The Market Research Industry is international, with organisations often conducting fieldwork across many different countries and cultures. This means that data collection devices such as surveys (and their responses) can often need translating into the client’s language in order to draw insights from the data.
However, translating text presents risks of misinterpreting the content or missing important contextual localisation.
To address these risks, ISO 20252 sets out some specific requirements in terms of the translator competence and translation process.
Human Translator Competence in ISO 20252
The standard allows for translation to be conducted in-house by the market research company or by an external translation service provider. However, it also states that translation “shall be done by a person or persons with mother-tongue language competence or equivalent skills in the source and target languages”.
It also states that “at least one” translator should have prior experience of the type of document they are translating, for example a survey.
Use of A.I and Machine Translation (MT) in ISO 20252
The standard also allows for the use of tools such as AI or Machine Translation (MT), which can speed up the process for the market research company, however review and revision controls apply, see below..
Checking and Revision Translations in ISO 20252
Whether the original translation is performed by a human or with the help of AI/MT, the output should be checked and revised by someone other than the translator, who has appropriate competence. This is a common practice within the language industry.
If requested, the client or their representative should be allowed to review any translations.
Records of the translation, checking and revisions should be maintained for traceability.
Competence and Standards in the Languages Industry
Competence is a key theme throughout this section of the ISO 20252 standard but as with many standards, this is not clearly defined. It is up to the organisation to determine their own competency requirements and ensure they are met.
However, much like ISO 20252 is an industry specialist standard for the market research industry, the translation industry has their own standards which include specific competence requirements of translators.
ISO 17100 provides the requirements for a quality translation service. It sets out both the translation process and the specific competence requirements for translations.
There are also translation service companies certified to ISO 17100, which can help in the selection of a competent supplier.
Find out about ISO 17100 Certification, or browse companies certified by ATC Certification.
Implement ISO 20252:2019 or Navigate the Translation Requirements
Assent’s ISO 20252 consultants can help you implement the full requirements of the standard, or provide specific help in areas such as translation, a particular Annex or Internal Audits.
Contact us to discuss how we can help.
