A closer look: In-Context Review and LQA look similar, but they are not!

The world of localization is full of small, hidden details. One of my all-time favorite movies is The Shawshank Redemption. It's a movie often shown on public TV channels in Spain, and whenever I stumble upon it while channel surfing, I find myself watching it. It's a great movie, and one unforgettable scene is the one with The Rita Hayworth poster. It seems like just a poster in a prisoner's room, but it's much more. It conceals the tunnel used for escaping Shawshank State Prison.

Some things are deeper than they seem, much like the tunnel behind the Rita poster or the confusion often seen between in-context review and LQA in the world of Localization. They might seem the same, but if we scratch beneath the surface, just like the prison warden Samuel Norton did when he scratched Rita's poster and found what he found, we'll see they're not what they seem.

So, in this post, I want to focus on explaining the differences between in-context review and LQA.

But before diving into the differences, let's start with a definition of each.

 What’s in In-Context Review?

In the localization process, an in-context review involves a native speaker, often an employee living in the target country and fluent in both the source and target languages, reviewing translation work by an LSP. These reviewers, being both native speakers and company experts, make corrections to ensure the content resonates locally.

What is LQA?

Localization Quality Assurance (LQA) is a process that ensures the translated content is linguistically accurate, culturally relevant, and adheres to the target market’s language and conventions. It evaluates content for linguistic, visual, functional, cultural, and legal appropriateness. LQA is crucial for making localized content error-free and suitable for its target market.

 Typical Differences

View fullsize

Click HERE to download the infographic

While they might seem similar, there are three fundamental differences in both that greatly impact immediacy and time-related aspects:

1.     Scheduling:

• In-Context Review: Usually occurs during the translation process, allowing adjustments in real time. This approach ensures the translated content fits seamlessly within the digital product's evolving interface. For example, in a website context, it involves checking how the translated text integrates with the layout, avoiding disruptions or overflow issues. Tools like Phrase, Lokalise, or Crowdin assist with in-context review, enabling reviewers to see changes within the product's interface.

• LQA (Linguistic Quality Assurance): Takes place after the Localization is complete, focusing on overall content quality and accuracy. Tools like Xbench or QA Distiller are designed for linguistic quality assurance, identifying inconsistencies or errors.

2.     Immediate Fixes:

• In-Context Review: Often leads to immediate iterations. Adjustments are made promptly if translated text doesn't fit visually or functionally.

• LQA: Feedback might lead to a longer process involving bug reporting, fixing, generating a new build, and performing regression to verify the fix.

3.     Effort Needed:

• In-Context Review: Demands more frequent iterations due to immediate visual feedback. It's like me adjusting camera settings in real-time to capture the perfect moment to take a picture in the weekend tennis matches of my son, similar to how the localization team fine-tunes translated content within the digital product's interface for a good appearance.

• LQA: Involves fewer but more comprehensive iterations, focusing on substantial changes to ensure content accuracy and cultural fit across different markets.

How to Do an In-Context Review

To do a good review, in-context reviewers need these resources:

1.     Access to the working localized application:

• Purpose: This helps linguistic reviewers check the translated text in its real setting. They make sure it fits and works in the live digital product.

2.     Your product style guides and glossary:

• Purpose: These guides and lists give language rules and specific info about the product's language and style. They keep the language consistent across the product.

3.     Product documentation in both languages:

• Purpose: Comparing the source and target language docs helps reviewers understand the content better. It makes sure the translation reflects the original meaning and suits the audience.

In Conclusion

Localization is more complex than it seems. Some might think it's just translation or like Google Translate, but it's made of small differences that matter. When you get into this Localization world and see these differences, it's like the surprise on Samuel Norton's face when he saw what was behind Rita's poster.