Academic translation of scientific and technical texts

Academic translation of scientific and technical texts provides an instrument for the dissemination of research, development and technological innovation (R&D&I) activities. Overcoming language barriers in the dissemination of technological and scientific innovation is a decisive factor for the knowledge economy.

Because it’s not enough to generate results, they must be communicated correctly.

The proper ordering and structuring of ideas, following a method designed to transmit information accurately, gives value to their content. Moreover, our globalised world demands that information be transmitted in different languages, with a clear prevalence of English.

A professional translator with research experience is the ideal profile for translating scientific texts. After all, it is not just a matter of choosing the exact words, but also of understanding the structure and content of the text. This is the only way to use the appropriate linguistic, discursive and documentary resources for publication.

Academic translation as research

On the other hand, scientific translation also involves research work. The research tasks to be undertaken by the scientific translator include the following:

  • Checking and looking up bibliographic references;
  • Searching for sources in the original and target languages;
  • Systematically studying terminology;
  • Developing specific language resources, such as glossaries and lists of abbreviations;
  • Checking data, tables and figures.

In addition to translating, at textinnova we help you edit the original text to adapt it to the style standards of the academic publication for which it’s intended. For example, we can adapt citation procedures, bibliographic conventions, content structure, etc. We also help you write and translate the abstract for your article, keeping it to the maximum length allowed. Additionally, we advise you throughout the process of writing your academic paper.

Looking for a translator for your next academic publication? We offer you much more than translation.

A high value-added service

Bibliographic documentation

One of the most laborious stages of the academic research, writing and translation process is bibliographic documentation and producing references. At textinnova we help you in this arduous documentary work. We check references, investigate sources, find out if there is a translation already published in the target language, so it can be cited in the bibliography, and we also document citations and verify the integrity of the references in terms of the text as a whole.

Not only do we make it easier for you to manage your bibliographic data, but we also adapt them to the conventions of each publication. Plus, we check that links for online e-publications are still up-to-date and valid.

Style rules, proofreading and content editing

Another complementary service we offer is the adaptation of academic articles to the style rules for each publication, thereby increasing the chances that article will successfully pass the peer review filter and be accepted by prestigious academic journals. This process may require slight formal interventions or more profound changes in the general concept of the text and how it is worded.

At the same time, we optimise the formal aspects of your text, taking care of every orthographic detail, citation rules, paragraph arrangement, etc. We provide you with guidelines to make the structure of your text clearer, avoiding repetitions, inaccuracies, ambiguities, in order to reinforce the development of your argument. We can go one step further and also improve the content of the text from an academic and editorial perspective.

Editorial services for multilingual academic publications

By using an innovative approach, we can quickly produce a perfectly edited and laid out text in more than one language. This approach combines expert knowledge of academic publishing with advanced terminology management tools, translation memories and typesetting. This solution can be useful in the case of books, journals and magazines that are published in several languages. Take a look at our editing services.

We also generate aligned multilingual corpora, indexes and terminology databases, either for documentary purposes or as a resource for producing other specialised linguistic tools.

Academic translation of different types of texts and specialities

Academic and scientific texts can be classified into three broad categories:

  • works that grant an academic degree, such as doctoral theses and end-of-degree projects;
  • reports, summaries and reviews of research projects;
  • scientific publications, whether articles, papers, essays, books or monographs.

Each of these types of text has its own formal and discursive characteristics. Needless to say, we need to know them in order to approach the translation correctly. This is what enables us to choose the right register (more or less formal, as required) and, ultimately, a structure that matches the content.

When it comes to non-academic technical texts, although less subject to formal conventions, they pose difficulties similar to those of a scientific publication. Their main challenge is to achieve a clear, precise and orderly discussion of ideas using the appropriate terminology.

Our main areas of expertise in academic translation are human and social sciences, economics, natural sciences, medicine and legal sciences. In terms of non-academic technical texts, we can also cover information and telecommunications technology, electronics and energy sector technology as well as other specialist subject areas.

Academic translation in three languages

We translate and edit academic texts in English, French and Spanish.

Choose textinnova, a team of translators and editors at the service of science.

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