Scientific translation for research papers, journal articles and theses
- ISO 17100 and ISO 9001, audited by DEKRA
- Native-speaker specialists, usually with an academic background in the field
- A binding schedule for dissertations and master’s theses
- Journal reference style and word limits kept
Research texts are written for reviewers and examiners
Scientific texts are judged by readers who can reject them: journal reviewers, examiners and funding bodies. Besides theses, researchers send journal articles, conference papers and grant applications. Expert reports and patent specifications from research projects are translated too. In this field an error can cost a publication.
Large theses get a binding schedule before work starts
- Enquiry
Send the manuscript or one chapter. Name the target language and the journal or institution it is written for.
- Quote and schedule
A quote by standard line with a delivery date, without obligation. Dissertations and master’s theses get a binding schedule.
- Translation
A specialist translates into their native language, usually with an academic background in the field.
- Revision and delivery
A second specialist compares translation and source before the text is returned.
Send the file or a scan with the target language and purpose, and you will usually have a quote on the same working day.
A second specialist revises each academic translation
Revision by a second qualified translator is part of every job, as ISO 17100 requires. Eurolingua is certified to ISO 17100 and ISO 9001. In a research paper, the wording carries the claim. A hedged result must stay hedged, and every figure must match the source.
Thesis length and deadline shape the quote
Academic texts are billed by volume. The unit is the standard line (Normzeile) of 50 to 55 characters including spaces. Subject area, language pair and deadline set the rate. For a long thesis, text reused from the translation memory is not charged as new. How the units work: specialised translations.
Journals set spelling, reference style and word limits
Journals publish guidelines for authors. They fix the variety of English, the reference style and often a word limit for the abstract. A translation written to those guidelines avoids a round of formal corrections before review. Name the journal in your request, so its guidelines apply from the first page.
Reference styles differ in form. APA and Harvard cite author and year in the text; Vancouver numbers sources in order of first citation. Medical journals often use Vancouver, psychology uses APA. Within one article, British and American spelling are not mixed. German quotation marks and decimal commas also change in an English text.
Glossaries keep terms stable across a long thesis
A dissertation defines its key terms early and uses them for hundreds of pages. A term that changes halfway reads like a new concept to an examiner. For large projects, a project glossary is built and translation memory is used. Both hold one term for one concept from the first chapter to the last.
German academic titles need the same care. The Habilitation is a postdoctoral qualification with no direct equivalent in English-speaking systems. Translations usually keep the German term and explain it once. The same applies to degree names such as Diplom or Staatsexamen.
Disciplines include medicine, chemistry and law
Academic texts come from medicine, pharmacy, chemistry and biology. Others come from engineering, economics, law and the social sciences. A discipline missing from this list is no reason to hold back. Name it in the request, and a specialist with a matching background is found.
From the dissertation to the grant application: we translate other text types too. Name it in your request.
When it comes to specialised translations in the field of science, knowledge of technical terminology and specialist language is of crucial importance. A translator must possess in-depth knowledge of the relevant field, as well as translation skills, linguistic and textual expertise, and cultural competence, in order to produce appropriate specialised translations in the field of science. Translations of academic papers, master’s theses, doctoral dissertations or postdoctoral theses can only be carried out by highly qualified specialised translators who translate into their native language but also possess native-speaker proficiency in the source language.
For all academic texts, we offer translations from and into all European languages, as well as translations from and into many other languages worldwide, such as German-Chinese, Chinese-German, German-English, English-German, English-French, French-English, Russian-German and Bulgarian-German.
Turnaround, certification and confidentiality
How long does a journal article take to translate?
That depends on length and subject. The delivery date is agreed with the quote, after the source text has been reviewed. For theses, the schedule is agreed with the quote. Urgent deadlines are agreed with the quote as well.
Can a translated thesis be certified?
Yes. If an authority or university asks for it, an authorised translator can certify the translation of your thesis. Details under certified translations.
Are unpublished manuscripts kept confidential?
Yes. All documents are treated as confidential and handled only by qualified specialist translators under defined processes. Processing complies with the GDPR, and a separate non-disclosure agreement is possible.
What does a scientific translation cost?
Subject area, language pair and deadline set the rate. For a long thesis, text reused from the translation memory is not charged as new. Dissertations and master’s theses get a binding schedule with the quote.
Can a machine-translated draft be revised?
Yes. Revising a machine draft is post-editing, covered under proofreading and editing.
Send the file or a sample with the target language and purpose, and you will usually have a quote on the same working day.
Our specialist translators cover a wide range of industries and fields. Explore our other areas of expertise: