An Introduction to Specifications

This week’s materials focus on the topic of specifications, a type of technical documentation used to define the people, processes and technology that are needed to produce a service or product. Specifications also define the outcomes that are expected and the goals that should be met, and they are used to produce a wide variety of additional technical documentation.

Typically, the word “specifications” is used in the plural form. The word “specification” is then used when identifying a single requirement of all of the requirements that are collected into specifications.

Building an Understanding of Specifications

As you’ll read in the chapter “Translation and localization project and process managers” by Alaina Brandt, the term “specifications” is defined as an “explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, system, or service” by ASTM International.

A copy of that chapter can be provided to you privately in keeping with fair use provisions defined in U.S. copyright law. If you receive a copy with this class, please do not share this resource outside of the class.

Note: Any instructors who are interested in teaching that chapter can reach out to Alaina Brandt for a copy.

Read section 3 (3 pages), “Defining the scope for translation and localization” from the chapter, and then answer these questions to check your understanding.

Questions for Consideration

Why are specifications needed? That is, what are the goals of writing specifications?
The section presents the types of requirements that should be defined in translation and localization specifications. Based on that discussion, what generalizations can you make about the types of requirements that should be defined in specifications (no matter the industry)? Why?
Once established, how are specifications used?

Specifications: Topics Covered and Technical Precision

The chapter you just read outlines the importance of specifications in the translation and localization domain, but technical specifications are used in many other industries. Technical specifications are also a type of international standard. ASTM International is a U.S. based standardization body in which technical specifications are produced by technical committees in a wide variety of industries, and the rules for writing these standards are very specific. The activities that follow will help you understand the technical nature of specifications, and the precision that is needed when writing them.

Activity 1 - Topics Covered by Technical Specifications

What topics do specifications cover? To answer that question, we can find some examples of technical specifications written by a standards body like ASTM International. We’ll get an idea of the breadth of coverage of specifications through a class poll.

Poll Everywhere: pollev.com/alainabrandt831

Navigate to the ASTM International website and do a search of the word “specifications”.
Find an example of a set of specifications that covers a topic that interests you.
Respond to the survey on Poll Everywhere, answering these questions:
- What specific specifications document did you explore?
- What does the specification cover?
- What do you notice about the specialized terminology and/or linguistic conventions used in the discussion of the specifications?

Please be sure to include your name in your response on Poll Everywhere.

Activity 2 - Technical Precision

ASTM International’s publication “Form and Style for ASTM Standards” (AKA the “Blue Book”) presents the rules that must be followed when writing international standards. We’ll explore this resource via another poll to understand some of the rules that must be followed when writing specifications for ASTM International.

Review part B of the document: “Form of ASTM Specifications”
Pick a section that you find to be important to keep in mind when writing specifications.
Respond to the survey on Poll Everywhere, answering these questions:
- What section did you concentrate on?
- What does that section cover?
- What did you learn from reviewing that section?

Specifications for Specifications

Effective written communication depends on identifying the audience and purpose of a text and then writing according to those parameters, and that is no different when writing specifications.

Audience

Specifications serve multiple audiences throughout a project’s lifecycle, including project managers, technical teams, quality assurance professionals, linguists, reviewers, and stakeholders who need to understand deliverables and implementation methods. Secondary audiences include future team members, auditors verifying compliance, and external partners who must align their work with established standards, requiring clear language that maintains technical precision while being accessible across different roles and expertise levels.

Purpose

The primary purpose of specifications is to eliminate ambiguity by establishing clear expectations, defining success metrics, and documenting processes that prevent misunderstandings and costly revisions. Specifications also serve as foundational tools for project planning, resource allocation, and risk management, enabling accurate timeline estimates while providing the documentation necessary for compliance in regulated industries and international standards contexts.

Connections and Reflection

Connecting What We’ve Covered to This Week’s Activities

Your assignment for this week is to write a set of specifications for the production of a product or service. You won’t need to meet the precision required for an international standard, but still the topics covered here are crucial for understanding the text type of specifications.

Reflect on What You’ve Learned

As you work through the materials on specifications, reflect on these questions:

How can specifications benefit you in your everyday work?
In the domain of translation and localization, how would you contribute to specifications in various production roles?
What strategies can you follow to establish effective specifications in your work?

📥 Download this Content

Find this file on our repo and download it.

🤖 GAI Study Prompts

Copy the downloaded content and try it with these prompts:

“What types of requirements are collected into specifications in different industries?”
“What are some critical consequences of not having specifications?”
“Are specifications referred to by any different names in [specific industry]?”
“What are key strategies I should have in mind when establishing specifications?”
“How can specifications be developed in collaboration with teams?”

Next Activity: A Comparison of Specifications