What to confirm in the order before translation begins
The final agreement should define the scope of work: the list of documents and pages, the translation direction, the required formalities and the delivery method. If some source materials are used only to understand terminology, it is useful to identify them separately. This gives the client and translator a shared understanding of the scope of the result.
Before confirming the order, clarify the volume of work covered by the published rate, what the chosen formalities include and how delivery is calculated. Identify any special elements of the document that affect the scope of work. The quotation should make clear which set of documents has been assessed, so that a subsequently added appendix or new version is not assumed to be already included.
- Agree the list of files to be translated and files for reference.
- Specify the requirements of the organization receiving the completed documents.
- Check the spelling of key personal names, other names and terms.
- Clarify the required result: an electronic file, a paper set, or copies with the chosen certification.
- Confirm the cost and timeframe for this agreed scope of the order.
A legible copy is sufficient for a preliminary review. Whether an original is needed and how the documents are finalized depend on the particular document and the chosen notarial act, if one is required. Notarial certification of the translator’s signature should be distinguished from confirmation of all the facts in the source document. Obtaining a translation also does not remove the recipient’s separate requirements regarding the form, validity period or contents of the set submitted.
Before delivery, it is useful to check the agreed details and completeness of the result. Describe any inaccuracy found by identifying the source passage and page, so that the issue can be checked specifically.