Wikipedia Translation Guidelines: Best Practices for Using Machine Translation
Contributing to Wikipedia through translation is a powerful way to expand global knowledge. While modern tools have made the process faster, translating content from one language to another—such as moving information from Korean Wikipedia to English Wikipedia—requires more than just a simple copy-paste. To maintain the encyclopedia's high standards, editors must balance the efficiency of technology with the precision of human oversight.
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The Role of Machine Translation in Editing
Machine translation services, including DeepL and Google Translate, serve as excellent starting points for the translation process. They can help an editor grasp the general meaning of a foreign-language article quickly. However, these tools are not a substitute for human expertise.
To ensure quality, translators must adhere to LLM (Large Language Model) translation guidelines. This involves a rigorous process of revising errors and confirming that the final output is factually accurate. Simply pasting machine-translated text into an English article without verification is insufficient and can compromise the integrity of the content.
Quality Control and Verification
Not all source material is suitable for translation. Editors are advised to exercise caution and follow these core principles:
- Avoid Unreliable Content: Do not translate text that appears to be of low quality or lacks reliability.
- Verify with References: Whenever possible, cross-reference the text with the citations and references provided in the original foreign-language article to ensure accuracy.
Copyright and Proper Attribution
When you translate content, you must respect copyright and provide clear attribution. This ensures that the original source is credited and that the community knows the origin of the information.
How to Provide Attribution
Attribution should be included in your edit summary. A standard way to do this is by providing an interlanguage link to the source article. For example, if you are translating an article about the Yongsan Line, your edit summary should look like this:
"Content in this edit is translated from the existing Korean Wikipedia article at [[:ko:용산선]]; see its history for attribution."
Additionally, you may add the template {{Translated|ko|용산선}} to the article's talk page to maintain transparency.
Key Facts
- Machine translation tools like DeepL and Google Translate should only be used as a starting point.
- Translators must follow LLM translation guidelines and manually revise all errors.
- Unreliable or low-quality source text should never be translated.
- Verification against original references is highly recommended.
- Copyright attribution must be included in the edit summary via an interlanguage link.
Summary of Translation Requirements
| Task | Requirement | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Translation | Use LLM/Machine tools | Use as a starting point only |
| Accuracy Check | Manual Revision | Correct errors and verify facts |
| Source Quality | Verification | Check original references |
| Attribution | Mandatory | Include interlanguage link in edit summary |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Google Translate and paste the result directly?
No. You must follow LLM translation guidelines, revise all errors, and confirm the accuracy of the text before publishing it.
What should I do if the source text seems unreliable?
You should not translate text that appears to be low-quality or unreliable. Always try to verify the information using the references provided in the source article.
How do I properly credit the original article?
You must provide copyright attribution in your edit summary by including an interlanguage link to the source article.
Is there a specific template for translations?
Yes, you can add the {{Translated|language|article_name}} template to the article's talk page.
Where can I find more detailed instructions?
For comprehensive guidance, you should refer to the official Wikipedia:Translation documentation.