A deeper look into metrics for translation quality assessment (TQA): a case study

Abstract

In spite of the professionalization of translators and their central role in international relations, there is yet no widely accepted methodology available for professional Translation Quality Assessment (TQA). At the same time, there exists a pressing need to standardize TQA criteria to mitigate the subjectivity prevailing over quality assessment. Evaluating the quality of a translation first requires defining concepts of Quality and Translation, which inevitably parallels the approach characteristic of a translation theory (House, 1997). In this case, the functionalist approach is embraced. The aim of this article is to review some of the most representative models for TQA with a view to lay the foundations to develop an alternative model. I begin by analyzing a selection of outstanding quantitative-oriented models of TQA (metrics), identifying their strengths and weaknesses as viable and efficient assessment tools. Having surveyed these models, I then propose suitable forms for refinement and for the polishing of existing metrics so as to establish a basis for the structuring of a new theoretical model for TQA. The result is a mixed approach to TQA that takes up an integrated view embedding both top-down (rubrics) and bottom-up (metrics) tools.