Machine Translation and Pharmaceuticals: Helpful But Human-Review Required

​Machine translation (MT) can both fuel and add twists and turns to the pharmaceutical translation process. As the global market for pharmaceuticals continues to expand, so does the need for seamless translation of crucial documents. It’s easy to apply machine translation to such documents, but, depending on the contents, the MT output may require in-depth or light review by a human translator. Lighter review contributes to the speediness of the process, while in-depth review can slow it down. The CRO or client should be aware of this and keep their expectations in check. They must be prepared to adjust the timeline of their project if needed.

Quick MT Overview

​Before I discuss examples below, I’d like to speak more generally about MT. It is an undeniably powerful tool that has revolutionized communication, broken down certain language barriers, and enabled instant translation across various languages. Its usefulness lies in its speed and accessibility, making it invaluable for quickly understanding the gist of a document, website, or conversation. 
 
However, its reliability is not absolute. The intricate nuances of human language, cultural context, and domain-specific terminology pose significant challenges for MT tools. Thus, all MT output must be reviewed by a human translator, especially if the translation needs to be accurate so the document can be used in data analysis, distributed to patients, presented in a legal setting, etc.
 
That being said, certain documents are easier to machine translate than others. In the pharmaceutical industry, standard operating procedures (SOPs) are fuel for MT tools and scientific research papers add twists and turns that MT overlooks.

Fuel for MT: Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

​Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are the backbone of any pharmaceutical operation. These documents demand precision, clarity, and accuracy. When SOPs are translated using MT, the output tends to be high quality, especially when the translation memory has been fed with multiple SOPs. These documents have a very structured format and standardized language. In other words, they have a repetitive nature, making them inherently compatible with MT algorithms. Thus, MT efficiently deciphers these procedural guidelines, ensuring that the essence of the document remains intact. At that point, the human translator has to lightly review it to check for missing words, punctuation changes, and similar easily corrected errors.

Twists and Turns for MT: Scientific Research Papers

Now, let’s shift our focus to the intricate world of scientific research papers, where context and subtleties reign supreme and where there is rarely consistency between papers (apart from headings). Translating scientific research papers poses a considerable challenge for MT. These documents are laden with discipline-specific terminology, complex sentence structures, and nuanced interpretations. MT, while impressive, may miss these twists and turns and go off-track. It then fails to capture the depth of scientific knowledge embedded within these papers, leading to misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
 
Thus, in this case, the human translator must take the time to do an in-depth review of the MT output. It is critical that they understand the author’s objective and the source in general and that they are familiar with obscure terminology. Finally, they must have access to the source so they can see any tables and images and check for extra/missing information (SEE MY LAST POST). This kind of review can take more time and may result in this step taking longer than expected. The CRO or client must temper their expectations regarding time and recognize that it is worth it to have this thorough review done.

​As you can see, the compatibility of a pharmaceutical document with MT depends significantly on its structure, language complexity, and the nature of its content. While documents like SOPs find harmony in the realm of MT, scientific research papers with their intricate language demand more attention from professional human translators.
 
Professionals in the pharmaceutical field must recognize the strengths and limitations of MT. Utilize it wisely for documents like SOPs, where structure and clarity are paramount and expect to have a translator quickly review them. However, exercise caution and opt to apply more in-depth human expertise when dealing with the complexities of scientific research papers. By striking this balance, we can enhance global collaboration, foster innovation, and continue advancing the pharmaceutical industry with confidence and precision.