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KEY MODES OF OPERATION
Identification of clients and data sources
Potential author-clients and those seeking special information
are identified by any of several means:
- Authors and other clients: Direct advertisement per
email, EARTH's website, and previous client recommendations.
- Translators and proofreaders: Electronic forums that
serve as exchange centers for translators, translator specialists,
and proofreaders looking for work. Once again, previous client
recommendations are very important in this regard.
- Data gatherers: Anyone who can be trusted to perform
tasks as directed and are available in the local and/or foreign
communities at large.
- Information sources: Although many commercial and
non-commercial data bases are directly available on the internet,
much information can also be obtained through personal contacts
at public agencies and other research firms or institutions.
Direct contact with local experts and carefully constructed survey
instruments are another important possibility. Local and foreign
press corps.
- Publishers: Publishers advertise on the internet and
are easily identified.
Matching-making
- Author-clients and translator-specialists: As EARTH's
author-clients are often specialists it is important to find
translators who share their interests and are thus able to communicate
the specialized language and ideas of author-clients into the
target language.
After identifying an author-client interested in taking advantage
of EARTH's services, EARTH finds a translating specialist well
suited to satisfy the author-client's needs, and invites both
parties to take advantage of EARTH's reliable business framework.
Customer and Source Relations
- Purchasers of information and knowledgeable people:
Though EARTH is capable of satisfying many requests for information
on its own, there are many requests that it cannot. This is because
access to information is often limited by geographical and linguistic
constraints. By establishing and maintaining links with knowledgeable
people who share EARTH's interests, EARTH is able to obtain information
for its clients to which EARTH does not have direct access.
Quality Control and Payment Insurance
- Information is of little use, if it is not reliable. In order
to insure that worthwhile projects are completed in the best
possible manner EARTH provides the following quality control
checks:
- Project screening: EARTH does not undertake projects
that it cannot perform reliably. Moreover, projects that do not
match EARTH's objectives and points of focus are rejected and
where possible referred elsewhere.
- Screening of experts: Before it entrusts a project
to someone, EARTH reviews that person's credentials and previous
work experience. All information that EARTH gathers, analyzes,
and reports is well sourced.
- Proofreading: EARTH requires that documents and information
are carefully proofed, before they are released. This is performed
either directly by EARTH or by third parties.
- As quality control can never be better than the quality of
those who perform the control checks, it is important that the
best available people are hired for each project. In order to
achieve this goal payment must be both secure and flexible.
- Phased payment: For large projects that require a
substantial investment in time and effort on the part of single
parties including data gatherers, analysts, and researchers,
projects are divided into phases, and payment is made at the
end of each. Should a client default in payment, EARTH covers
the loss and all retained personnel are paid.
- Project completion bonus: In order to ensure that
projects are completed and in the hands of clients at mutually
agreed upon times; translators, researchers, and other personnel
whom EARTH retains are paid bonuses upon successful completion
of contracts.
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