Introduction

Managers, educators and terminology database maintenance authorities conduct both periodic and continuous evaluation of terminology databases containing concept entries for a number of purposes:

— quality assurance-related validation of terminological data collections in business, government and non-governmental organizations;
— formative assessment and summative evaluation and feedback in training and educational environments.

ISO 26162‑1 and ISO 26162‑2 specify design principles and software considerations for modelling terminology databases (termbases). ISO 26162‑1 establishes the general principles of termbase design as outlined in core ISO/TC 37 standards, such as ISO 704, which, among other topics, treats general principles for concept entry content and structure, term identification, basic principles for modelling concept systems and a range of other areas associated with terminology work. ISO 26162‑1 also encourages conformity to the terminological metamodel as outlined in ISO 16642. It describes the role that data categories play in modelling terminological data and sets down basic principles for ensuring and evaluating the quality of data stored in termbases, such as data granularity, elementarity and modelling variance. These criteria comprise fundamental benchmarks against which to measure the quality and reliability of terminological data. ISO 26162‑2 relates the principles outlined in ISO 26162‑1 to the implementation of database design with respect to software and user interface considerations, together with pragmatic workflow implementations in terminology management environments.

This document provides guidance for defining procedures for ensuring high-quality content in terminological data collections designed to meet documentation needs in a range of environments involving, for instance, translation, interpreting and technical communication. Conformity to this document can strengthen processes designed to support a quality management system, such as ISO 9001, and the related auditing procedures in a translation, interpreting or technical communication environment. An error typology is presented in the framework of an overall evaluation model, with generic (non-standardized) options for creating a concept entry evaluation model, depending on the needs of users and of the sponsoring organization.

Annexes A to C provide pragmatic advice on error evaluation practice. Annex A describes the creation of scoring models reflecting the error typology described in Clause 6, allowing for design variations depending on organization needs. For instance, a given scoring model can form the basis for a score card used for students and trainees, which is likely to be different from a score card used for a major enterprise or a national term bank.

Annex B presents a sample term entry. Annex C presents a sample evaluation model that can be adopted or adapted to meet the needs of terminologists, individuals working as freelancers or in companies, governmental organizations and NGOs. The values in this evaluation model can be used to create a scoring method, with the understanding that actual scoring practice is likely to vary according to specifications and user needs.

BS ISO 26162-3:2023

Management of terminology resources. Terminology databases - Content

Current

Published:

31 Jan 2023