1. Meaning and completeness
Compare each section against the source. Check instructions, conditions, exceptions and references. A translation can be grammatically convincing while weakening a requirement or omitting a qualification.
Pay particular attention to words such as “unless”, “only”, “must” and “may”. Review tables, captions and notes as well as the main paragraphs. Material omitted during extraction cannot be corrected if the reviewer never receives it.
2. Names, numbers and units
Check product names, personal names, amounts, dates, measurements and version numbers. Confirm whether a locale convention needs adaptation or whether the source value should remain unchanged.
For example, an invented source phrase “a 1.5-litre container” needs both the numeric value and the unit preserved. The target language may use a decimal comma, but that formatting choice must not change the quantity.
3. Terminology and protected text
Use the approved glossary and product references. Identify terms that should be translated, retained or expanded. An inconsistent product term can confuse users even when each individual sentence seems plausible.
Mark variables, placeholders, tags and code that must remain intact. Do not ask a reviewer to infer which pieces of a software export are editable.
4. Tone and context
Read the text as the intended audience. Does the level of formality fit? Are instructions easy to follow? Does a short interface label make sense beside its control?
Screenshots, page links and source context reduce ambiguity. A standalone word such as “apply” might refer to applying a setting or applying for a position. Context determines the appropriate translation.
5. Files and assembled output
Check that all required text was included and that the delivered file preserves its expected structure. If translation will be imported into a website or course, assign a person to review the assembled result.
A bilingual review of a document does not automatically include testing software, checking subtitle synchronization or validating a learning module. Put those tasks in the scope explicitly.
6. Decisions and final approval
This checklist helps organize the work. It cannot establish accuracy in a language the reviewer does not understand. For bilingual accuracy checking, use a specialist who can assess both texts and the subject.
- Record unresolved source questions
- Agree how reviewer changes will be accepted
- Keep the approved source and target versions together
- Update the glossary with decisions worth reusing
- Assign final approval to the appropriate owner