Questionnaire Translation

Careful translation of all survey instruments into the local language(s) is an essential step in conducting a high quality survey. All the hard work put into questionnaire design can be for naught if the translation is poor quality.

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It is very important to translate all survey instruments into all local languages spoken in the study area, and have agreed-upon written translations for all questions. Poor translation at best loses the nuance intended by the research team in carefully worded questions, and at worst can completely change the meaning of a question. Having enumerators translate on the fly is never recommended, as consistency and accuracy of translation will vary across enumerators in ways that can influence responses.

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This article is part of the topic Questionnaire Translation