How do survey providers do language translation?

Answered on : 2024-01-24

Sources

How we translate survey questions to be fielded around the ...

pewresearch.org

Basic Guide for Translating Surveys

rand.org

Survey Translation 101: A Guide for SaaS Companies

userpilot.com

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Answer

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Survey providers use a systematic approach to translate surveys into different languages. Here's a simplified overview:

1. **Initial Review**: Translators review the original survey instrument to identify items, terms, or concepts that might be challenging to translate [2].

2. **Forward Translation**: A translator translates the source language questionnaire into the target language [1].

3. **Back Translation**: Another translator translates the target language questionnaire back into the source language (this is known as "back translation") [1].

4. **Comparison**: Researchers compare the back translation with the source language questionnaire to ensure alignment [1].

5. **Testing**: Some survey providers may conduct testing with native speakers of the target language to ensure the translated survey is clear and culturally appropriate [3].

6. **Multiple Languages**: A single survey may be translated into many languages to accommodate respondents' language preferences [4].

7. **Survey Tools**: Survey platforms like Qualtrics provide tools for adding translations to survey content [5].

8. **Professional Services**: Some companies offer specialized survey translation services for market research [7][8][10].

It's crucial to avoid oversimplified translations to maintain survey accuracy [9]. The goal is to make surveys accessible and inclusive for speakers of other languages [3].