Translation quality and the role of specifications – How standards can help the translation sector today

Abstract The translation sector is facing a challenging situation where rapid technological development is disrupting established working methods and business models. This article presents how well-established quality management principles can provide guidance on how to navigate safely when everything seems to be in flux. It describes how specifications can play a key role at all stages of translation projects and how specifications and evaluation address the five perspectives on translation quality that Fields et al. (2014) proposed, building on Garvin (1984). The article also discusses the role of standards. With two new translation standards – ISO 11669:2024 and ISO 5060:2024 – ISO has taken an important step to align translation quality management with quality management principles applied in other sectors, focusing on specifications and evaluation, which you need regardless of the technology you use and regardless of how the current technology evolves. The more explicit the client requirements, the more it clarifies needs, expectations and risks, and efficiently informs the decisions on how to best carry out the work. The more translation output is evaluated in a consistent way, the better risks can be assessed and quantified, decisions taken based on evidence, and real performance distinguished from hype.