This is a guest post from our partner WhP International. Since its foundation in 1994, WhP has matured and crafted its DNA in the translation and localization realm. Their services bring together technology and experts to cover the entire global content process, from strategic planning to authoring and delivering through various channels in multiple languages. You can learn more about WhP on their website.
DITA content is the work of a team that may involve the technical writer, a graphic designer, a subject matter expert, and regulatory affairs.
The same applies to translated content. It usually involves an external translator and an in-country subject matter expert. The content may go back and forth several times before final approval. Rather than manage edits in a PDF, it can be done in a web-based dynamic tool, the Augmented Review.
Linguistic Review mitigates risks
To ensure that translated content is aligned with the organization’s brand voice and terminology, the review stage is key. It should be carried out by an expert in the company products and lingo who also speaks the target language variant. We speak of an In-Country Reviewer (ICR).
When content publishers skip the in-country review step, the quality of the target content decreases. A sound compromise for non-regulated industries is to review 20 to 30% of the content, especially if it relates to a new product or new language. For regulated industries, reviewing 100% of the content with full traceability is required.
PDF is the common format for linguistic review
A local support agent or marketer, the in-country reviewer has multiple assignments that preempt reviewing translated documents. The reviewer is also not an expert in content format, such as DITA, nor in translation, grammar or spelling.
The reviewer usually uses the PDF format to edit the translation. It has a few advantages:
It is easily accessible, ideally a simple web browser
It is user-friendly
It provides the full context of the content
The PDF format also has some frustrating limitations. It does not support re-use or conditional mechanisms; it is also labor intensive and error prone. The translator must manually integrate the reviewer’s edits into the translation management system, which can lead to errors.
Augmented Review simplifies the review process
WhP, as a Global Content Consultant expert in DITA, has developed a linguistic review tool, the Augmented Review, that replaces static PDFs with a web-based interface.
With source and translated content displayed side-by-side
In full context, including variables and graphics
Accessible with a standard browser
Easy to use, with a table of contents and strings to-be-reviewed in red
WhP customers who have been using the Augmented Review report significant productivity gains: 80% savings in the review costs compared to the traditional process, 67% reduction of the review duration, and 100% of the ICRs satisfied.
Augmented Review 2.0
In response to customer requests, new features have been added for the 2023 edition.
Opening the review to ICRs outside of the company’s controlled networks with secure connections
Collaborative review allowing several reviewers with different rights to review collaboratively.
DITA and CCMS
Augmented Review is available for any implementation of DITA, with or without specialization, and with many CCMS including DITAToo.