Contextual Inquiries at translators’ workplace

There is evidence that current translation environment tools (TEnTs) do not sufficiently support translators in meeting the productivity requirements that are imposed on them by the globalisation of business activities and the increasing information flow. The main aim of the SCATE (Smart Computer-Assisted Translation Environment) research project is to improve translators' efficiency and consistency through better integration of existing translation technologies and exploitation of linguistic resources. One aspect of this project consists of undertaking an empirical case study at translators’ workplaces to understand their context of work and professional needs, and to find out what kind of techniques would benefit them. While other researchers have undertaken such Contextual Inquiries before, the results of our observations will be used for improving translators' software and interfaces in SCATE. The analysis of the preliminary results reveal some ergonomic and usability issues and led us to a tentative classification of workflow disruptions in terms of extrinsic (e.g. physical environment) and intrinsic factors (e.g. users’ knowledge of the tool, poor software design, unstable features). Our preliminary findings confirm that there is a strong need for optimising translators' workplaces and for improving current translation environment tools.status: publishe