QUANTITATIVE METHOD OF TRANSLATION QUALITY ASSESSMENT (Translation Quality Index)
The quality of our translation is measured by applying a translation quality assessment form. The objective of this form is a quantitative assessment of the translation quality.
The quality assurance process involves the following stages:
I. At the initial stage a project manager completes the quality assessment form and submits it to an independent expert.
II. The independent expert thoroughly checks the translation for errors.
All the errors found in the text are classified into the following categories:
meaning, missing translation, terminology, vocabulary, grammar, spelling, punctuation, typos, country standards, language consistency, formatting, style.
Depending on its consequences each error is assigned a severity level and thus is marked as critical, major, or minor.
In case there is at least one critical error found in the text, the translation quality is graded as poor; the text is then returned to the translation team for revision.
The errors of some categories are regarded as critical only. These are:
Missing translation (errors of this category cannot be assigned a severity level due to their significance).
Grammar (being a native speaker, a professional translator must have a sufficient expertise in grammar of his/her native language).
Spelling (being a native speaker, a professional translator must have a sufficient expertise in the spelling norms of his/her native language).
Typos (errors of this category cannot be assigned a severity level due to their significance).
Language consistency (any violation of language consistency may bring along some difficulties in catching the meaning of the text).
III. After a thorough check of the translated text by the expert the translation quality assessment form is returned to the translation team (terminology expert, translator, editor, and proofreader). The translation team analyses all the errors marked by the expert and accepts or rejects the suggested changes. Each accepted error is assigned a certain number of points.
IV. At the final stage the translation quality assessment form is with the project manager again; he/she carefully studies the errors marked by the expert as well as their analysis done by the translation team and then he/she registers the translation quality index, which is calculated automatically.
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