LinguaVox
ISO 9001
ISO 17100
ISO 18587Getting the brief right
We begin with the languages, subject and file format. Your existing glossary, approved product names and previously published material can help us understand how your organisation communicates. A translator working on a service manual needs different references from one working on a company agreement or information for patients. The translation services pages show how these different types of work are approached.
It is also important to identify exclusions and dependencies. A diagram may contain labels that are absent from the editable text. A scanned page may hide handwritten notes. An appendix may still be awaiting approval. If several colleagues will comment on a draft, agreeing who will consolidate feedback prevents contradictory instructions from changing the text in different directions.
Terminology in context
In technical translation, a component should not acquire a different name between an operating instruction and a parts table without good reason. Legal translation calls for attention to what a clause actually does in its legal context. A glossary helps fix preferred terms, but it cannot decide a sentence without regard to its meaning.
Translation memories can help identify earlier approved wording in recurring material. We still have to check whether that wording belongs in the current document. A name, specification or procedure may have changed. Reusing an old segment without examining the surrounding text can introduce a plausible-looking error. These resources are valuable when they support consistency and are kept up to date.
What bilingual review checks
Translation review compares a target text with its source. It can identify omitted information, changed meaning, inconsistent figures and unsuitable terminology, while also considering whether the final wording reads naturally. A monolingual proofread can improve style and grammar, but it cannot establish that a condition from the original contract or a warning from a manual survived translation.
The required review scope should be agreed for each assignment. Medical information, a financial report and website copy have different audiences and consequences. We need to know whether the text is for internal discussion, public release or formal submission. If your organisation requires a particular review stage, tell us before the work is quoted so that its time and responsibilities are clear.
The delivered file matters
After the text has been reviewed, names, numbers, units, tables and cross-references still need attention in the output format. Website and software localisation may need checks on screen to ensure that a translated button fits and an error message appears in the correct place. Multilingual typesetting addresses overflow, line breaks and layouts where the target language occupies more space.
Changes to the source during production can affect a passage that has already been translated or reviewed. Tell us which version replaces which, and provide an indication of what has changed. Agreeing a final source file and a clear feedback route helps ensure that the delivered translation corresponds to the document you actually intend to use.
Standards and specific requirements
ISO 9001, ISO 17100 and ISO 18587 relate to different management or language service requirements. Their names are no substitute for knowing the actual assignment and agreed controls. ISO 17100 concerns translation service requirements; ISO 18587 concerns full human post-editing of machine translation. Post-editing is considered only where the source, subject and intended use make it suitable. If your procurement process requires evidence of a particular certification scope, tell us so that it can be checked for your proposal.
An official sworn translation in Spain has a separate professional authorisation requirement. A general quality standard cannot grant that status. Share the receiving authority's instructions, the language direction and the required delivery format. For a project-specific enquiry, use the quote form or return to the Madrid translation service.
Frequently asked questions
Is every translation reviewed in exactly the same way?
The scope depends on the subject, intended use and agreed service. Tell us if your project requires a separate bilingual review or checks focused on figures, tables or layout. We can then define that stage in the quotation.
Why should I supply a glossary?
It identifies preferred names and terms, particularly across related documents. We still need to confirm ambiguous entries in context. A useful glossary reduces inconsistent choices but does not replace review of the finished text.
Does a translation memory guarantee accuracy?
No. It can retrieve earlier segments, but those suggestions must be checked against the current source and audience. A sentence may recur in a different product or procedure where its former wording no longer fits.
How does proofreading differ from bilingual review?
Proofreading can improve the target text as a piece of writing. Bilingual review also checks it against the source for omissions and errors of meaning. Send both versions if you need that comparison.
Does an ISO standard make a translation official?
No. A Spanish sworn translation requires the applicable professional authorisation and certification formalities. A service or management standard addresses a different matter. Check the receiving body's requirements before ordering an official document.