Creating terminology
Your terminology is already embedded in your documents, databases and translations.
oneword extracts this information from your existing content and makes it usable for translation processes and artificial intelligence applications.
Our services at a glance.
Why a structured approach to terminology creation pays off
Terminology expands with every product, every project and every new market. Without a structured framework, it is scattered across Excel spreadsheets, comments and the knowledge of individual employees. This means it is practically unusable for everyone else.
Typical scenarios where there is no structured terminology database:
- External service providers and internal teams work without any binding guidelines
- Technical terms are used inconsistently in documents, parts lists and marketing materials
- Corrections for translation output are time-consuming because the root cause is not addressed
- AI systems and machine translation produce inconsistent or incorrect results because of the lack of reliable terminology
A structured terminology database reduces the need for corrections, speeds up translations and provides AI systems with reliable guidelines.
What we offer
Terminology extraction
We extract terminology from your existing documents – whether in one or more languages, and regardless of file format. The result is a structured starting point that shows which technical terms your company actually uses.
Systematisation and database structuring
We develop metadata, categories and a database structure that can cope with a growing corpus – regardless of how many languages or products are added.
Performing research and drafting definitions
A term alone says little about how a concept should be used, defined or translated. We provide definitions of terms, add example sentences and supply grammatical information.
Equivalent search and supplementation
Where equivalents are lacking in foreign languages, these are specifically added, either during translation or as part of separate projects. We ensure continuous growth and consistency within the database.
Clean-up and consolidation of existing data
We consolidate existing glossaries, lists or database entries, evaluate them and clean up anything that is restricting their usability. You will have a consolidated foundation on which to build with confidence.
Would you like to know which steps would be useful for your terminology database?
Here’s how we do it:
1
Initial consultation and assessment
We'll work together to assess your current situation: considering which sources are available, which languages you work in, and what you’d like to achieve. We then use this as a basis to recommend the most appropriate next steps.
2
Term extraction and review of existing sources
We extract terminology from your documents and review existing glossaries and database entries. We highlight duplicates, inconsistencies and any gaps in your data.
3
Systematisation, research and enrichment
The terms are organised, supplemented with definitions and equivalents, and transferred into a database structure.
4
Consultation with your experts
Terminology is corporate knowledge. That is why we coordinate the results with your in-house experts and branches before entries are approved.
5
Handover and integration into your processes
Your terminology is delivered in the file formats required by your systems, tools and AI applications, and is ready for use in production.
Our services at a glance.
When is terminology creation worthwhile?
Terminology creation is useful when technical terms have existed only implicitly or in a scattered manner up to now. Consistent terminology is also essential when texts are produced in different places and by multiple people. The same applies prior to the introduction of machine translation or AI-supported processes. Reliable terminology is an important prerequisite for this. A consistently high volume of post-translation editing is also a clear indication that: The cause is often due to a lack of terminology resources.
FAQs
Can terminology creation be outsourced?
Yes. The entire process, from the initial extraction stage right through to multilingual enrichment, can be outsourced. Around 85% of a company’s terminology is based on industry standards and established technical terms. This makes targeted external support possible. We will work with your experts to clarify what is specific to your organisation.
How do I start building up terminology?
The first step is a consultation to discuss your current situation. Existing documents, manuals or glossaries are sufficient as a basis. We analyse what is already in place and use this to draw up a realistic project plan.
How long does a terminology project take?
That depends on the volume of existing data, the number of languages and the desired level of detail. We work in clearly defined work packages, so that initial results are available at an early stage.
What is the difference between terminology creation and terminology clean-up?
Terminology creation involves either building a terminology database from scratch or expanding it in a targeted manner. Terminology clean-up builds on existing terminology and resolves inconsistencies, duplicates and structural weaknesses. Both can be commissioned together. Together, we’ll work out what’s available and what’s missing.
Further services in the field of terminology.
Let’s discuss your next project!
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