We should previously determine which domains can successfully be processed using MTPE.
Technical domain, user interfaces, medical translations, patent, legal could be more suitable for MT as they consist in usual phrasing and specific terminology that is standardized. Scientific documents with limited vocabulary are also giving great results. By limited, we consider the number of meanings that a word can have. While we are faced with the complexity of the technical/scientific field, we know that the higher the degree of technical complexity is, the more specific the translation of the word must be, and the more likely the machine will choose the right word.
Text that requires a creative approach, marketing, and website contents is not advisable to undergo MT and they need a specific test.
It is quite obvious that the least recommended for machine translation are literary works (novels, poems, etc.) given that they require great interpretative qualities and because the author’s intention is a key element in literature. Therefore, the post-editing job would end up being so large and complicated that we would end up having to re‑translate the whole document.
There are contributory factors to the quality of the MT such as the clarity and quality of the source text. It is essential to make sure that the source text is well-suited for machine translation beforehand. We analyze if it is clear of tags, if the language is fluent and consistent, check the length of sentences, etc.
Another very important asset in order to reach the desired quality of MTPE is the availability of Corpora, a large amount of specific bilingual data, and the creation of specific glossaries. Which means that reliable TM and term bases are taking significant role in overall quality of MT output.
A client’s goals are crucial. We need to understand the client’s requirements concerning expected quality and target reader (internal communication or publication). Such information will determine whether the text should undergo MT and what type of post-editing should be performed.