Good translation outcomes begin with the right source material, language choice, audience information and clear instructions.
What to send us
- the final source document or text
- the language(s) required
- intended audience and purpose
- required delivery date
- preferred return file format
- approved terminology, names or reference material
- formatting, accessibility or publication requirements
- DCJ business area and billing / reference details
Choosing the appropriate language
Where possible, confirm the language and relevant regional or written variant used by the intended audience. Some languages have multiple written standards or scripts; for example, Chinese requests should identify whether Simplified or Traditional Chinese is required.
Unsure which language or variant to request?
Seek specialist advice before commissioning the translation. All Graduates can assist with language identification and practical translation requirements, and DCJ staff may also consult the DCJ Language Services / contract management team where policy, audience or whole-of-agency considerations apply.
Seek specialist advice before commissioning the translation. All Graduates can assist with language identification and practical translation requirements, and DCJ staff may also consult the DCJ Language Services / contract management team where policy, audience or whole-of-agency considerations apply.
Quality essentials
- use final, approved source content where possible
- provide editable originals when available
- identify specialist legal, community-service or technical terminology
- provide context for acronyms, program names and internal terminology
- allow time for translation, checking or proofreading where appropriate
- tell us where and how the translated content will be used