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Issues in Questionnaire Translation

Issues in Questionnaire Translation. Mitchell Loeb National Center for Health Statistics/ Washington Group on Disability Statistics With special thanks to: Alisú Schoua-Glusberg, Ph.D. Research Support Services. Why focus on Questionnaire Translation? .

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Issues in Questionnaire Translation

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  1. Issues in Questionnaire Translation Mitchell Loeb National Center for Health Statistics/ Washington Group on Disability Statistics With special thanks to: Alisú Schoua-Glusberg, Ph.D. Research Support Services WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  2. Why focus on Questionnaire Translation? The purpose of questionnaire translation is to produce instruments that maintain equivalence of measurement across languages/dialects, to achieve a functionally equivalent and culturally appropriate version of the original instrument. Only in this way will it be possible to achieve results that are comparable cross-nationally. WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  3. When is Questionnaire Translation Necessary? • Cross-national studies • National studies by Federal Statistical Agencies that will include multiple local cultures and capture the diversity of emerging immigrant populations • Studies of special populations – for example, Hispanic populations in the US that would involve different national varieties/dialects of Spanish (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Haitian etc.) WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  4. Defining Target Audience • Language minorities • Immigrant populations • Monolingual (or at least not bilingual) • Language different from designers’ • Lower level of education • Hybrid culture • Different degrees of acculturation WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  5. Questions to Consider in Translation • Matching meaning? • Matching measurement? • Asking the same question? • When does “close” count? WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  6. Effects of Overly Close Translation • Focus on meaning of words rather than meaning of questions • Respondents are inadvertently asked a different question • Processing is more complex • Translated questionnaire sounds unidiomatic WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  7. Survey Translation • One translator – one translation • Multiple translators – one translation (split committee) • Multiple translators – multiple parallel translations (parallel committee) • A note on back translation WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  8. Committee Approach • Three translators prepare translations independently (split or parallel) • Reconciliation meeting with referee • Qualitative research with monolinguals (focus groups and/or cognitive interviews) WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  9. Steps in producing and testing question translations • Translation • Translation review • Decisions/Adjudication • Quality control • Qualitative research • Pretesting • Documentation WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  10. Reconciliation Meeting • Question-by-question review • Reaching consensus when possible • Providing alternatives if no consensus possible • Identifying terms/items for qualitative research WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  11. Referee’s role • Resolves style disagreements • Manages interaction • Brings survey researcher perspective • Keeps an eye on source version • Pushes for global decisions • Liaison with research team for consultation and documentation WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  12. Focus groups • Allow for the ability to distinguish what is idiosyncratic • Allow us to listen to how Respondents use language • Allow to include more people in a shorter time • Allow to include different national origin Respondents and see if they reach consensus WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  13. Cognitive Interviews • Allow to administer all or part of instrument • Give a glimpse into thought processes • Allow to see how different alternative terms work WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  14. Advantages of Approach • Group process benefits • Include different varieties of language in translation team • Incorporates target population into process • Relatively low cost • Relatively quick WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  15. What is wrong with back translation? Back Translation is a black box: we know what went in, we know what came out, yet we know nothing about the adequacy of the translated version. It consists of 2 consecutive individual translations – compounding the weaknesses of the translator’s idiosyncrasies and possible uneven skills in both languages. WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  16. Efforts to Standardize Translation Procedures • Census Bureau Translation Guidelines • International Social Survey Program • European Social Survey • Survey Research Organizations WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

  17. Standardizing Translated Versions of the Same Questions Issues: • Maintaining longitudinal comparability vs. improving questions • Is priority to compare with past translations or with original English questionnaire? • Is there a strong will to overcome political (& power) issues? • Negotiations can be arduous WG-11 Southampton, Bermuda

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