Are there DITA-specific quality assurance (QA) checks for translations?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Quality assurance (QA) checks are essential in translation projects to ensure that the translated content in DITA projects meets the desired quality standards. DITA-specific QA checks are designed to address the unique aspects of DITA XML and help maintain translation quality. These checks encompass various aspects, such as terminology consistency, formatting, and adherence to style guides specific to DITA.

Terminology Consistency

One critical aspect of DITA-specific QA checks is ensuring terminology consistency. DITA projects often contain industry-specific or company-specific terminology that needs to be maintained across translations. QA checks can flag inconsistencies in terminology usage and suggest appropriate translations or terminology corrections to ensure that the translated content aligns with the source content.

Formatting and Structure

DITA XML documents rely on a specific structure and formatting. DITA-specific QA checks verify that the translated content adheres to this structure. This includes checking for proper nesting of elements, correct use of tags, and consistent formatting across different language versions. Any deviations from the DITA structure are highlighted for review and correction.

Example:

Here’s an example of DITA-specific QA checks in a translation project:


<topic id="dita_translation_qa_example">
  <title>Quality Assurance Checks</title>
  <body>
    <p>DITA-specific QA checks ensure that translations maintain the correct terminology and DITA-specific formatting.</p>
  </body>
  <qa-checks>
    <terminology-consistency>
      <inconsistency term="Localization" suggestion="Translation" />
    </terminology-consistency>
    <formatting-consistency>
      <format-error location="Section 2.3" description="Incorrect element nesting" />
    </formatting-consistency>
  </qa-checks>

In this example, a DITA topic highlights the importance of QA checks. The QA-checks element includes checks for terminology consistency and formatting errors, along with suggested corrections.