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Process for Translating the Online Help

1 Options 

The Online Help is only available in german language. It comprises roughly 1.800 pages  if printed. In 2022 it is mature with respect to 

• Content
• Process

There are several options to approach the creation of an a help in another language. 

1. Independent Edtitorial Team Starts from Scratch:
   • For a help in other language, a new editorial team is founded and operates independently in a process defined by themselves.
   • The independent team gets it's own installation to work on.
   • There is no procedural or technical connection whatsoever to the editoral team of the german help.  
   • Drawback: A head of help with a lot of time and energy would be needed, no such person at hand. 
2. Same Learning Module > Rotating Shiftwork of Editorial Teams:  
   • The german editorial team works until May on the help.
   • After May the german file will not be touched throughout the remainder of the year.
   • The foreign  language editorial team starts working after the german one. 
   • They work in the same learning module and add another language.  
   • Drawback:  Foreign language will have considerable timelag of 9- 12 month.
3. Same  Learning Module > No Editorial Team, but Professional Translation 
   • A professional translator works at the same learning module as the german editorial team.
   • The initial translation is done by a CAT-System (see below).
   • Translators amends the maschine translation and keeps up with ongoing changes in the german version.
   • Drawback: the learning module has to support the import of the translation and the subsequent editorial processes

Of these options the 3. is the most promissing. 

2 Plan for Option 3: Professional Translator

1. Initial Translation

Preparing Translation Memory 

• Feed ILIAS-specific translations into Memory (i.e. Rechte = permissions not rights / Magazin = repository not journal)

Initial Translation 

• Priority is english language
• Export learning module and freeze all activity untill re-import
• Export learning module might be required in a new format most likely GNU gettext PO or xliff
• Importing of learning module into translation device (bulk or increments) 

Quality Check > Medium of this needs to be decided upon: Exportfile, ILIAS or pint on paper.

• A professional (read: paid) translator checks and amends the results of maschine translation. 
• We want one or few persons to translate contiuosly. This should ensure the result is coherent in terms of style. 
• We have identified two people that could offer these services for english language. 
• We have made an estimate it would take 19 person days to work through all 1.800 pages. It may not be neccessary to work on all those pages in the initial translation, may be the process can be chunked (i.e. PD, popular Repository objects,  Repository objects for specialists, administration) 

Re-Import

• Depending on the medium of the quaility check, the results of the quality checks have to be re-imported. 
• After the re-import the learning module can be edited again by the editorial team of the german help. 
• Lifecycle information should be added to the translation: 
  • Translation Quality:  unchecked | quality checked
  • Status of Original: translation reflects master language| change is not translation relevant | update translation 

2. Ongoing Maintenance

After complemting the initial translation,  oviously the german team will take to making changes to the master language content.  These changes have to be comunicated to the translator in a way that is helpful and allows for efficient work. 


Lifecycle information 
The changes in the master language should be logged and the log should be stored

• ID: ID of edited page or chapter

• Date: date stamp when edit was made

• User: Name of person who made the edit

• Nature of edit: title edit, content edit, screen-ID edit OR change is not translation relevant / update translation 

• reason for edit: to be filled in by editor 

View translation relevant Edits and translate 
Translators should be able to quickly access edits deemed that have to be reflected in the translation. They should be presented with a list of all pages that are set to "update translation". 

It would be very helpful to be able to compare / contrast

1. Original German source page (History)
2. Updated new German source page (History)
3. Page editor English (editable)

Changes, omissions and additions are highlighted. Translators can make edits in their language.  After saving translators have to the specifically state if the translation is finished or not. Pages with unfinished translations should remain on their list "Update translation"-list. 

Open issues 

• How are the maschine translations from the maschine re-integrated into the learning module 
• How do we deal with changes in the learning module organisation (new pages, moving pages, deleted pages, new chapters). As a rule of thumb 10% of the pages are moved, created or deleted. Wild thought: randomly generated IDs to track moved, created aor deleted pages. 
• Is using ILAIX is an option? 
  
• What about is about formating in the learning module?
  
• Is there an API fot translator kit, so we could have a "translate"-Button in ILIAS