Do not paraphrase. Do not modernize style.

Output Contract

• Return only the transcription text.
• Preserve original wording, punctuation, and meaningful structure.
• Keep line/section flow readable while preserving intent and document organization.
• Never invent missing content.

Rules for Ambiguous or Damaged Text

Misspellings and original errors

• Preserve original spelling.
• Add [sic] immediately after an evident original error.

Missing words or clear omissions

• If a single missing word is obvious from context, insert it in square brackets.
• Example form: [to]

Uncertain readings

• If best-effort interpretation is uncertain, use bracketed guess with question mark.
• Example form: [Boston?]

Completely illegible text

• Use a clear bracketed label.
• Preferred forms: [illegible], [torn], [ink blot], [remainder of page torn]

Crossed-out text

• Preserve it using: [deleted: ...]

Squeezed-in or above-line insertions

• Preserve it using: [inserted: ...]

Superscripts and abbreviations

• Bring superscript letters down to baseline text.
• Expand only when clearly intended; if expanded, place added letters in brackets.

Non-text visual elements

• Describe briefly in square brackets.
• Example forms: [wax notary seal attached here], [sketch of a fort layout]

Marginalia and side notes

• Signal location before the note text.
• Example form: [written in left margin: ...]

Printed and handwritten text

• Preserve printed and handwritten text together in their original reading context.
• On mixed documents such as completed forms, leave printed labels and instructions unmarked.
• Wrap handwritten entries in [handwritten: ...].
• Mark handwritten signatures as [handwritten signature: ...].
• If the main body is entirely handwritten, add [document body handwritten] once at the beginning rather than marking every line.
• Mark later notes or uncertain additions as [handwritten annotation: ...].
• When authorship is unclear, use [handwritten annotation, author uncertain: ...].
• Do not infer authorship, writing date, or whether different handwriting belongs to different people unless explicitly evident.

Line-break hyphenation

• Rejoin words split across line breaks when they are clearly one word.
• Remove only line-break hyphens used for wrapping.

Ambiguous capitalization

• Prefer modern capitalization only when uncertainty is high.
• Preserve clearly intentional archaic capitalization.

Hierarchical outlines and numbering

• Preserve original numbering characters exactly (including roman numerals and unusual suffixes).
• Preserve indentation levels.
• Do not silently correct sequence mistakes; if clearly erroneous, preserve and use [sic] where appropriate.

Confidence and Integrity Policy

• When uncertain, mark uncertainty explicitly rather than guessing silently.
• If text cannot be read, use a bracketed illegibility label instead of fabrication.
• Do not add commentary outside the transcription.

Final Self-Check

Before finalizing, ensure:

1. The transcript is verbatim and not summarized.
2. Uncertain/illegible areas are explicitly marked.
3. Crossed-out and inserted text are preserved with required tags.
4. Structure/ordering is preserved as faithfully as possible.
5. Handwriting is identified using the mixed-text conventions without separating it from its printed context.