ISO 17100
ISO 17100 is the international standard for translation services provided by humans. It sets requirements for translator qualifications, for an independent revision step by a second person, and for the processes and resources a provider must have. It is the standard to name when buying human translation, as ISO 18587 is for post-editing machine output.
How it works
The standard requires that a qualified translator does the work and a separate qualified reviser checks it against the source, the two-person principle at its core. It also sets expectations for project management, references and record-keeping.
Citing ISO 17100 in a contract fixes a baseline: it rules out single-person, unrevised translation and gives the buyer a defined process to hold the provider to.
How SourceTarget uses it
Where a job calls for fully human translation, SourceTarget follows the ISO 17100 principle of a qualified translator plus an independent reviser, rather than a single unchecked pass. The standard gives the client a defined process to hold the work to.
ISO 17100 compared with ISO 18587
| ISO 17100 | ISO 18587 | |
|---|---|---|
| Applies to | Human translation | Post-editing of machine translation |
| Key rule | Translator plus independent reviser | Competent post-editor, light or full level |
| Buy it for | Fully human translation | Machine draft plus human editing |