Terminology Management Tools (TMTs) are applications that provide a way of defining and manipulating data models, storing data, and allowing controlled access to the data (Trippel, 1999).
Terminology management tools generally enable you to:
- group records according to selected criteria for exportation, revision, modification, etc.
- update or delete individual entries
- sort entries automatically
- obtain statistical information about term collection
- exchange records with other colleagues or organizations
- control the values or kinds of information that may be entered into certain fields (a process called validation)
- access entries using a field or combination of fields as search criteria
Terminology Management Tools form part of computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools, which assist translators by reusing previous translation projects (see the TM Module).
The following passage taking from Karsch (2006:174) is evidence of the importance of the use of terminology management systems nowadays in the translation and localisation industry:
"Once a terminology management system was in place, the number of changes declined and the consistency of terms used in the translated products increased. The cost associated with a managed term was about USD 100 in the beginning and dropped below USD 80 once the system was well established. […]"
Additionally, translators are not experts, work very often in areas where they are not masters in the subject, and have to be time-efficient. Therefore, if they are willing to work for the translation and localisation industry, they should at least have basic knowledge of terminology management tools.