Survey translation is more than just converting words from one language to another. It’s about ensuring the message, tone, and meaning remain consistent across cultures and languages, collecting accurate data and maintaining the survey’s integrity. The translation process can make or break your project’s success in global research. Here are three essential tips to ensure your survey translation is accurate and effective. 1. Work with Native Linguists Familiar with the Subject Matter While it may seem obvious to hire native speakers for translation work, it’s crucial to go a step further and ensure that the linguists are familiar with the specific topic of your survey. This is particularly important if your survey covers specialized areas like healthcare or technology. A translator who knows the subject matter can provide contextually accurate translations, avoiding misinterpretation of technical jargon or industry-specific terminology. For instance, in healthcare surveys, a phrase like “adverse event” has a precise meaning that could easily be misinterpreted without knowledge of the medical field. Moreover, native linguists can help ensure that cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions are respected, making the translated survey feel natural and relatable. If the language doesn’t flow smoothly, respondents might get confused or frustrated, leading to incomplete or inaccurate responses. 2. Use Back-Translation to Ensure Accuracy Back-translation is a common method in survey translation to confirm the accuracy of the translated content. Here’s how it works: once the survey is translated into the target language, a second translator, who hasn’t seen the original version, translates it back into the original language. The two versions are then compared for any discrepancies. This method acts as a safety net, ensuring that the original meaning hasn’t been altered in the translation process. Differences between the original survey and the back-translated version highlight areas where misinterpretation or ambiguity might occur. Although this process adds time and cost, it can be essential for maintaining the precision of the survey. However, back-translation should not be the sole quality control measure. The goal isn’t just to translate the words but to translate the meaning, so this method should be supplemented with expert reviews and pre-tests in the target language. 3. Conduct Cognitive Testing and Pilot Studies Once your survey is translated, it’s crucial to conduct cognitive testing and pilot studies with a small group of respondents in your target audience. Cognitive testing involves asking participants to think aloud as they answer each question, which helps identify any confusion or misinterpretation in real-time. This process can reveal hidden issues in question structure, tone, or cultural relevance that might not have been apparent during the translation process. Pilot studies, on the other hand, allow you to collect initial data and see how respondents interact with the survey on a broader scale. This trial run ensures that the translation resonates well with the target audience and that the survey yields the intended insights. Any feedback from these tests can be used to fine-tune the final version before it’s fully launched. Conclusion Ensuring a successful survey translation is key to gathering reliable data in multilingual research. By working with native linguists who understand the subject matter, utilizing back-translation for accuracy, and conducting thorough pre-launch testing, you can mitigate the risks of miscommunication and ensure that your survey results are valid and actionable across languages. At Language Insight we are experts in survey translation and offer various market research translation services such as overlays & link checking and coding.
