Six approaches to measuring translation quality is a short article published several years ago on the Medical Design Online web site (the article is still available).

The six approaches mentioned are:

• Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J2450
• Localisation Industry Standard Association (LISA) QA Model
• ForeignExchange Translations' Multilingual Compliance Process
• American Translators Association accreditation program
• Deutsches Institut für Normung DIN 2345
• Six sigma quality initiative

Six approaches to measuring translation qualityNovember 9, 2000

Medical device manufacturers must be assured of the accuracy of the translations of labels and instructions for use pamphlets accompanying their products. But just how can translation quality be measured? Here are some proven methods.
By Andres Heuberger Many organizations grapple with the question of how to measure translation quality. The problem lies in the fact that translation quality is often subjective -- miscommunications and different stylistic preferences often mark discussions concerning "good" or "bad" quality. Worse still, many organizations and a surprising number of localization and translation vendors have no quality system in place at all. At the center of this issue lies the fact there is no single accepted definition for translation quality. As with beauty, quality lies in the eye of the beholder. Proven Approaches
Several groups have developed methodologies to measure translation quality. Some of these quality systems are very quantitative. Some of these approaches extended the definition of quality to include harder-to-measure concepts such as the style, consistency, and accuracy of translated texts. The different systems appeal to different kinds of users and organizations. There isn't a single right answer. The key is to find a solution that is right for you. The following list provides a summary overview of six real-world approaches to defining and measuring translation quality: 1. Society of Automotive Engineers J2450

• geared toward needs of automotive manufacturers
• incorporates machine-translation issues
• assigns normalized quality score

2. Localisation Industry Standard Association QA Model

• specific to software localization
• quality assurance (i.e., sampling) vs. quality control (i.e., 100% review)
• error classes are jointly defined by client and vendor

3. ForeignExchange Translations' Multilingual Compliance Process

• six-step linguist-testing procedure
• statistical and qualitative standards of measurement
• applies to web, localization, documentation

4. American Translators Association accreditation program

• specific to translation
• standardized evaluation

5. Deutsches Institut für Normung DIN 2345

• outlines procedure, minimum qualifications
• participation by all parties of translation assignment, i.e., client, translation company, and freelance translators

6. Six sigma quality initiative

• quality metric (i.e., 3.4 defects per million opportunities)
• program for continuous improvement, employee empowerment, enhanced customer focus
• the founder of six sigma has a consulting firm at http://www.6-sigma.com/