MET workshops
Optimal Internet search techniques: implementing them through IntelliWebSearch
During their work, translators, editors and interpreters have to solve several kinds of Web search problems such as looking for useful on-line dictionaries (mono/bilingual), multilingual sites (parallel texts), single terms, abbreviations/acronyms, quotations/titles and idioms/boilerplate. Each type of problem requires a slightly different approach, which can be transformed, to some extent, into a standard routine and semi-automated with a freeware tool for Windows called IntelliWebSearch.
Purpose: To illustrate the various techniques that can be used to solve different kinds of commonly occurring search problems and set IntelliWebSearch up to implement some of the methods seen.
Developer and facilitator: Michael Farrell
Description/Structure: The workshop is divided into three parts. The first part is theory only and deals with basic search engine features and functions such as the default operator, phrase search, truncation, stop words, Boolean operators, fields, sorting, advanced search options and keywords. It is probably mainly revision for most attendees, but it is essential that everyone is familiar with the basic concepts before continuing. The second part takes a look at IntelliWebSearch "straight out of the box" to see how it can be used to speed up and simplify terminology searches on the Internet. The third part examines the typical search problems translators and editors face during their working day and explains how IntelliWebSearch can be used to save standard settings and perform appropriate searches literally at the press of a button (keyboard shortcut). This final part of the workshop mainly involves practical exercises on customizing, configuring and using IntelliWebSearch.
Who should attend? Translators, editors, interpreters, terminologists, lexicographers and anyone who has to translate, find and check terminology frequently, rapidly and efficiently on the Internet.
Outcome skills: After the workshop, besides having the tool set up on their laptops to implement some common term search techniques, participants will be better able to decide on the best strategy to solve any future Internet search problems they may face and will know how to customize and use IntelliWebSearch to semi-automate the methods they choose.
Pre-meeting information:
Attendees are required to bring their own laptop (and cable if battery life might be a problem) or should sign up with a partner who has one to share. The laptops must have Windows OS. They should be able to connect to the conference centre’s Wi-Fi or have a broadband dongle for the practical exercises.
Participants who want to read up on the latest in searching beforehand can look at a site that has information and tutorials about Google in particular (“for experienced users, novices, and everyone in between”) or another site with general search news and commentary.
About the facilitator: Michael Farrell is primarily a freelance technical translator, but is also an untenured lecturer in computer tools for translation and interpreting at the IULM University (Milan, Italy). He is an Atril Certified Training Partner and the author of “A Tinkerer's Guide to Structured Query Language in Déjà Vu X”. He is also the developer of the freeware terminology search tool IntelliWebSearch and a qualified member of the Italian Association of Translators and Interpreters (AITI).
