ISO 26162-3:2023

Overview

ISO 26162-3:2023 - Management of terminology resources - Terminology databases - Part 3: Content - provides guidance on the content-related aspects of maintaining terminology databases (termbases) and terminological data collections. The standard focuses on ensuring high-quality, interoperable concept entries and outlines principles for data quality assurance and continuous improvement. It is intended for modellers of concept entries who need to meet design and interoperability requirements with standards such as ISO 12620-1 and ISO 16642 (TMF).

Key Topics and Technical Requirements

• Content quality and evaluation: Guidance on establishing evaluation models and quality assurance (QA) processes to validate concept entry accuracy and fitness for use, linked to quality-management principles such as ISO 9001.
• Concept entry modelling: Recommendations for structuring concept entries, selecting data categories, and maintaining data integrity and portability. Emphasizes conformity with the TBX core structure and relevant data category registries.
• Term selection criteria: Discussion of termhood and unithood, requirements for term inclusion, preferred-term policy, and documentation of synonymous or deprecated terms.
• Error typology and validation: A systematic list of error types and evaluation procedures (Clause 6) to support automated and manual validation, including errors from automatic generation and open/closed data categories.
• Evaluation models and sample artefacts: Informative annexes (A–C) provide sample scoring/evaluation models, a sample concept entry, and a sample error typology to support implementation and training.
• Interoperability & formats: References to TBX dialects, core structure compliance with ISO 16642, and guidance to ensure data portability and conformity with terminology data standards.
• Scope exclusions: Explicitly does not apply to management of text corpora or to term extraction tools.

Practical Applications & Who Should Use It

ISO 26162-3 is practical for:

• Terminologists and vocabulary managers designing or auditing termbases.
• Localization and translation teams seeking consistent terminology for multilingual projects.
• Software vendors and integrators building termbase tooling or TBX export/import features.
• Quality managers and auditors aligning terminology work with ISO 9001 processes.
• Educators and trainers developing evaluation scorecards for students or staff.
• National term banks, governmental bodies, NGOs, and industry glossaries aiming for interoperable, high-quality terminological data.

Typical uses include termbase design reviews, content validation workflows, error-tracking and remediation, creation of scorecards for training, and specification of data-category and portability requirements.

Related Standards (applicable)

• ISO 26162-1 (Design) and ISO 26162-2 (Software)
• ISO 12620-1 (data categories)
• ISO 16642 (TMF – terminological metamodel)
• ISO 704 (principles of terminology work)
• ISO 23185:2009 (contrasts by focusing on usability)
• ISO 1087, ISO 30042 (TBX), ISO 1951

Keywords: ISO 26162-3:2023, terminology databases, termbase, terminological data collections, data quality, evaluation model, TBX, ISO 16642, ISO 12620-1, termhood, unithood.