Bulk Upload of Translated Documents

This technical note explains how to upload multiple documents into the Lexbe eDiscovery Platform (LEP) that have been  translated on a local computer using a third party translation tool or human translation. Once uploaded, the translated version of each document will associate with the foreign language and other versions of the documents in the Document Viewer.  See Translated View for more information.  

Bulk upload of translated documents is an alternative to manually uploading translated documents one-at-a-time in the Document Viewer.

Contact your Sales Consultant for an eDiscovery Services quote for auto-translation in bulk.  LEP uses computer translation to automatically identify the primary language and auto-translate to English.  The translated versions are uploaded to the case and associated with the foreign language original in the Document Viewer.

Note.  Only Power and Account Admin users have the user rights to bulk upload translated documents.  The following workflow requires some Excel skill and expertise.  Technical Services is available to assist or provide custom training (billable hourly).

Suggested Workflow for Bulk Upload of Translated Documents

Identify Documents to be Translated

From the Management->Manage Custom Doc Fields page, create a custom coding section/field to tag documents to be translated.  For example, Coding Section: Translation Workflow and a Custom Coding Field: Docs to Translate.

To track the reason for translation create a custom text field: Reason for Translation.

Code documents for translation from the Document Viewer one-at-a-time.  Code many documents simultaneously using the Multi-Doc Edit feature from either the Browse or Search pages.

Filter Documents Prior to Download

From Browse, display the custom coding field/columns: Translation Workflow.

Apply the filter: Docs to Translate = checked to show only those documents.

For QC purposes, display the fields/columns for Title and Original Title.

Download Documents to Translate to a Briefcase

Download the original foreign language versions of the documents to translate offline as follows:

Select All Docs from Browse, click the Export to Briefcase button, and save to the local computer.
Once downloaded, the Briefcase will include two sub-folders entitled PDF and ORIGINALS.  Generally, use the PDF version as the source for translation.  However, if there is a placeholder or the PDF is not the best version, use the Original version as the source.

Also export to an Excel spreadsheet the same documents exported to the Briefcase for translation (Export Log to Excel). 

Translation with Local Software/Services

Translate each foreign document using local software or human services.

After translation is complete, save the documents as PDF documents or check properties in file within local PDF viewer when converting translated documents.  The translated versions do not need to have the same number of pages as the original documents.

Make sure that none of the translated PDF files are corrupt, password protected, print restricted, extraction restricted, etc.

Save the translated documents to a sub-folder called TRANSLATED (title in CAPS).

Do not add numbers or letters to the title.

Create a Load File to Merge Translated Files using a Custom Excel Spreadsheet

As instructed above, export to an Excel spreadsheet the same documents exported to a Briefcase for translation (Export Log to Excel).

Save the Excel spreadsheet to local computer.

Rename the Excel spreadsheet using the naming format: ".mergemapping.xlsx" (e.g. Translateddocs.mergemapping.xlsx). The file must be in an Excel format with an XLSX extension, supported by the last two versions of Excel (2010 and 2013).  The naming format must be followed precisely as outlined above to properly load and merge the translated files.

Open the sheet.  Review and keep only fields/columns Doc Id and Title.

Copy to Column B in Excel (Title) the exact title of the translated documents saved in the TRANSLATED sub-folder and remove from the spreadsheet the foreign titles.  The Doc Id field will map both versions to the case in LEP.




The sheet should look like this after all the editing is done:



Remove the first row (headers) from the spreadsheet and keep only the rows of documents and two columns.

Save the Excel spreadsheet to a sub-folder called LOADFILES (title in CAPS).

A .mergemapping.xlsx template is attached to this technical note for reference.

Create a Unique Folder Structure Prior to Bulk Upload

Before uploading the translated documents into LEP, create a specified folder structure including two sub-folders with file titles in CAPS, as follows:

TRANSLATED: Includes all the translated files originally downloaded from LEP. 

LOADFILES: Includes the file mapping Excel spreadsheet.  The load file must be saved as an Excel spreadsheet and the file name must end with the extension ".mergemapping.xlsx" (e.g. Translateddocs.mergemapping.xlsx). The Excel file will need only columns of data, no headers.  Column B must match the same document titles from the TRANSLATED sub-folder or the load will fail.  Compress the sub-folders mentioned above into one ZIP file. The compressed ZIP file format must have the file name ending with the extension "filename.mergedocs.zip" (e.g. BulkTranslated.mergedocs.zip).

Bulk Re-Upload the Translated Documents

Go to the Case->Add Case Documents page and click the Upload button to open the Upload Dialog Box, then click the Add Files button to select the bulk of translated documents (e.g. BulkTranslated.mergedocs.zip).

Click on the Processing hyperlink at the top right of the screen to receive an email notification when the processing/upload is completed.  Wait for the upload process to finish before QCing or uploading more batches of files.  Generally, a bulk upload of translated documents will only take a few minutes to compete.

Conduct Quality Control of Upload Documents 



Go to the Browse page and display the built-in field Is Translated and the custom field section Translated Workflow (this will display the custom field Docs to Translate).

Filter on the documents tagged as Docs to Translate = checked.

The two fields should both be checked for all documents.  This will indicate a translated document successfully imported for each document.  Check this from either the Browse view or by selecting all records and downloading an Excel log.

To review files, click on a title link to view in the Document Viewer.  Inspect the original version under the PDF tab. The translated version displays under the Translated tab.
Original Version (PDF Tab)
  Translated Version
Go back to the Browse page and untag the translated documents recently uploaded using the Multi-Doc Edit feature.  Select all documents uploaded and Multi-Doc edit Docs to Translate = unchecked.

Repeat the steps outline above for future bulk uploads of translated documents.

Other Bulk Translation Items

Translation Workflow

Translation Workflow - Computer Translation of All Foreign Documents followed by Human Translation of Key Documents.  See Translation Workflow for more information. 

Delete Translated Documents

Delete translated documents (one-at-a-time) in the Document Viewer->Doc Tab, section Translation.

Replace Bulk of Translated Documents Previously Uploaded

Instead of deleting individual files from the Document Viewer->Doc tab, the user may replace an entire bulk of translated documents uploaded by following the steps described above. 

Alternatives to Bulk Upload of Translated Documents

LEP permits the user to upload one document at a time from the Document Viewer->Doc Tab.

Contact your Sales Consultant for an Auto-Translation Services quote.