Survey Translation
It’s a jarring truth: One small translation error and the integrity of your survey is at stake. That’s why Responsive Translation works each day to ensure that every survey translation that comes across our desk does what the survey was designed to do—in any language.
Just as an original survey must be crafted correctly to elicit the information needed, survey translation requires diligence, experience and attention to quality process that not every translation provider can offer.
Why Translate Surveys?
Surveys and questionnaires are important research tools. They gather respondents’ views, beliefs and experiences. In this way, surveys help companies, organizations and even governments make better, informed decisions.
Depending on a survey’s purpose and audience, it may indeed work well when administered in one language for a culturally- and linguistically-homogenous population. However, there are many cases when survey translation is vital, either as an extension of the original survey or to develop simultaneous original versions.
Examples include surveys destined for people who use:
- Different first languages, such as in Canada and Switzerland.
- Different varieties of the same language, such as Spanish speakers in Spain, Mexico, Argentina and Peru.
- A second-language lingua franca in a multicultural context (where culture neutrality is valued).
Translating surveys and questionnaires opens new markets and allows new groups of respondents to participate and have their voices and opinions heard. Findings that can be compared across populations and regions become more representative and more valuable. For example, cross-national surveys administered in culturally- and linguistically-diverse countries can provide useful data for specific purposes, like the European Commission’s Eurobarometer revelations on European opinions.
Expert Foreign-Language Services
Responsive Translation specializes in translation and review of surveys, questionnaires and instruments for recruitment, training, development, testing, assessment and clinical use. With more than 30 years of experience on high-stakes projects, our clients include P&G, IHG, Pearson, ACT and many others.
For survey translation, we ensure integrity through item equivalence, conceptual equivalence, scalar equivalence, instrument validity and instrument comparability, as well as cultural appropriateness. This is not achieved through translation alone though.
That’s why we create customized workflows for all our clients, where we can provide the advantages that conceptual analysis, pilot testing, validation, cognitive debriefing, subject matter review and/or other steps offer, depending on the survey’s and the organization’s needs.
At the same time, we take quality assurance very seriously and we guarantee every translation for accuracy and customer satisfaction. Using ISO 9001-certified processes, a reliable network of specialized linguists and experts, and advanced terminology and memory management, we always offer consistent, high-quality work at a fair price. Guaranteed.
Next Steps
To discuss your survey translation requirements, or to receive more information about Responsive Translation’s translation, adaptation, validation, review and other services, please contact us at +1-212-818-1102 or [email protected].