Terminologist

Job overview
Terminologists collect and document technical terms, do research on underlying concepts and provide equivalents or create new terms for new, so far unnamed, concepts.

What do people do in this occupation?
Apart from facilitating scientific and technical communication at various levels, in different subject fields, the career offers the practitioners excellent opportunities of enhancing their general knowledge, sharpening their command of languages and their skills in creative writing, project management and interpersonal communication.

Terminologists' work includes:-

• Collecting, systematising and documenting terms in particular technical fields.
• Verifying terms in order to establish their linguistic and technical accuracy (in this process terminologists collaborate with experts and other authorities).
• Providing equivalents as well as creating terms in the target language.
• Editing (and accurately proof-reading) as well as revising and updating terminology.
• Helping to standardise terminology in collaboration with subject specialists, and promoting the use of standardised terms.
• Compiling glossaries or dictionaries, usually as part of a team.
• Providing an information service, thereby rendering terminological and linguistic assistance and advice to the public.

What kinds of people are suitable for this career?
Terminologists must have a good knowledge of at least two of a country's official languages.

They must have an extensive general knowledge, wide interests and an eye for detail.

Computer literacy is important as terminologists do their work almost exclusively on computer.

They also need to be successful liaison officers, as they have to collaborate constantly with specialists, language practitioners and information scientists.

What qualifications are needed?
Normally a university degree with majors in the relevant languages and preferably some training in applied linguistics.