Revision – what is it and is it needed?

If you work with texts and editing as much as we do, you’ll be only too aware that there are a million ways errors can slip in. The causes are many – lapses in concentration, pesky autocorrect functions changing a word where it shouldn’t, or miscommunication in the chain of operations. The more a text is tweaked, the more chances there are for errors to sneak themselves in. So it’s only fair for you to wonder: Are revision and editing really needed? Do too many cooks spoil the broth, or can they collaborate to whip up a masterpiece?

The saying ‘Two heads are better than one’ rings true here. We will surely all remember a time when we’ve written up a report, presentation or essay and have worked so long on it that we can no longer see the woods for the trees. Oftentimes, a fresh pair of eyes brings clarity and much-needed corrections. At the heart of it, translation is no different in this respect: But instead of writing freely, you are following an original source text in another language.

That is why the golden standard for translation, in alignment with the international ISO 17100 certification, is to arrange for a two-step process. This process involves translation by a qualified translator, followed by revision by a second linguist. Revision can be thought of as both a safety net and a final polish, enhancing accuracy and style in equal measure. The reviser checks the completed translation against the original source, scanning for misunderstandings, typos, and room for improvement. Indeed, this is the default option for translation projects. In some cases, however, you may need to consider other services. Some examples include:

• Source text editing (copyediting): If you’re looking for a good translation, then you need to start with a good source text. If you’re not quite happy with your original, you can always ask for some monolingual editing first before thinking about translation. Perhaps you are looking for some native speaker support because you have written in a foreign language, or you want an independent party to check whether your message comes across with clarity and confidence.

• Copywriting: Maybe you don’t have the time, inspiration or desire to write any text at all. If you don’t know where to start, you can turn to us to get compelling content written up in the first instance. Later, you can look at getting it translated to cover multiple target markets. Translators are trained wordsmiths so make for perfect copywriters.

• Monolingual editing of the translation: Say you have a translation done already, but you’re actually keen to make some radical changes to fashion an entirely new piece of work that is totally independent from the original. This could be because you want to rework the translation for another target audience. For example, you may wish to create another version tailored to a different age group or transform B2B copy for the B2C space.

• Linguistic validation (LV): This ultimate set of checks typically applies to clinical trial paperwork. Starting with two independent translations of the same text, you follow up with a consolidation in review – this is when a reviewer takes the best of the two translations and merges everything into a new version, which is then reviewed again. The checks don’t stop here, with medical professionals and patients without translation skills also reviewing the content to see if it’s clear to read and understand. The finalised translation then undergoes back-translation into the source language. The last step of the linguistic validation process is to examine the back-translation against the source text and make any final touches. Et voilà, you have a text that has been subject to the most stringent checks to ensure patient safety.

Whether you opt to include revision(s) is entirely up to you. If your budget and timeline are tight and the text is for your own use (i.e. not public distribution), you may be happy with having just one set of eyes and opt for translation only. If the translation will be plastered onto huge billboards or sent out to C-suite stakeholders, your best bet is to keep revision locked in. If your text is due to be printed in large numbers, say because it’s a full-length novel, then having a proofreading step is wise – you can’t correct mistakes once they are printed on the page. And, as suggested above, if it’s a case of translating clinical trial documentation such as Informed Consent Forms (ICFs) or Patient Information Sheets (PIS), it really is best to go ‘belt and braces’ and arrange multiple rounds of review. Any respectable translation company should be willing to advise you on what’s best for your requirements.

Whether you’re looking for a streamlined translation process or want all the bells and whistles you can get, we’ve got you covered. We have operated as a certified translation agency ever since 1981 and helped thousands of clients along the way – from private individuals and local charities to literary publishers and healthcare providers. Working hand in hand with our vast pool of qualified translators and editors, our project management team can provide exactly what you need in a whole string of languages. If you’d like to explore how we can help you communicate across borders and languages, simply drop us an email at enquiries@firstedit.co.uk.