Quality Assurance: Is it worth investing in it?

Tips for a high quality translation product

Lorena Baudo & Susana Vivas

1

Introduction

Development: Human translation-related

mistakes

CAT tool-related mistakes

Scores & Feedback

Conclusion Q & A live chat

is a planned system of revision procedures carried out in different production steps that guarantee compliance with quality

; said standards can be established by your own, by the client, by the industry itself or by all of them.

To achieve QA, it is necessary to implement tasks to measure and control the quality of our work in a way.

Quality Assurance

standards

systematic

Human translation-related mistakesMicro vs Macro perspectiveDamage avoidance

Micro vs Macro perspectiveHuman translation-

related mistakesThe global vision of the reviewer compared to the micro linguistic approach

Micro vs Macro perspectiveExample

Human translation- related mistakes

Human-translation related mistakes

Clients who do not even speak the target language, can detect the following mistakes:

Trademarks & proper names in general Spelling & typographic mistakes, detectable with spellcheck function Formatting Figures Number of paragraphs, missing text & untranslated text All types of mistakes in titles & main headings

Client’s first impression compared to the micro linguistic approach

Critical mistakes Human translation- related mistakes

Mistakes that have an adverse effect that result in legal, commercial or safety issues.

Examples:

Effects of drugs and medical processes

Contractual provisions Description of commercial products Slogans Instructions/warning notices involving

safety risk or product malfunctioning

Damage avoidance

Major mistakes Language Formatting Processes

Human translation- related mistakes

Damage avoidance

In relation to LANGUAGE:o Names, brands & placeso Figures, dates & addresseso Spelling & typos in headingso Inconsistency of key wordso Mistranslations

In relation to FORMAT: Hidden text or remaining tags in final

files Text in the source language in final files Missing text

In relation to PROCESSES: Lack of adherence to:

Glossary Instructions Style Guide Reference material

Final files with personal marks, comments & notes

Linguistic differences between final file & bilingual file

Delivery: of the wrong documents when deadline is already past due of fewer documents than requested

Examples

Minor mistakes Human translation- related mistakes

Damage avoidance

Slight change in the meaning Incorrect punctuation or capitalisation Non-adherence to style requirements Minor violation of generally accepted language

conventions Guidelines violation

NONE of these result in misinterpretation of the source or in the wrong functionality of the product

So far:

Quality Assurance: definition Human translation related

mistakes: Opposing perpectives Critical, major & minor mistakes

Next:

CAT-tool related mistakes

We’re here!

Easy to spot!

o Spelling mistakeso Punctuationo Number errorso Not following the glossaryo Inconsistencieso Missing translations

QA&

CAT tools Functions Propietary CAT tool Free CAT

toolSDLX SDL

TRADOS 2007

SDL TRADOS 2009

IDIOM DEJA VÚ WORDFAST Pro

MEMO-Q OMEGA-T

(SDL TRADOS 2007)

(Tag editor) (7.5.297) (2.4)

Spell checker x x x x x x x xGrammar x x x x x x    Punctuation x x x x x x x  Number mismatch x x x x   x x  Terminology   x x x x X (not

terminology verification)

x x x (not terminology verification)

Glossary

Forbidden terms x x x     x    

Regular expressions x x x          Inconsistencies x x x x x x x  Placeholders’ check x x x x   x   xFormatting x x x x x x x  Segment length   x x          Segments to exclude x x x     x    Empty target x x x     x    Untranslated text x x x     x    Partially translated text x   x     x    Length verification   x x     x    Trademark check   x x          

SUMMARY OF THE MAIN BUILT-IN QA FEATURES

CAT tools EXTERNAL QA TOOLS  Propietary software Free software

D.O.G Error Spy QA Distiller X-BenchConsistency check x x xRegular expressions (Customized check)

x x xTerminology check x x xNumber check x x xTag check x x xFormat check x x  Missing translation x x xSpell checker Source x    

Target x    Acronym check x    Typography check x    Single expression check x    XML  Validate x    Learning experience (Customized check)

x    Punctuation x x  Word list (exclude certain words from the terminology check) x x  Language specific setting   xFile Type TTX

XLIFFTrados TMTMXTransit XVTrados unclean file (doc or rtf)

Tag editor (ttx)TMX*Bilingual STF files (Converted FrameMaker documents translated in MS Word)(Framemaker files are converted into ttx file. If you want to correct mistakes in the original file, you can open this file and search for the mistake.

Tab-delimited textTMX memoryTrados exported memoryTrados exported Multiterm 5 glossaryTag editor (ttx)Trados Word fileSDLXSTAR TransitIBM TM DictionaryIBM TM FolderIBM TM Exported FolderWordfast TM and glossaryOracle XLIFF fileTBXTrados Multiterm XMLMac OS X GlossaryRemote Xbench Server

So far:

Quality Assurance: definition Human translation related

mistakes CAT-tool related mistakes

Next:

Scores & Feedback

We’re here!

Translation fields Vendor specialization Specific training & feedback

Scores & Feedback

How a reviewer scores a translation

Error categoriesScores & Feedback

Customized LISA error categoriesError Categories DescriptionAccuracy/Terminology Appropriate terminology and the

meaning of the original was kept and not altered.

Consistency Cross-project terminology and abbreviation

Language/Grammar Target language grammatical and syntactical rules are followed. No typos or mispelling.

Style/Register Style and register according to the text specific field.

Format The format of the original file is kept.

Following instructions/Adherence to reference material

TM, style guide, glossary and project instructions are followed.

Overall Quality The time assigned to each activity is followed. All the categories above mentioned are followed and are correct. No KO punches.

A way of overcoming subjectivity when checking a translation

Scores & Feedback

QA template based on LISA2x1

Scores & FeedbackHow to quantify

quality

Summing up… See the text as the client doesSee the text as the client does

o FormatFormato Brands & key wordsBrands & key wordso Critical mistakes might involve losing a clientCritical mistakes might involve losing a client

Use QA tools at handUse QA tools at hand Implement your own QA system and stick to it!Implement your own QA system and stick to it! Register your mistakes and your vendors’ mistakes based Register your mistakes and your vendors’ mistakes based

onono Translation fieldTranslation fieldo Type of mistakeType of mistakeo SeveritySeverity

Conclusion

Final checklist

Further questions & comments:lbaudo@gmail.comtradvivas@yahoo.com

Find detailed answers to all your questions in the follow-up blog:

http://baudovivas.blogspot.com/

Q & Alive chat

Thanks!Lorena Baudo & Susana Vivas

Conclusion