What is a batch?
Members of a language team can submit multiple words or phrases in batches via a .csv file, to be uploaded to their language site. This allows you to work offline to prepare your entries and once you are familiar with the process it can save you a lot of time.
You must be part of a language team to add new entries. To learn about how language teams work, check out our information on leading a FirstVoices project.
How batches work
You will work offline to prepare your audio files and a spreadsheet containing the details of all your entries. There are very specific requirements for your files and data so please look over the preparation instructions carefully.
Once you're ready, you'll double-check your spreadsheet and all of your files.
Then you'll send your files and documentation to FirstVoices through a SharePoint link, and inform us via email when it is ready. If you need an alternate solution due to internet speed issues, please email support@fpcc.ca.
As long as there are no errors in your documentation, the FirstVoices team will then upload your files and send you a confirmation email once it has been completed.
Most teams opt for over 100 entries per batch, although batches can have hundreds or thousands of entries. For your first batch, we require that you submit a small batch of ten or so to test out and familiarize yourself with the process before investing large amounts of time. Subsequent batches should be a 50 entry minimum.
The process for batch uploads is outlined in much more detail here.
Attention to detail
The batch upload process does require very keen attention to detail and as such, some users prefer to add entries individually using the online form. If you like data entry and proofreading, batch uploads can be a really efficient way of uploading entries.
Please note that it may take us longer than usual to process your batch uploads, as our FirstVoices development team capacity has been significantly reduced. If you don't hear back in the normal 1-2 week time period after sending us a batch upload, please don't be concerned — our team is working diligently to get them completed in a timely manner, and your batch will be responded to and processed as soon as possible.
If you normally send multiple batches per month, we would appreciate it if you would consider sending one larger batch per month instead. This would reduce the amount of time it takes for us to process multiple batches, and speed up the process for everyone.