An activity theory perspective on the TEP model replicated in translation crowdsourcing: A case study of Global Voices Lingua

Abstract

The Translation-Editing-Proofreading (TEP) model is an established approach for ensuring the quality of translation services in the translation industry. However, when the TEP process is replicated in a crowdsourcing context, new factors influence its effectiveness. To address this issue, this article, based on Engeström's activity theory, provides a theoretical account of those factors that influence the TEP process reproduced in Global Voices Lingua. The article then presents two interrelated empirical studies on (1) Lingua volunteers' profiles and motivations and (2) Chinese Lingua editors' revisions to explain how to examine whether unfavourable influences exist in practice. The results reveal that for the Lingua project as a whole, the volunteers' ability and motivational tendencies do not produce substantial adverse effects. Likewise, the Chinese revisions seem to be adequate to guarantee the desired quality although Lingua's language communities may display different scenarios. Further empirical investigation of other aspects (e.g. the adequacy of the translator's work and translator-editor interactions) is still needed to evaluate the replication of the TEP model in Global Voices Lingua more precisely.