6 things to look for in life sciences translation

6 things to look for in life sciences translations

As most of you know, the life sciences field is a highly-specialized industry that consists of countless branches of science. And because of its intricacies, the translation of your documentation requires a language service provider (LSP) that has extensive industry experience. To ensure quality translations, you need an LSP that has an above average understanding of your niche, knows the most commonly used industrial terminology, and has experience with the terminology in other languages.

When selecting an LSP for your life sciences translation projects, you’ll want to ensure the service provider meets the following characteristics.

1. An established history of life sciences clients.

To get the quality you need and the peace of mind in knowing that the LSP has experience in your field, be sure that the service provider has a successful and established history of life sciences translation projects. Ask LSPs on your short-list for references, contact them, and be sure to ask plenty of questions. This will provide you with a solid understanding of what it’s like to work with the company and what to expect. Some questions you may want to ask the references include:

  • Were they happy with the results?
  • Did they spend a lot of time hand-holding the LSP throughout the project?
  • Did the LSP meet quality and cost expectations?
  • We’re there any issues that arose during the project, and if so what were they, how were they handled?
  • Would they use the company again?

2. Providing reference materials is mandatory. 

Although your translator should have knowledge of general life sciences terms, you should expect the LSP to ask you to provide terminology that is specific to the documentation being translated and your particular niche. The reference materials you provide will be the foundation for a successful translation project.

3. Processes are in place and adhered to. 

The LSP needs to be able to clearly outline and explain its procedures. This should include transfering the document from your hands to the project manager, and then from the project manager to the translator, and finally from the translator to the editor. Be sure the LSP offers open visibility and communication at every level throughout the project.

For this characteristic, you should feel comfortable that the LSP’s processes have been perfected, and that deadlines are regularly met. In addition, you should be confident that their processes are streamlined enough to meet your delivery and quality expectations.

4. ISO-certification, more than a nice to have. 

Although it’s not a requirement that LSPs be ISO-certified, it is a requirement for LSPs who are vendors to clients, who themselves, are ISO certified.  

Planning to introduce your products into other countries? By working with an ISO-certified LSP, you’ll be able to increase your chance of getting your products approved in new markets. LSPs that are ISO-certified are required to meet highly-regulated requirements that are authorized by numerous countries.

5. The LSP provides translation services in multiple languages. 

Language service providers need an ISO-certification (especially the ISO 17100:2015) to provide translations of life sciences material. By partnering with an LSP that provides translation services in multiple languages, you’ll be able to save time and possibly money. Additional benefits of working with a single language service provider for all of your translation needs include saving you the time and trouble of disseminating your translation project to multiple service providers, and ensuring that the translated materials are closely connected to the source document.

6. Fair and transparent billing is provided. 

While per-word billing may appear attractive, it isn’t always the cheapest way to pay for translations. Look for an LSP that will provide you with a quote that is based on the volume of documents you need translated, as well as the amount of repetitions involved.  

If you’d like to learn more about how BURG Translations helps you ensure high quality life sciences translations, contact us today.