ISO 18587
ISO 18587 is the international standard for the post-editing of machine translation output, published in 2017. It defines two levels, light and full post-editing, and sets competence requirements for the editors who perform them. It is the reference point tenders should specify when they buy post-editing.
How it works
ISO 18587 governs the post-editing of machine translation output by humans. It defines two service levels, light and full post-editing, specifies the competences a post-editor must have, and sets out the process a provider should follow. Light post-editing corrects only what affects meaning; full post-editing produces output comparable to human translation.
Its value is precision in procurement. A tender that names ISO 18587 and the level it wants removes the ambiguity in phrases like machine translation with a human check, which can otherwise mean almost anything.
How SourceTarget uses it
SourceTarget's post-editing follows ISO 18587 levels, with the level agreed before work starts. Where a client asks only for machine translation with review, the standard gives both sides a precise, shared definition of what will be delivered.
ISO 18587 compared with ISO 17100
| ISO 18587 | ISO 17100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | Post-editing of machine translation | Human translation services |
| Core requirement | Post-editor competence, light or full levels | Qualified translator plus independent revision |
| Use it when | Buying machine translation plus human editing | Buying human translation |