Many of the language industry standards we certify to have their foundations in quality management. Here we explore how Linguistic Quality Assurance (LQA) can play a vital role in delivering reliable, high-quality output and support your ISO 17100 compliance.
What is Linguistic Quality Assurance?
Linguistic Quality Assurance (LQA)—sometimes referred to as Linguistic Quality Evaluation (LQE)—is a structured process used to assess and ensure the quality of translated content. These methods have been used in the language industry for over 20 years and are designed to identify, categorise and measure errors based on typologies such as grammar, terminology, consistency, and style.
LQA is commonly carried out through manual or automated reviews and scoring systems, giving language service providers (LSPs) and their clients a clear indication of translation quality.
Why is Linguistic Quality Assurance Gaining Attention Now?
With the rise of machine translation (MT) and AI-assisted tools, LQA is becoming more widely discussed as a way to:
- Assess the quality of raw machine translation output
- Evaluate the success of post-editing workflows
- Provide clients with transparency around translation quality
As highlighted in a recent ATC news article, LQA is increasingly valuable in bridging the gap between client expectations and the reality of AI-generated content.
How Does Linguistic Quality Assurance Support ISO 17100?
ISO 17100 is the international standard that sets out requirements for core translation processes, qualifications, and quality assurance. While the standard mandates activities such as translation, revision by a second person, and final verification, it does not require the use of LQA.
However, LQA can be a powerful enhancement at multiple stages of the ISO 17100 process:
- Translator’s self-check: LQA tools help catch issues early in the workflow.
- Revision stage: Reviewers can apply LQA scoring models to identify error categories and ensure consistency.
- Final verification: LQA offers a structured way to evaluate the finished product against client requirements.
By integrating LQA into these steps, LSPs can strengthen their quality assurance mechanisms, improve client confidence, and differentiate their services in the marketplace.
Can ISO 17100 Certification Be Achieved Without LQA?
Yes. It’s important to clarify that Linguistic Quality Assurance is not mandatory for ISO 17100 certification. Organisations can meet the standard’s requirements without implementing LQA tools or formal evaluation models.
However, for those seeking to go beyond basic compliance—especially when offering services like post-editing of machine translation—adopting LQA methods can add measurable value and accountability to the translation process.
How Do Translation Clients Use LQA?
LQA is not just a tool for translation providers. Clients also use LQA models to evaluate translations received from suppliers, often on a sampling basis. This allows them to:
- Monitor service quality across projects
- Provide structured feedback to providers
- Ensure adherence to branding and style guides
When used collaboratively, Linguistic Quality Assurance becomes a shared language between LSPs and clients for defining and managing quality.
Conclusion: A Valuable Enhancement to ISO 17100
While Linguistic Quality Assurance is not a requirement for ISO 17100 compliance, it represents a best practice that many leading language service providers are choosing to adopt. Whether evaluating human translation or AI-generated output, LQA offers a transparent, consistent, and scalable way to manage quality.
For LSPs already certified to ISO 17100 or considering certification, integrating LQA into your workflows can support continuous improvement, reinforce your commitment to quality, and give your clients greater confidence in the services you provide.
Where to Find Out More
The best place to start exploring LQA is through the MQM – Multidimensional Quality Metrics website at https://themqm.org/.
Multidimensional Quality Metrics (MQM) is a framework for translation quality evaluation. It can be applied to both human translation, machine translation and AI-generated translation. The MQM website provides comprehensive information, error typology level data and scorecards for the implementation of analytic translation quality evaluation.
ATC Certification supports language service providers with impartial auditing to ISO 17100, ISO 18587, and other specialist standards. Our auditors are language industry experts who understand your work. Contact us to learn more about how we can support your certification journey.
