How is content localization and translation managed in DITA for pharmaceutical technical documentation?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Managing content localization and translation in DITA for pharmaceutical technical documentation is a critical aspect of ensuring that information is accessible and compliant in diverse markets. DITA provides a structured approach to handle this process efficiently:

Content Tagging and Separation

In DITA, content is tagged and structured at a granular level. This facilitates the separation of content from its presentation, making it easier to manage translation. Pharmaceutical documentation can be authored with language-neutral tags, and content elements like drug names, dosages, and instructions can be identified for translation. Tags such as <pharmaceutical-name> or <dosage-instruction> can be used consistently, allowing translation tools to identify and handle these elements accurately.

Localization Files

DITA supports the creation of localization files, which contain translated versions of content. These files can be linked to the original DITA source files, enabling seamless localization. For instance, if a pharmaceutical company is targeting multiple regions or languages, separate localization files for each target audience can be created. This approach ensures that when a document is generated, it pulls the appropriate content from the corresponding localization files, resulting in documents tailored to specific markets.

Example:

Here’s an example illustrating how content localization and translation are managed in DITA:


<topic id="patient_information" xml_lang="en-US">
  <title>Patient Information</title>
  <body>
    <p>ForDrug X**, the recommendeddosageis...

  </body>
</topic>

<localization file="patient_information_de-DE.xml" xml_lang="de-DE">
  <topic id="patient_information">
    <body>
      <p>FürMedikament Xbeträgt die empfohleneDosierung**...

    </body>
  </topic>

In this example, the original English content is tagged, and a separate localization file for German is created. The localization file contains the translated content for “Drug X” and “dosage,” allowing for easy translation management in DITA.