Dr Jody Bryne, Sheffield University will present her lecture: ‘Putting the Reader First: The Role of Usability in Technical Translation’.
Abstract: The notion of quality is a central issue in translation studies and it is increasingly accepted that the needs and expectations of the intended audience should play a decisive role when producing translations. This is particularly true in the translation of technical texts and even more so in the case of instructional texts whose purpose is to convey information as clearly and as concisely as possible. This lecture will explore the translation of software user guides and show that usability is a critical factor affecting their effectiveness at helping readers learn how to use the product being described. After discussing the concept of usability and exploring its origins in cognitive psychology, this session will present some implications for engineering usability into technical translations. A number of practical methods for improving the usability of technical translations will be presented and empirical data illustrating the benefits of usability engineering will also be discussed.
Biography: Dr Byrne lectures in translation studies and localization in the Modern Languages Teaching Centre at Sheffield University. Having studied translation for a year at Universität Leipzig (Germany) he obtained his BA (1997) in translation and PhD (2004) in technical translation and usability engineering from Dublin City University where he taught German into English scientific, technical and economic translation. He has extensive experience as a professional translator, localizer and technical writer in Ireland and Germany and has been an active freelance translator and localizer for several years. Dr. Byrne is the author of “Technical Translation: Usability Strategies for Translating Technical Documentation”, a recent title by Springer Press.
Suggested Reading:
Byrne, Jody (2006) Technical Translation: Usability Strategies for Translating Technical Documentation. Dordrecht: Springer
Coe, Marlana (1996) Human Factors for Technical Communicators. New York: John Wiley & Sons
Dumas, J.S. & J.C. Redish (1999) A Practical Guide to Usability Testing. Exeter: Intellect Books
Faulkner, Christine (1998) The Essence of Human-Computer Interaction. London: Prentice Hall
Raskin, Jeff (2000) The Humane Interface. New York: Addison Wesley