Requirements and User Scenarios

Contents

General Requirements

The need for a Web-based document translation tool can be described in terms of at least two current problems:

  1. Currently, when a Babels member needs a document translated, it involves a complicated process of emailing documents back and forth among two or more members. Confusion usually results, with the parties involved never being certain as to the status of the translation and making collaboration difficult. A means of streamlining this process is needed.
  2. The translation capacity of Babels' network is being underutilized. A Web-based tool to enable collaboration could harness this capacity.

This tool should fulfill the following basic functionality:

  • A member submits a document for translation, indicating the source language of the document as well as the languages for which he or she needs a translation.
  • Members are made aware of the documents that have been submitted for translation by visiting the site, through an RSS feed, or by email. Members can receive this information filtered by the languages that are relevant to them.

More detailed user scenarios are available below.

Notes on roles and workflow

The application currently using Plone default set of roles:

  • Manager
  • Reviewer
  • Member
  • Owner
  • Anonymous/Authenticated
  • Only MANAGER should be able to create a new Document Translation Center.
  • MEMBER should be able to submit new Source document, and be able to edit and do various workflow states on documents, except for the "Approve" workflow state.
  • Once a document has been workflowed to "complete" (whether a source document or a translation of the source) only MANAGER (and REVIEWER?) should be able to change its contents or set its workflow state back.
  • REVIEWER can do all workflow states, including Approve.

The nomenclature used shouldn't matter so much, as end users will never really see it. For "Member" you can read "Translator", for "Reviewer," "Proofreader", etc.

User scenarios by role

Anonymous

Can see what's on the website, can submit documents to translate to Managers. That's all. (Note from Matt: Is this true? Wouldn't it be better/easier just to require that a user be a member?)

Member

Example 1
Member can translate from ES and IT (source) to FR (target). Looks on the website for any texts with status 'available' in ES or IT to translate into FR. Looks for any text requiring FR. Looks for any text in ES or IT that can be translated but where FR was not required. Can pick a text and choose to add an 'unwanted' FR translation. Selects a text and starts translating. If finished -> new status: 'submitted for review'. If only partly translated -> new status: 'partially translated'.
Example 2
Member does not look on the web to see if there are texts to translate, but receives an RSS feed with the latest texts to translate. The feed contains relevant data: source / target language(s) + a description and deadline. Member clicks on links to go the website and see if a text is still available (if so, member picks the translation).

(A nice idea here related to the RSS theme is for Babel member-affiliated Web sites active in one particular country, e.g., Italy, to place an RSS feed on their site that filters requested translations to target language: Italian.)

Reviewer

Example 1
Reviewer is a professional translator who can translate from ES, EN, IT (source) to FR (target). Looks on the website for any texts which have been 'submitted for review'. Sees if some have a source text in ES, EN or IT. Selects one, reviews the translation, corrects it. When finished -> new status: 'approved'. Once approved, the translation is online, locked and emailed to the person who submitted the source document. If the translation is incomplete and was wrongly 'submitted for revision', Reviewer can change status to 'partially translated'. If translation is a total error, Reviewer can change status to 'available' (a warning is displayed first, as the previous 'translation' is deleted).
Example 2
Reviewer is responsible for texts translated into FR. Receives RSS feed / email when there is at least one (or xx) documents awaiting revision. Clicks on link and follows revision procedure.
Example 3
Reviewer co-opts a Member into becoming a reviewer by asking Manager to change Member into Reviewer.

Manager

Example 1
Manager receives requests to have documents translated. Manager approves request and submits documents to site, indicating source and target languages, and deadline.
Example 2
Manager selects members and gives them 'reviewer' status. Manager can downgrade 'Reviewers' to become 'Members'. Manager can ban members from ever doing anything. All registration details are available to Managers.