5 Things You Need to Keep in Mind While Choosing a Translation Service for Your Academic Paper

Over time, English has emerged as the de facto lingua franca of the research community. Regrettably, articles written in other languages often face limited reach, creating a disparity between English and non-English papers that can be addressed through translation. Nowadays, a plethora of online translation service providers exist. Yet, translating academic papers necessitates distinct expertise. As a researcher, it’s crucial to consider the following factors when selecting a translation service for your manuscript. More generally, the different kinds of translation, with the various principles and guidelines that have been proposed to account for them, can be explained in terms of the interaction between the principle of relevance and contextual factors, without recourse to typological frameworks [1].

1. Subject Specialist Translators:

Academic writing is exceptionally intricate, comprising hypotheses, intricate theories, scientific principles, and conjecture. When seeking translation for your academic paper, maintaining the original meaning is paramount across languages. It’s crucial that diverse audiences do not draw divergent interpretations from your work. Thus, opting for translation services equipped with subject specialists is imperative. Achieving superior translation necessitates translators who grasp your research and its underlying concepts. A tailored approach is essential; a one-size-fits-all method won’t yield the desired outcome. The qualitative data analysis revealed that, for this particular task, a degree in translation does not directly correlate with postediting quality, unless it is combined with subject-matter knowledge and professional experience in translation [2].

2. Quality:

Translation Quality Assessment has become one of the key issues in translation studies. This comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of translation evaluation makes explicit the grounds of judging the worth of a translation and emphasizes that translation is, at its core, a linguistic art [3].

Relying solely on subject-specific translators does not ensure top-notch translation quality. When selecting a translation service provider, it’s crucial to inquire about their quality assurance process. For instance, if you need your academic paper translated from Spanish to English, mere translation won’t suffice for a polished outcome.

The translated manuscript must undergo scrutiny by a bilingual expert to ensure accurate conveyance of your hypothesis, results, and inferences. This step is vital because translating certain terms or theories can be intricate. Subsequently, English editing is necessary to ensure grammatical correctness and adherence to English language conventions.

Finally, a thorough review of the edited manuscript ensures compliance with all your specifications, making the translated document submission-ready.

3. Service:

When approaching a translation service for the first time, it’s crucial that your initial contact person listens attentively to your needs, elucidates the process in straightforward terms, and recommends the optimal solution tailored to your requirements. Should you have further inquiries, your designated point of contact, whether a client manager, customer service representative, or project manager, should strive to respond promptly, ideally within the same business day or even within a few hours. A client-focused translation service provider demonstrates their commitment by offering customized services that align with your specific preferences, be it pricing, delivery time, or other specifications.

4. Security and Confidentiality:

When seeking translation services for your manuscript, prioritize reliability and trustworthiness. Your academic paper represents months or even years of dedicated research and should be treated with utmost care. Look for translation agencies equipped with robust IT security systems certified by ISO standards to ensure the safe and secure transfer of both your original document and its translated version. It’s essential to choose a provider that guarantees the protection of your intellectual property throughout the translation process.

5. Post-translation support:

Translation entails a collaborative process often involving dialogue between the author and the translator. A reputable translation service agency will provide post-translation support, enabling you to articulate your concerns and specific requirements directly to the translator.

References

1. Gutt, E. A. (1989). Translation and relevance (Doctoral dissertation, University of London).
2. Temizöz, Ö. (2016). Postediting machine translation output: subject-matter experts versus professional translators. Perspectives, 24(4), 646-665.
3. House, J. (2014). Translation Quality Assessment: Past and Present (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315752839