WORD TABLES FOR TRANSLATORS

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Translators can benefit from using tables in Word. Read how on my blog. Link in bio. #translator #medicalscience #pharma #clinicaltrials #freelancer #dowhatyoulove

A post shared by Brooke A. Cochran (@bcochranhuman) on Jun 14, 2019 at 5:19am PDT

As a medical science translator, one of my favorite tools in Word is the table function. I have seen multiple client guidelines stating, “Do not use tabs to recreate formatting.” Hence, tables are the way to go. Whereas tabs leave you with a formatting nightmare, often requiring additional spaces to align your work, tables can be easily manipulated to create consistent formatting.

They are extremely useful when recreating lab work results. In fact, I even have a file containing “lab templates” that I can copy and paste then adjust as necessary for the current file I am translating. For example, some, but not all lab results have a final column listing the patient’s past test results. I can use that table layout for instances that don’t include that column by simply deleting it, and leaving the rest the same. This way, my work becomes more efficient because formatting is less of a chore.

If you are a translator, please look into an online tutorial on how to use tables in Word. It will be an excellent investment of your time to increase the quality of your work.

​One example of how to use tables can be found here: https://www.howtogeek.com/school/microsoft-word-document-formatting-essentials/lesson3/
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