Introduction

Cochrane podcasts summarise Cochrane Reviews in an audio format. People can listen to podcasts on cochrane.org or iTunes. Podcasts can also be downloaded, so people can listen to them offline. You can see the full list of Cochrane podcasts here: http://www.cochrane.org/podcasts/

Each podcast webpage consists of:

• the main audio summary of the Review,
• an audio ‘top’ and ‘tail’, which is the introduction and ending of the podcast, and
• a brief introductory text, taken from the audio 'top', which is displayed on the webpage along with the podcast.

How to start translating podcasts

Podcasts can be translated and recorded in any language. The process includes two main steps:

• Translating the English transcript, and
• Recording the audio version in your language.

Before you start translating podcasts, please contact Paolo Rosati (prosati@cochrane.org), so he can check that no one else is already working on translations into your language. [This sentence in inaccurate: I have never been contacted by anyone with regard to this. I'm not sure if Hayley had the ability to check whether more than one person was going to translate a podcast. I think that the probability that any clash may occur is so low that we can simply remove that sentence and deal with a possible clash when it occurs - at some point I would notice it anyway]

Translation teams who regularly translate podcasts into their language, can find the full list of available podcasts on Dropbox, or check http://www.cochrane.org/multimedia/podcasts/. New podcasts are also shared via the Communications Network digest on a weekly basis. You can find a copy of the transcript on each English podcast page on cochrane.org (for podcast published since January 2016). If you cannot find a script that you are looking for, please contact Paolo Rosati (prosati@cochrane.org) so he can send you the English transcript, if available.

Translating the podcast script

• Check if the Plain Language Summary or Abstract related to the podcast have already been translated into your language, and take a look at it to ensure translations are consistent in terms of wording.
• The English transcript is usually recorded by one of the authors of the Review, so tends to be written in the first person, using ‘I’, ‘we’ and ‘our’ pronouns. For a translated podcast, the script should be translated in the third person, if the person doing the recording was not one of the Review authors. It should be clear that it is a translation, and that the speaker is not the person who conducted the research. For example, any mention of ‘our Review’ and ‘our results’ should be modified to ‘the Review’ and ‘the results’.
• In the introductory text, the sentence mentioning the speaker and their affiliation should be removed, and replaced with the name and affiliation of the new speaker. If the new speaker is not an author of the Review, adapt the text to say who translated and recorded the podcast, for example: ‘Andrea Cervera from Cochrane Iberoamérica translated and recorded this podcast.’ The same applies to any mentions of the author or speaker in the audio ‘top’.

Recording the podcast

• The English script is set out for two speakers: one who records the ‘top’ and ‘tail’, and another one who records the Review summary. If you cannot find a second speaker, it is fine for one person to record the whole translated podcast. But please make sure to adapt the podcast script accordingly to one speaker only, so that it makes sense.
• You can record the audio file yourself
  • If you have a Windows PC you can use the ‘Voice recorder’ app in Windows 10. It is under Programs > Accessories, and it allows you to save the file in WMA format.
  • If you have a Mac, you can do the recording using the ‘Garage Band' app.
  • Alternatively, you can use an online voice recorder, e.g. https://online-voice-recorder.com, or an app on your smartphone.
    The quality of the recording should be acceptable with any of these apps or devices, but please make sure to avoid background noise and to use a reasonably good microphone.
• Alternatively, you can arrange a Skype call with Paolo Rosati (prosati@cochrane.org) , who can record you while you are reading the podcast during a call.

Publishing the podcast

When you have translated the script and webpage introduction, and recorded the podcast, please send all of the below to Paolo Rosati (prosati@cochrane.org):

• The translated title of the podcast, if the Plain Language Summary related to the podcast has not been translated.
• The introductory text that appears on the cochrane.org webpage in your language. Make sure you have added a line at the end that says ‘This podcast was translated and recorded by…’ to be clear it is a translated version, and remove any mention of the original speakers or authors as needed.
• A final version of the written transcript, including top and tail, in your language.
• The audio file of your recording.
• Optionally, a picture of the person who recorded the podcast. The size of the photo should be no larger than 160 pixels wide by 160 pixels tall, ideally in portrait layout, and saved in JPEG format.

What happens if a Review with a podcast is updated?

Whenever a Review with a podcast is updated, an invitation is sent to the authors of the updated Review to ask them whether a new podcast is required.

• If yes, then the authors produce a new podcast and the regular procedure is followed. All translation teams who translate podcasts regularly are informed of the publication of the new podcast. Old English and translated versions of the podcast are consequently unpublished.
• If not, because the update was minor, then the existing podcast is linked to the updated version and its publication date is updated, too - so much so for the translated versions.
• If not, because the authors do not wish to record an updated podcast, the previous podcast and its translations are removed from cochrane.org.