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. Take the time for Back Translation, and discuss translations in Enumerator Training. 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. Pay careful attention to Version Control, especially when multiple translations are involved.

This section assumes that the working language of the research team is different than the local language(s) in the study area

Guidelines

Why translate?

You should have full, back-checked, translations for all questions in the survey instrument. This is important to guarantee consistency. If enumerators translate on the fly, it is difficult to ensure that each question is asked the same way to each respondent, and increases the likelihood of significant Enumerator Effects.

Translation Process

Poor-quality translation will cause delays, confusion, field errors, and potentially inaccurate data. Good translation takes time - budget at least two weeks, and expect to made edits and corrections for significantly longer.

Once the content of the questionnaire is finalized (after content-based pilot), follow these steps for translation:

1. first translation : from the language of the research team to the local language(s). This process that could take a few days to a few weeks, depending entirely on the complexity of the survey instrument.
2. back translation: when you receive the first translation, send the local language version only to a second translator, and have it translated back to the language the questionnaire was originally written in.
3. reconciliation: compare the original questionnaire to the back-translated questionnaire. Highlight any discrepancies. It is a good idea to categorize these as either minor wording issues, or significant content concerns. Organize a meeting with the two translators, to discuss all discrepancies and agree on a final translation. Keep track of all questions where significant content concerns were noted, and discuss with local counterparts to ensure the final wording reflects the original intent.

Who should translate?

A professional translator with sector-specific knowledge, and experience with surveys. Double-check all technical terminology with local counterparts well-versed in the area of the project (for example, for agricultural surveys, double-check translations of specific technologies of interest with agricultural extension officers or other trainers).

Commonly suggested, but problematic, options for translators:

• the survey firm manager: unlikely to have sufficient time / attention / sectoral knowledge to dedicate to the task
• government counterparts: likely to have the right sectoral knowledge, but unless released from other duties, unusual to be able to devote sufficient time
• local consultant without translation experience: translation is challenging; fluency in the relevant languages is not always sufficient (and do not assume that oral fluency implies written fluency, which is necessary for this translation task)

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This article is part of the topic Questionnaire Translation