How To Ensure The Accuracy Of Translation
The terminology used in the translation can be confusing and can affect the accuracy of translation. Reputable translation agencies comprehensively evaluate their professional translators prior to assigning them to a client project. It is important to ask about their recruitment process and the specific skills, experience, subject matter expertise of the proposed translation team working on your project.
Likewise, professional translation agencies usually hold quality certifications as well as professional indemnity insurance to protect both parties in the event of a mistranslation. This article will clarify the most common terms and help you evaluate your specific project needs.
Evaluating a translator’s qualifications and professional affiliations
- Ensure your translator is a native speaker of the target language and fluent in the source language. Also, they must be familiar with cultural and dialect nuances.
- Confirm your translator’s years of professional translation experience by asking for references.
- Enquire about your translator’s qualifications and knowledge of translation technology tools.
- Make sure your translator is familiar enough with your subject field to fully understand the source language’s key messages, tone and communication objective.
- Does your translator have current memberships in professional translation associations?
- Please note that there is no formal certification, licences or verification processes for professional translators.
Assessing the Translation team’s Quality Control and Accuracy Process
There are measurable and proven processes in the translation industry to safeguard the accuracy of translation. Typically, project managers oversee this process with the translation team, especially if the project requires more than one translator.
Understanding the client’s goals and objectives for the project and setting up the project scope is the first step for all well managed projects. Then, choosing the best team members and briefing them on their respective roles to meet those requirements is crucial. Next, you need to prepare the source material, so it is in the format that the translators and machine technology can work with efficiently. Then, a second translator should proofread all translations (with subject matter expertise and native fluency). The project manager manages the project throughout the process and thus is very familiar with the content. They also serve as the final quality assurance step to ensure the final copy matches the source document. It also meets all of the client’s original goals and objectives prior to delivery.
Confirming Agency Credentials
- Company history and number of years an agency has been in business is often looked at as the sole qualification for vendors. In fact, it is more important to look at the combined experience levels of the company owners, project managers and translation teams.
- Like individual translators, the agency itself has international trade associations it may be affiliated with. Ask about the agency’s current memberships in global translation agency associations. As memberships are typically open to any business and are paid for annually, this may or may not be a key evaluation criterion.
- Relying on insurance policies to protect yourself from inaccurate translations is never a good idea. At the same time, ensuring that your language translation company offers professional indemnity insurance policy is an important risk mitigation tactic.
- Reviewing a company’s project portfolio is a great method to evaluate the agency. Look both at the language combinations of past projects and the subject field. Your project’s requirements will determine the best fit.
- Reading testimonials and talking with former clients is a good way to evaluate the agency’s relevant qualifications for your project. Ask for references for other projects completed in the same language combination. In addition, ask for references in the subject matter you are translating.
Renaissance Translations’ Professional Translation Services
At Renaissance Translations, we offer high quality translation, coupled with timely delivery and excellent customer service. Let’s discuss whether our services are a good match for your project requirements.
