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Real Realtime
BRIEF FORMS - KEEP IT SHORT!
In especially complex cases, reporters may have to write longer words and phrases over and over again. For example, a pharmaceutical patient case may contain the term "amended abbreviated new drug application," and it may be said literally hundreds of times in a day. Each time that phrase is "written out" in full, it may require 4, 5 or 6 strokes on the steno keyboard. Savvy reporters can quickly make a brief form for that phrase that enables them to write that long phrase in just one stroke. And when reporters write less strokes, they're not struggling to "keep up" with the testimony. They write cleaner, clearer, better realtime. After all, we are SHORThand reporters!
For the phrase above, "amended abbreviated new drug application," the reporter may write one stroke, say, [ DAP ], then "define" that stroke as "amendeD abbreviated new Drug Application."
Here are some other examples of brief forms, all written in one stroke on the steno machine:
[TOARD]
for "to a reasonable degree" ...
TO
for "to,"
A
for "a," and
RD
for "reasonable degree. See?
[STAURM]
for "state your name" ...
STA
for "state,"
UR
for "your," and
M
for "name."
[STAURMD]
for "state your name for the record" ... you can figure that out, right?
STA
for "state,"
UR
again for "your,"
M
for "name," and we add in that final
D
for "record"!