| Abstract [eng] |
As localisation becomes more prominent in the digital world, there is an increasing need to study its processes or end products. Therefore, the quality of localised products is often assessed. Research on the quality of products and/or services adapted to the Lithuanian language is scarce. This study is also relevant because it examines Microsoft Word software, which is frequently used in professional and academic environments. The study of this Lithuanised software’s quality is important for all those who want to understand how well the software has been translated into Lithuanian. The object of the study is the quality of the graphical human user interface of Microsoft Word. The project aims to conduct an expert evaluation of the Microsoft Word (version 2021) software according to the list of errors in the Software Localisation Quality Assessment E-Service User Guide. To achieve this goal, five main objectives were set: to discuss the concept of localisation and the research articles on the quality of localisation, identifying the main theoretical aspects; to determine the attitudes of Microsoft Word users towards the use of the Lithuanised version of the software and the errors it contains; to identify, by using the Software Localisation Quality Assessment E-Service User Guide, the errors and problem areas found in Microsoft Word; to compare the original and the Lithuanised versions of Microsoft Word based on the errors found and assess the quality of the localised version; to assess the applicability of the list of errors in the Software Localisation Quality Assessment E-Service User Guide to the study of the quality of the localised product. In total, 104 errors were detected in Microsoft Word, and twenty-four examples are discussed in the paper. The errors are categorised according to the use of the Software Localisation Quality Assessment E-Service User Guide. A survey of Microsoft Word users also found that users are more likely to use the original version of the software because of errors in the Lithuanised version. Overall, this study contributes to the rapidly growing field of localisation, especially in the area of Lithuanisation, and to improving the quality of software localisation. In addition, it helps to assess the quality of localised software not only for the public but also allows language/localisation experts/developers to consider errors and further improve localisation processes. |
