Swahili (Kiswahili) is used across East Africa and beyond, with variation across regions, contexts, and formal or informal communication. A dataset designed for one setting may not automatically transfer to another. Project teams should identify the target users, geography, domain, and model task.
Speech coverage
For audio, document recording conditions, speaker selection, consent, file specifications, and transcript rules. Decide whether the project should represent spontaneous speech, prepared reading, conversational commands, or domain-specific language. If code-switching or regional terms are relevant, describe how they should be captured.
Text and evaluation
For text datasets, define spelling normalization, domain coverage, metadata, annotation labels, and quality review. Evaluation sets should be kept separate from training material where the use case requires it, and source permissions should match intended downstream use.
A Swahili speech or text brief should explain the use case, expected deliverables, variety, sample size, timeline, and review criteria. Langigs can discuss requirements, subject to confirmation of project fit and actual capacity.
