A
Accuracy
The degree to which the translated text correctly reflects the meaning of the source text without distortion.
Adaptation
Modifying content to suit cultural, linguistic, or regulatory requirements while preserving original intent.
Approved Terminology
Pre-validated terms authorized by the sponsor, CRO, or regulatory authority for consistent use.
Annotation
Explanatory notes added by the translator to clarify complex concepts or cultural references.
Ambiguity
Unclear meaning in the source text that may lead to multiple interpretations during translation.
Authoritative Source Text
The finalized and approved original document used for translation.
Alignment
Ensuring the translated content matches the structure, format, and intent of the source document.
Audit Trail
Documented history of translation activities, revisions, and approvals for regulatory compliance.
Audience Appropriateness
Ensuring the translation is suitable for the target audience (e.g., patients, investigators).
Accuracy Review
A quality check step focused on verifying correctness of meaning and terminology.
Approved Translation
A translated document that has passed all reviews and is formally authorized for use.
Archival Copy
Final approved translation stored securely for inspection and regulatory reference.
Assent Form
A simplified document translated for minors or legally incapable participants to express agreement.
Adherence to Guidelines
Compliance with standards such as ICH-GCP, ISO
Audio Transcription
Converting audio content (such as interviews or podcasts) into written text, often followed by translation if needed.
B
Back Translation
The process of translating a text back into the original language to check the accuracy and reliability of a translation.
Bilingual Review
Review by a linguist fluent in both source and target languages.
Bias-Free Language
Neutral wording that avoids cultural or gender bias.
C
CAT Tools (Computer-Assisted Translation)
Software tools that aid human translators by offering translation memory, terminology databases and other features to improve consistency and efficiency.
Certified Translator
A translator who has been officially recognized or accredited by a professional body or institution, often required for legal, governmental, or official translations.
Certified Translation
A translation that is attested by the translator or translation agency, confirming its accuracy, often required for legal or official documents.
Consistency
Uniform use of terminology and style throughout the document.
Consecutive Interpretation
The interpreter waits for the speaker to finish speaking before delivering the translated message, often used in business meetings or legal settings.
Content Review
The process of reviewing and editing translated content to ensure quality, accuracy and consistency.
Confidentiality
Protection of sensitive patient and study information.
Cultural Competence
The ability of a translator to understand and appropriately convey cultural nuances and idioms in the target language to ensure relevance and accuracy.
D
Dialect
A form of a language spoken in a particular geographic area or by a specific social group. Translators often need to account for these variations in translation.
Domain Expertise
Subject-matter knowledge required for accurate translation.
DPA (Date Privacy Act)
Organization must have to follow DPA act
E
Ethics Committee (EC)
An independent body that reviews translated documents (e.g., ICFs) to protect participant rights and safety.
Ethical Translation
Translation performed with integrity, confidentiality, and respect for patient rights and cultural sensitivity.
Editorial Review
A quality check focusing on grammar, style, formatting, and consistency without altering meaning.
Expert Linguist
A qualified translator with subject-matter expertise (e.g., clinical research, medical, legal).
Error-Free Deliverable
A translated document that has passed all QA steps and meets client and regulatory expectations.
End-to-End Translation Process
Complete workflow from source receipt to translation, review, QA and final delivery.
F
False Friends
Words in different languages that look or sound similar but have different meanings, often leading to translation errors.
Forward Translation
Initial translation from source to target language.
Formatting Consistency
Matching layout and structure of the source document.
G
Glossary
A list of terms and their translations, often specific to a certain subject or industry, used to ensure consistency across translations.
Good Documentation Practice (GDP)
Accurate, legible and traceable records.
GCP Compliance
Alignment with ICH-GCP requirements.
H
Harmonization
Alignment across multiple language versions.
Human Translation
Translation performed by professional human translators, ensuring a more accurate and culturally sensitive result.
Health Literacy
Use of language understandable to patients
I
Informed Consent Form (ICF)
Patient-facing document requiring clear translation.
Interpretation
The process of orally translating spoken language, often in real-time from one language to another.
Internationalization (I18N)
The design and development of products or content so that they can easily be adapted to different languages and cultures (often a precursor to localization).
J
Jurisdictional Requirements
Country-specific regulatory expectations.
Justification Notes
Explanations for translation choices when needed.
K
Key Terminology
Critical terms affecting patient safety or compliance.
Knowledge-Based Translation
Translation supported by medical/regulatory expertise.
L
Legal Translation
The translation of legal documents such as contracts, patents, court rulings and other legal materials that require precision and knowledge of legal terminology.
Linguistic Validation
Process ensuring accuracy and patient comprehension.
Literal Translation
Word-for-word translation (often avoided in ICFs).
Literary Translation
The translation of literary works, such as novels, poems and plays, focusing on preserving the artistic and stylistic qualities of the original text.
Localization
The adaptation of content not only in terms of language but also for a specific cultural, legal or market context.
M
Machine Translation (MT)
Translation performed by computer programs or software without human intervention such as Google Translate.
Medical Accuracy
Correct rendering of medical concepts.
Multilingual SEO
The process of optimizing website content in multiple languages to ensure it ranks well in search engines across different languages and regions.
N
Native Speaker
A person who speaks a language as their first language and is often considered an expert in that language, particularly for translations.
Notation
Translator comments or clarifications.
O
Original Source Text
Final approved document used for translation.
Omission
Missing content in the translation (considered a critical error).
Outcome-Oriented Translation
Focus on patient understanding.
P
Patient-Centric Language
Simple, clear wording for patients.
Post-editing
The process of revising machine-translated content to improve its quality and make it more fluent, accurate and culturally appropriate.
Proofreading
The final step in translation where the translated text is reviewed for spelling, grammar, punctuation and style.
Q
Quality Assurance (QA)
The process of checking translated content for errors, inconsistencies and quality issues, usually done by a separate team member or through automated tools.
Query Resolution
Addressing linguistic or technical questions.
Qualified Translator
Linguist meeting ISO 17100 competency criteria.
R
Reconciliation
Merging multiple translations into one final version.
Regulatory Compliance
Meeting authority and guideline expectations.
Revision Control
Tracking document updates.
S
Source Language
The language from which text or speech is being translated. It’s also known as original language.
Simultaneous Interpretation
Interpretation done in real-time, where the interpreter translates the speaker’s words as they are being spoken.
Subtitling
The process of adding translated text to video content for viewers who speak different languages.
Style Guide
Rules for tone, terminology, and formatting.
Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Specialist reviewing technical accuracy.
T
Target Language
The language into which the text or speech is being translated. It’s also known as required translation language.
Translation
The process of converting text or speech from one language to another while retaining the original meaning.
Transcreation
A blend of translation and creative adaptation that maintains the original message but adjusts content to suit the target culture or market. Common in marketing or advertising.
Translation Memory (TM)
A database that stores previously translated segments of text for future use. When a similar sentence or phrase appears again, the software suggests the stored translation.
Technical Translation
The translation of technical and specialized content, such as user manuals, engineering documents and scientific papers, which requires expertise in specific fields.
Terminology Management
The practice of managing and standardizing terms used in translation to ensure consistency across documents and projects.
Transliteration
The process of converting words or letters from one writing system into another, without necessarily translating the meaning (e.g., from Cyrillic to Latin letters).
U
Unambiguous Language
Clear wording with no multiple interpretations.
V
Verified Translation
Translation confirmed through review and QA.
Voiceover
Replacing or supplementing the original spoken audio in a video with a translated version in the target language, usually done with a professional voice actor.
W
Word Count Analysis
Analyzing the number of words in a source document to help estimate the effort, time and cost involved in translation.
Word-for-Meaning Translation
Meaning-based rather than literal translation.
X
X-Check (Cross-Check)
Independent comparison between source and target text.
Y
Yield Accuracy
Overall effectiveness of the translation process.
Your Audience Focus
Keeping patient or regulator needs central.
Z
Zero-Defect Goal
Objective of delivering error-free translations.
Zonal Linguistic Variants
Regional differences within the same language.