Localization policy

Description of the service

We offer top-quality localization, adapting source documents written in most major styles—journalism, business, literary, academic, etc.—to communicate effectively with foreign readers.

Applicable standard

Standards page.

Documentation requirements

Administrative documents: 1) Approved quotation and/or purchase order and/or service cancellation notice; 2) upon delivery of the target document, a completion report with final billing (pursuant to the approved quotation or service order).

Target document: a localized version of the source document.

Other deliverables: the translator's report, unless the client chooses to omit the translator's report.

Source document

Because the quality of the target document is a function of the quality of the source document, we encourage clients to ensure that the documents they submit for translation have been properly edited and formatted. AA Nuncio reserves the right to cancel a quotation issued for a document with serious formatting problems.

All parties—translator, editor-in-chief, peer reviewer, expert reviewer and the client—must verify that the source document coincides with the specifications in the quotation.

Ideally, the translator should have direct contact with the client. The client can help ensure a quality translation by working closely with the translator.

Target document

Format: The translator will respect the formatting markup in the target document scrupulously, but may remove highlighting and other in-line formatting to facilitate translation. The translator may also elect to substitute improper tables. Otherwise, the target document will be exactly the same as the source document.

Occasionally, respecting the formatting in improperly formatted documents may mean producing a target document with visible problems (such as misaligned columns, improper page breaks, and so on). Because formatting problems can be very difficult to correct, the translator must abstain from modifying formatting markup, except as described in the preceding paragraph.

The client can avoid formatting problems by hiring us to correct improper formatting in MS Word.

Typography: The translator must use appropriate typographic symbols (as specified in the Unicode standard) and replace improper symbols.

Style: The style of the target document will be analogous to the style of the source document unless the translator concludes that the style of the source document would fail with the target readership, in which case the translator will adopt a style that he or she believes will meet the needs and expectations of the target readership.

In the target document, the translator will correct errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation and style. The translator may elect to change the order of paragraphs or add or delete text. The length of the target document may be significantly less than that of the source document.

Where appropriate, the translator should replace passive phrases with active phrases.

Images: If the client has requested that we translate text in images, the text must be selectable text that is available in an electronic format such as MS Word. If the translator finds images with non-selectable text, he or she must inform the editor-in-chief immediately so that we can convert the image to a selectable format.

Peer review / expert review

Peer review: If the client requests peer review without an expert review, the translator will deliver the target document to the peer reviewer and the client on or before the delivery date. Once the peer reviewer has completed the review (within the time specified in the respective quote), the peer reviewer must deliver the target document and other deliverables to the client, the translator and the editor-in-chief.

Expert review: 1) If the client requests a peer review and an expert review, the translator will deliver the target document to the peer reviewer and the client on or before the delivery date. Once the peer reviewer has completed the review (within the time specified in the respective quote), the peer reviewer will deliver the target document and other deliverables to the client, the translator, the expert reviewer and the editor-in-chief. 2) If the client requests an expert review without a peer review, the translator will deliver the target document to the client, the expert reviewer and the editor-in-chief on or before the delivery date. Once the expert reviewer has completed the review (within the time specified in the respective quote), the expert reviewer must deliver the target document and expert's report to the client, the translator, the expert reviewer and the editor-in-chief.

Letters of comments: Translators can respond to the peer reviewer or expert reviewer through a letter of comments.