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Machine translation for assignments

How to acknowledge the use of machine translation in your assessment.

Use of machine translation

Machine translation is an automated process in which a computer program converts text in one language into another.

You are:

  • using machine translation if you write your assessment in one language and automatically convert it to English through a computer program or internet application.
  • not using machine translation if you write your assessment in English and use a writing tool (e.g. Microsoft Editor or Grammarly) to check your grammar and offer suggestions for better phrasing.

Some machine translation tools use artificial intelligence. Visit the AI Student Hub to find out what you need to consider before using these tools. Be careful not to upload licensed or copyright-protected materials into AI tools. Refer to restrictions on the use of online collections to help you use AI tools ethically and legally.

Using machine translation in your assignment

UQ graduates should be able to independently demonstrate a high standard of written and verbal communication skills. Using language fluently and without assistance is crucial in the workplace.

Before you use machine translation, check your course profile to see if the assessment item allows the use of AI tools.

You will not be allowed to use machine translation for in-person assessment.

You can also ask your course coordinator if you are unsure.

Once you submit an assessment item, you are responsible for all work produced by machine translation, including errors that arise.

Any permitted use of machine translation for assessment must be acknowledged appropriately.

Your course coordinator will provide guidance on how to reference the use of AI in assessment.

Examples of how to acknowledge your use of machine translation include:

  • an assignment coversheet
  • inclusion in your methodology
  • citing or referencing in the text or list of references.

Risks with using machine translation

  • Verify the accuracy of the product you use. Machine translation does not always produce an exact or accurate translation.
  • Do not supply sensitive information, including personal, confidential or proprietary information or data to machine translation tools.

Citing machine translation

You must acknowledge that you have used machine translation in your assessment. Failure to acknowledge the use of machine translation can result in Academic Misconduct.

Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement should include the extent to which you used machine translation. For example, you might acknowledge:

  • specific sections of work submitted
  • a specific action in a document such as editing, correcting or translating
  • ‘post-editing’ which means that the entire document has been translated by machine translation and then corrected and adjusted by you.

Examples of how you might acknowledge use

For a specific section

Chapter 5 was produced with the assistance of <insert tool name> (eg. Google Translate, BabelFish, Grammarly, ChatGPT etc). The text was originally written in its entirety in English.

For a specific action for the whole document

The work was edited/corrected/translated using <insert tool>.

For your input after machine translation

This article was translated into English from [LANGUAGE] using <insert tool>. The author is unable to verify accuracy/the author used <insert tool> to verify the translation provided.

For your input after machine translation

This work was post-edited by the author, after being translated from <insert language> to English using <insert tool>.

For your input after machine translation

Interview transcripts in Indonesian were translated into English using <insert tool>. The author then checked the results for accuracy.

Referencing

Not all referencing styles provide guidance on how to reference machine translation. Many machine translation tools use AI. Visit the Guide to acknowledging and referencing AI for tips on how to cite or acknowledge these tools and an example coversheet you can submit with your assignment.

References should:

  • provide clear and accurate information for the tool
  • identify where machine translation has been used in your work.

You can acknowledge your use of machine translation by:

  • including a coversheet at the front of your assessment to give these details
  • putting a note in the reference list
  • using a footnote or endnote.

If in doubt, check with your course coordinator or ask the Library.

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This guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Licence, except where otherwise noted.