Scopists are hired by court reporters to edit and proofread transcripts while the reporters work in court or take depositions and, according to the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), there are an estimated 50,000 court reporters in the United States. Scoping is an ideal career for a person who prefers to work at home and provides flexibility in choosing how many hours you want to work.

The job of the scopist is to edit the stenograph-to-English translation of the trial proceeding recorded by the reporter and check for any mistranslations in order to correct words, such as proper names and any technical terms. A scopist uses specialized reporting software to review, edit and proofread the court transcript that can easily be transferred via online services.

Stark State now offers the Information Reporting Technology program entirely through distance learning. It affords students the opportunity to complete a college education via distance education from home and at their convenience and it affords students the opportunity to learn with flexibility of time and place while maintaining access to faculty and other College services. E-Learning is a unique alternative to traditional on-campus courses.

Virtually anyone who has access to a computer will be able to take the program online, but the student will be required to have specific hardware/software equipment before starting the Information Reporting Technology program through distance learning.