Guide · Specialist translations
Commissioning a specialist translation: what brief, glossary and references help?
A useful brief explains how the translated text will be used. It helps align language, terminology and output with the actual project.
Reviewed on 28 October 2026
The short answer
State the source and target languages, market, readers, subject, intended use and deadline. Provide the approved source and reliable glossaries and references. Identify binding instructions and nominate a contact for questions. Translation, layout, additional specialist checking and later updates should be clarified as distinct scope.
Describe the market and readers precisely
“English for our website” can describe different tasks. Specify the language variant, market and whether readers are specialists, customers or staff. Supply the desired tone and binding product names.
BDÜ guidance identifies audience and intended use as important briefing information. Explain whether the text is internal information, publication material or formal evidence. Translation does not automatically provide legal market approval.
Read more: BDÜ Berlin-Brandenburg: from enquiry to invoicing
Mark the status of glossaries and references
A useful glossary links the source term, approved target term and context. Identify unwanted variants and terms that should remain unchanged. State the version and responsible approver.
Do not supply reference texts as binding models without checking. Mark whether an older translation is approved, illustrative or technically outdated. Contradictions should allow questions before a final choice is made.
Agree file versions, output and approval
Send final source files with an inventory of the parts to be processed. Identify text in images, hidden content, tables and excluded passages. Agree the desired delivery format beforehand.
Commissioning guidance recommends clear agreement on scope and timing. Name contacts and approval steps and identify later source changes as new version information whose impact needs explicit clarification.
Read more: BDÜ Hessen/Rheinland-Pfalz: commissioning translation and interpreting
Your next steps
Define languages, market, readers and purpose.
Organise the approved source and complete inventory.
Mark the binding status of glossaries and references.
Agree questions, deadline, output and approval.
More questions
Do I need a finished glossary before every enquiry?
No. Supply existing approvals and unresolved terms; additional terminology work must be agreed.
Is layout automatically included?
Specify the desired output and particular formatting tasks. Actual scope is clarified beforehand.
What happens if the source changes later?
Identify the new version and changed passages. Additional work and timing need agreement.
Sources and further reading
- BDÜ Berlin-Brandenburg: from enquiry to invoicing
- BDÜ Hessen/Rheinland-Pfalz: commissioning translation and interpreting
The approved source, intended use and expressly agreed scope determine the assignment.
Prepare your specialist translation
Start with a free initial estimate. We can agree target market, terminology and particular output formats with you.
Free, no registration and not yet an order. Scope and timing are agreed beforehand.