A copy typist is someone who specialises in typing text from a source which they read.

Professional overview

Copy typists learn to touch type at a high speed, which means they can look at the copy

Copy (written)

Copy refers to written material, in contrast to photographs or other elements of layout, in a large number of contexts, including magazines, advertising, and book publishing....

 they are typing and do not need to look at the keyboard

Keyboard (computing)

In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...

 they are typing on.

The source, or original document is called the copy

Copy (written)

Copy refers to written material, in contrast to photographs or other elements of layout, in a large number of contexts, including magazines, advertising, and book publishing....

. They have the document

Document

The term document has multiple meanings in ordinary language and in scholarship. WordNet 3.1. lists four meanings :* document, written document, papers...

 to be typed in front of them and the copy is often held in a copyholder

Copyholder

A copyholder is a device that holds the hand written or printed material being typed by a copy typist. They were used in the past with typewriters and are now used with computers and word processors like Writer or Word....

. The adjustable arm on the copyholder aids legibility

Legibility

Legibility is the degree to which glyphs in text are understandable or recognizable based on appearance. "The legibility of a typeface is related to the characteristics inherent in its design .....

 and maximises the typing speed. There could also be an adjustable ruler and marker to help the typist keep their position when they are interrupted, clips to hold the pages in place, and a light.

Copy can be hand written notes perhaps from an author

Author

An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

 of a book, a play, or a tv show. It might be their own notes in shorthand

Shorthand

Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...

 - perhaps minutes

Minutes

Minutes, also known as protocols, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting, starting with a list of attendees, a statement of the issues considered by the participants, and related responses or decisions for the issues.Minutes may be...

 from a meeting

Meeting

In a meeting, two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal setting.- Definitions :An act or process of coming together as an assembly for a common purpose....

 or notes

NOTES

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery is an experimental surgical technique whereby "scarless" abdominal operations can be performed with an endoscope passed through a natural orifice then through an internal incision in the stomach, vagina, bladder or colon, thus avoiding any external...

 from a talk

Talk

Talk may refer to:* Conversation, interactive communication between two or more people* Speech, the production of a spoken language* Interaction, face to face conversations-Software:* Google Talk, a Windows- and web-based instant messaging program...

, lecture

Lecture

thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...

 or presentation

Presentation

Presentation is the practice of showing and explaining the content of a topic to an audience or learner. Presentations come in nearly as many forms as there are life situations...

. In the past when word-processors were not available and few people could type they would have typed up dissertations, research papers and letters that had been hand written by the authors. An urgent letter which was typed up was often signed by the secretary

Secretary

A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...

 with a pp

Procuration

Procuration is the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency. The word is applied to the authority or power delegated to a procurator, or agent, as well as to the exercise of such authority expressed frequently by procuration , or shortly per pro., or simply p.p.A common...

 or was otherwise given back to the sender to sign before dispatch.

A copy typist or a secretary with this skill will quote their speed in words per minute (abbreviated to wpm) on their CV

CV

CV, Cv, or cv may refer to:*Curriculum vitae, a summary of academic and professional history and achievements-Engineering, mathematics, and science:* Calorific value, the amount of heat released during the combustion of a substance...

 and may be asked to demonstrate their speed and accuracy of this skill as part of the interview

Interview

An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...

 or application process.

See audio typist

Audio typist

An audio typist is someone who specialises in typing text from an audio source which they listen to. The source, or original document is usually recorded onto microcassettes created by someone dictating into a Dictaphone...

 for someone who uses an audio source for the documents they are typing.

See also

• Personal assistant
  Personal assistant
  A personal assistant or personal aide is someone who assists in daily business or personal tasks. It is common in design to have a PDA, or personal design assistant....
  
  
• Receptionist
  Receptionist
  A receptionist is an employee taking an office/administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business...
  
  
• Secretary
  Secretary
  A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
  
  
• Administrator
• Data entry clerk
  Data entry clerk
  A data entry clerk, sometimes called a typist, is a member of staff employed to type data into a database using a keyboard. The keyboards used can often have specialist keys and multiple colours to help them in the task and speed up the work.-Examples:...