Collaborative translation

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Collaborative translation is a translation technique that has been created or enabled by modern translation technology where multiple participants can collaborate on the same document simultaneously, generally sharing a computer-assisted translation interface that includes tools for collaboration.

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Collaborative translation should not be confused with crowdsourcing: the two are very different, although the techniques can be used together.

Collaborative translation must not be confused with cooperative translation. On one hand, cooperative translation is defined as any activity pertaining to the translation process (translating text parts, editing, revision), and to any other necessary step (contact with clients, administrative preparation) which is carried out by multiple people, coordinated by one common figure. On the other hand, collaborative translation is defined as sharing the same tasks/objectives; in this case, all members work on the same task (in synchronous or asynchronous mode). [1]

Definitions

Collaborative translation techniques are frequently confused with crowdsourcing techniques, even by managers who work in translation industry. [2]

Collaborative translation refers to the technique of having multiple translation participants with varying tasks participate simultaneously in a collaborative workspace with shared resources. It is a new technique made possible by cloud computing. [3] The purpose of collaborative translation is to reduce the total time of the translation lifecycle, improve communications, particularly between translator and non-translator participants, and eliminate many management tasks.

Crowdsourcing (in the translation industry) refers to the practice of assigning translation tasks to a group of individuals via a "flexible open call". [4] The purpose of crowdsourcing in the translation industry is to simplify the translation assignment phase of the lifecycle, reduce translation rates, and in some implementations, get translation for free. [5]

For example, a crowdsourced document translation could be accepted by ten individuals in a crowd, each of whom has been assigned a piece of the larger document. Parsing a document, in itself, is not collaborative translation, because there is no real collaboration happening. However, when those ten individuals use collaborative translation technology to work and communicate simultaneously amongst themselves and with other collaborators like subject matter experts, managers, proofreaders, etc., it becomes collaborative translation (that included a crowdsourcing phase).

Relation to cloud computing

Cloud computing revolutionized the translation industry and introduced collaborative translation. Managers, translators, and proofreaders, who previously had traditional CAT tools installed on their desktops, could now login to the same system at the same time, sharing translation memory resources in real-time and collaborating via communication features available in the workspace. [6]

Traditional translation workflows were typically lock-step affairs, where the document first went to A where it was translated, then to B where it was proofread, and maybe to C where a subject matter expert might review it. Questions and answers were typically handled by the translation manager. However, by allowing all the participants to share resources and work simultaneously in a single, cloud-based workspace, the lifecycle was shortened and quality increased.

Some Translation management systems can split even a single source file into a number of translation bundles. The bundles can be assigned to multiple translators who can all work on their own part of the file at the same time as the translation corrector. [7] Combining simultaneous translation workflows with collaborative translation helps limit the time required to translate high volume publications.

Research projects on collaborative translation

In 2023, the "Collaborative translation: approaches and perspectives" international research project carried out by IULM University (Italy, Milan) since 2021 officially turned into the International Center for Research on Collaborative Translation. The Center aims at producing innovative, cutting-edge research within the field of Translation Studies, promoting the establishment of a worldwide scientific community. So far, the Center has produced the first bibliography on collaborative translation, [8] which serves as a great starting point for any other scholars and researchers who may be interested in the subject.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Product lifecycle</span> Duration of processing of products from inception, to engineering, design & manufacture

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Task management</span> Process of managing a task through its life cycle

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crowdsourcing</span> Sourcing services or funds from a group

Crowdsourcing involves a large group of dispersed participants contributing or producing goods or services—including ideas, votes, micro-tasks, and finances—for payment or as volunteers. Contemporary crowdsourcing often involves digital platforms to attract and divide work between participants to achieve a cumulative result. Crowdsourcing is not limited to online activity, however, and there are various historical examples of crowdsourcing. The word crowdsourcing is a portmanteau of "crowd" and "outsourcing". In contrast to outsourcing, crowdsourcing usually involves less specific and more public groups of participants.

An integrated collaboration environment (ICE) is an environment in which a virtual team does its work. Such environments allow companies to realize a number of competitive advantages by using their existing computers and network infrastructure for group and personal collaboration. These fully featured environments combine the best features of web-based conferencing and collaboration, desktop videoconferencing, and instant message into a single easy-to-use, intuitive environment. Recent developments have allowed companies include streaming in real-time and archived modes into their ICE.

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The use of crowdsourcing and text corpus in human-machine translation (HMT) within the last few years have become predominant in their area, in comparison to solely using machine translation (MT). There have been a few recent academic journals looking into the benefits that using crowdsourcing as a translation technique could bring to the current approach to the task and how it could help improve and make more efficient the current tools available to the public.

Collaborative workflow is the convergence of social software with service management (workflow) software. As the definition implies, collaborative workflow is derived from both workflow software and social software such as chat, instant messaging, and document collaboration.

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Google Slides is a presentation program and part of the free, web-based Google Docs suite offered by Google. Google Slides is available as a web application, mobile app for: Android, iOS, and as a desktop application on Google's ChromeOS. The app is compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint file formats. The app allows users to create and edit files online while collaborating with other users in real-time. Edits are tracked by a user with a revision history presenting changes. An editor's position is highlighted with an editor-specific color and cursor and a permissions system regulates what users can do. Updates have introduced features using machine learning, including "Explore," offering and "tasks to other users."

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Crowdin is a proprietary, cloud-based localization technology and services company. It provides software as a service for commercial products, and it provides software free of charge for non-commercial open source projects, and educational projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Chat</span> Enterprise messaging software developed by Google

Google Chat is a communication service developed by Google. Initially designed for teams and business environments, it has since been made available for general consumers. It provides direct messaging, group conversations, and spaces, which allow users to create and assign tasks and share files in a central place in addition to chatting. It can be accessed through its own website and app or through the Gmail website and app.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tables (Google)</span> Cloud-based collaborative database software

Tables is a collaborative database program developed out of Google's Area 120 incubator. Tables is available as a web application. The app allows users to collaborate in real-time to track work more efficiently using automation.

References

  1. ↑ Laurenti F., Villareale F., (2024). "Traduzione, ambienti virtuali e nuove tecnologie: strumenti informatici per la collaborazione". Testo a fronte. Marcos y Marcos.
  2. ↑ khulnaview (2011-05-20). "Wanted: Best practices in collaborative translation | Best practices | TAUS - Enabling better translation". Translationautomation.com. Archived from the original on 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  3. ↑ "Cloud Translation | Collaborative Translation". Wordbee. 2013-01-18. Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  4. ↑ "Towards an integrated crowdsourcing definition" (PDF). Crowdsourcing-blog.org. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  5. ↑ Hosaka, Tomoko A. (2008-04-18). "Facebook asks users to translate for free - Technology & science - Internet - NBC News". NBC News. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  6. ↑ "Structuring Collaborative Translation 2.0 - Less Delivery Time, Better Quality". Scribd.com. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  7. ↑ "XTM International official website".
  8. ↑ Laurenti F., Velardi S. (2022). “Collaborative translation: a bibliography”. La traduzione collaborativa. ISBN 979-12-218-0422-5. DOI 10.53136/979122180422516.
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