An empirical study on the influence of translation suggestions’ provenance metadata

In the area of localisation there is a constant pressure to automate processes in order to reduce the cost and time associated with the ever growing workload. One of the main approaches to achieve this objective is to reuse previously-localised data and metadata using standardised translation memory formats –such as the LISA Translation Memory eXchange (TMX) format or the OASIS XML Localisation Interchange File Format (XLIFF). This research aims to study the effectiveness and importance of the localisation metadata associated with the translation suggestions provided by Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools. Firstly, we analysed the way in which localisation data and metadata can be represented in the current specification of XLIFF (1.2). Secondly, we designed a new format called the Localisation Memory Container (LMC) to organise previously-localised XLIFF files in a single container. Finally, we developed a prototype (XLIFF Phoenix) to leverage the data and metadata from the LMC into untranslated XLIFF files in order to improve the task of the translator by helping CAT tools, not only to produce more translation suggestions easily, but also to enrich those suggestions with relevant metadata. In order to test whether this “CAT-oriented” enriched metadata has any influence in the behaviour of the translator involved in the localisation process, we designed an experimental translation task with translators using a modified CAT tool (Swordfish II). A pilot study with translation students was carried out in December 2010 to test the validity of our methodology. The main study took place between December 2011 and January 2012 with the participation of 33 professional translators divided into three groups. The analysis of the gathered data indicated that groups which received the translation memory obtained on average significantly better results (less time and better quality scores) than the group which did not receive any translation memory. In terms of participants’ attitude towards the metadata received, most of the participants did not find it distracting, and the majority of them would prefer a translation memory which contained metadata; finally, half of participants could mention a case where it was helpful for them. In this thesis we present our research objectives, the methodology and procedures, an analysis of the results of the experiments and finally we extract reasoned conclusions based on evidence of the importance of metadata during the localisation process.