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ISO 26162-2:2019 — Terminology Databases — Part 2: Software
Management of Terminology Resources — Terminology Databases — Software
1. Software Requirements for Terminology Management
ISO 26162-2:2019 specifies the software functionality requirements for terminology database systems, complementing the design principles established in Part 1. While Part 1 addresses the conceptual data model and data categories, Part 2 focuses on the software features and capabilities that a terminology management system must provide to support the full terminology workflow from initial term creation through maintenance, quality assurance, and integration with other enterprise systems. This standard is essential for software developers building terminology tools, procurement teams evaluating vendor solutions, and organizations planning to implement or upgrade their terminology management infrastructure.
The standard distinguishes between core functions that are mandatory for any terminology system and advanced functions recommended for professional use, allowing organizations to select software aligned with their specific requirements, budget constraints, and technical maturity level.
Core software functions include concept-based entry creation and editing that faithfully implements the concept-oriented data model from Part 1, multilingual support with full Unicode compliance (UTF-8 and UTF-16) for all languages and writing systems, flexible data category configuration allowing organizations to customize their terminology schema, comprehensive search and filter capabilities, standardized import and export using the TBX format for interoperability with other systems, and granular user access control with role-based permissions. The standard emphasizes that the software must maintain conceptual integrity throughout all operations, preventing operations that would violate the concept-oriented model such as creating term entries without concept associations.
| Software Function | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Concept-based entry management | Core | Create and edit entries centred on concepts with full relationship management |
| Unicode multilingual support | Core | Full UTF-8 and UTF-16 support for all languages including CJK and right-to-left scripts |
| TBX import and export | Core | Standardized terminology interchange ensuring cross-platform interoperability |
| Version management | Advanced | Comprehensive change tracking, version comparison, and rollback capability |
| Workflow integration | Advanced | API access, CAT tool integration, CMS connectors, and machine translation hooks |
| Quality assurance checks | Advanced | Automated validation of consistency, completeness, and regulatory compliance |
2. User Interface and Workflow Design
The standard provides detailed guidance on user interface design, requiring that the software clearly presents the layered data model (concept, language, term, and administrative levels) in an intuitive and accessible manner. ISO 26162-2 recommends a split-view interface that simultaneously shows the concept structure alongside the term details, enabling terminologists to navigate efficiently between related entries and understand the conceptual context of each term. The interface should support drag-and-drop reorganization of concept hierarchies, inline editing of term attributes, and visual indicators for entry status and quality metrics.
Software that presents terminology data in a flat list view like a spreadsheet fundamentally undermines the concept-oriented approach. The standard explicitly warns against interface designs that obscure the conceptual hierarchy and language-level organization of terminological data, as this leads to user confusion, data entry errors, and gradual degradation of database quality over time.
Workflow support features include batch editing capabilities for efficient maintenance of large terminology collections, automated terminology extraction from document corpora using statistical and linguistic methods, configurable validation rules for quality assurance, structured review and approval workflows with digital signatures and audit trails, and integration hooks for translation memory systems and machine translation engines. The standard also addresses performance requirements specifying that search response times should not exceed two seconds for databases containing up to 100,000 entries with complex concept relation networks.
3. Data Exchange and Interoperability
Interoperability is a central theme of ISO 26162-2. The standard mandates support for TBX as the primary interchange format, ensuring that terminology data can be shared across different software platforms without information loss. Additionally, the standard recommends support for the SRU (Search/Retrieve via URL) protocol for remote terminology queries across networks and RESTful APIs for system-to-system integration with enterprise content management, translation management, and authoring environments.
An ISO 26162-2 compliant terminology system can seamlessly exchange data with translation environments, authoring tools, and content management systems, eliminating data silos and ensuring consistent terminology use across the entire content supply chain from authoring through translation to publication.
The standard specifies minimum documentation requirements including a data category reference guide explaining the terminology schema, import and export format specifications with examples, comprehensive API documentation for integration developers, and a conceptual data model diagram showing entity relationships and data flows. This documentation is essential for system administrators managing the terminology platform and integration engineers connecting it with other enterprise applications in complex technical landscapes.
Choosing terminology software that does not support TBX exchange can lead to vendor lock-in, making data migration extremely difficult and costly when organizational needs change. Always verify TBX compliance and request proof of successful interoperability testing with other systems before final procurement decisions are made. The standard also recommends regular interoperability testing between systems to validate data exchange quality and identify any issues before they impact production workflows. Organizations should maintain detailed records of all data exchange tests and any issues encountered during system integration, as these records are valuable for auditing and compliance purposes. This systematic approach to interoperability ensures long-term data portability and reduces the risk of technology lock-in.
4. Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is the minimum TBX version that compliant software must support?
ISO 26162-2 requires support for TBX-Basic as defined in ISO 30042 at minimum. Support for TBX-Mini and full TBX is recommended for advanced interoperability scenarios involving complex data categories and concept relation networks.
ISO 26162-2 requires support for TBX-Basic as defined in ISO 30042 at minimum. Support for TBX-Mini and full TBX is recommended for advanced interoperability scenarios involving complex data categories and concept relation networks.
Q2: Can a spreadsheet application be used as a terminology database?
While spreadsheets are commonly used for simple term lists, they do not support the concept-oriented model required by ISO 26162 and the standard explicitly states that spreadsheet-based solutions are inadequate for professional terminology management due to their flat data structure.
While spreadsheets are commonly used for simple term lists, they do not support the concept-oriented model required by ISO 26162 and the standard explicitly states that spreadsheet-based solutions are inadequate for professional terminology management due to their flat data structure.
Q3: What search capabilities should a compliant system provide at minimum?
Full-text search across all data categories, filtered search by specific categories, wildcard and fuzzy search for partial matches, and the ability to search across all languages simultaneously. Advanced systems should support regular expressions and faceted search.
Full-text search across all data categories, filtered search by specific categories, wildcard and fuzzy search for partial matches, and the ability to search across all languages simultaneously. Advanced systems should support regular expressions and faceted search.
Q4: How does the standard address multi-user concurrent access?
The standard requires locking mechanisms at the entry level rather than the entire database, change tracking with user attribution for full auditability, and conflict resolution procedures for simultaneous edits. Administrative functions include comprehensive user role management and access audit logs.
The standard requires locking mechanisms at the entry level rather than the entire database, change tracking with user attribution for full auditability, and conflict resolution procedures for simultaneous edits. Administrative functions include comprehensive user role management and access audit logs.
