General FAQs

The Institute of Translation and Interpreting is the only UK-based independent professional membership association for practising translators, interpreters and language service providers.

Founded in 1986, we now have over 3,000 members, and with over 20% of our membership based overseas, we are a globally respected body.

ITI seeks to promote the highest standards in the profession, supporting our members and representing our industry at the very top level.

We provide a range of products and services, both to our membership and to those requiring the professional services of our members.

ITI acts as an interface between government, industry and commerce, the media and the general public.

Changes in regulations, ever-advancing global communication and increasingly competitive market conditions mean that the requirement for effective and accurate professional communication across languages has never been greater.

We have gained a trusted reputation within the industry. As such, all our members are required to adhere to and uphold the ITI Code of Professional Conduct. 

We continue our commitment to the representation and development of the translating and interpreting profession, recognising its ever-increasing importance, both in business and the wider community.

No. ITI is a professional membership association and does not offer degrees or post-graduate qualifications in translation and interpreting. However, many universities in the UK are Corporate Education members of ITI and offer a wide range of degrees and post-graduate qualifications. A full listing is available here.

ITI runs a programme of Professional Development events throughout the year, to meet specific training needs. Further information can be found here.

ITI does not provide work for translators and/or interpreters, nor is it a translation/interpreting agency. There are jobs for translators at translation agencies (Language Service Providers, or LSPs) or major institutions, such as the EU and UN. Click here to view a list of our Language Service Providers.

The translation and interpreting industry is not regulated and a qualification is therefore not necessary. However, many translators and interpreters enter the profession after having gained a formal qualification, and we would recommend to potential new entrants that they follow this route.

For more information about starting a career in translation and/or interpreting, please refer to How to become a translator or How to become an interpreter.

Our approach

ITI uses LinkedIn to share news, advocate for the profession, and connect with our members and the wider translation and interpreting community. We welcome comments, questions and constructive disagreement because engagement, including critical engagement, helps us understand what matters to our members and stakeholders.

This statement sets out how we moderate and respond to comments on our LinkedIn posts, so that members and followers know what to expect.

What we will do

• Respond to genuine questions and constructive comments, including critical ones, where we’re able to.
• Correct factual inaccuracies about ITI, its decisions or its activities where they appear in posts or comments, clearly and without getting drawn into a wider argument.
• Take substantive concerns offline by inviting the person to contact us directly, so the matter can be looked into properly.
• Apply this policy consistently, regardless of who is posting.

What we won’t do

• We won’t engage with or respond to comments that amount to abuse, harassment or personal attacks.
• We won’t get drawn into extended disputes in the comments. Where a conversation would be better handled directly, we’ll say so and offer a way to contact us.
• We won’t engage with or respond to comments that are vexatious or made in bad faith (see Moderation below for how these are handled).
• We won’t leave clearly false, misinformed or defamatory statements about ITI or its people unaddressed, but our response will be factual and brief.

Moderation

We reserve the right to hide, restrict, or delete comments, and to block accounts, where content:

• is abusive, harassing, or personally targeted at an individual;
• is defamatory or knowingly false;
• discloses private or confidential information;
• amounts to spam or unrelated promotional content; or
• is vexatious, repetitive or made in bad faith; or
• is discriminatory or otherwise breaches LinkedIn’s own terms of use.

Moderation decisions are about content and conduct, not viewpoint. Disagreement with ITI is not, on its own, a reason for us to remove a comment.

We will use the least restrictive response appropriate to the seriousness and/or recurrence of the behaviour for example, deleting a single comment before restricting or blocking an account, which is a measure that we will reserve for repeated or more serious breaches.

Who makes moderation decisions

Routine moderation, such as deleting spam or comments that clearly breach this policy, is carried out by the ITI staff who manage our LinkedIn channel. Decisions to block an account, or moderation of borderline or contested cases, are made by the Chief Executive, who will consult the Chair on the most serious cases.

If you believe that a comment or account has been moderated unfairly, contact [email protected] and we’ll review the decision.

A note on commenting on the actions of individuals

Scrutiny of ITI’s decisions, and of how Board members and staff carry out their ITI roles, is a legitimate and welcome part of public debate. However, it is important to understand that personal LinkedIn profiles belong to individuals and that those individuals may not always be speaking on behalf of the organisation. Please also be aware that ITI is a small organisation, and that criticism aimed at “the Institute” will often be read by, and reflect on, the actions of a specific individual; sometimes feedback might be better offered directly rather than in public. You can find contact details for all members of the staff team in the Our people section of our website.

Abuse, harassment or personal attacks directed at someone as an individual, rather than criticism of their actions or decisions in an ITI capacity will be taken seriously. Comments that cross this line will be moderated in line with the approach set out above.