QUESTIONNAIRE AND SURVEY TRANSLATIONS

In order for an international survey to be usable, it is important to ensure that:

• Equivalent translations are delivered in all relevant countries
• Possible ambiguity in translated versions is eliminated
• Skewed results, due to a misinterpretation of questions by respondents, are avoided
• Reliable and comparable data is collected.

Translating a questionnaire is something of a balancing act, in that the linguist must produce a translation that reads naturally, while remaining extremely disciplined about maintaining equivalence between the source and target versions. 

These aims can only be achieved by entrusting your translations to an agency that is specialised in the translation of surveys and market research, one that is acutely aware of the challenges specific to this sector.

A multilingual survey that is not translated with great care and professionalism is, simply put, unusable, because its results may be heavily skewed due to the lack of equivalence between the translated versions.

In neglecting the translation phase of your survey, you therefore run the risk of not reaping the benefits of all of the investment (be it in terms of time, money, staff engagement, use of tools, etc.) made to bring it about in the first place.

A single misinterpreted question in two or three countries can completely invalidate the results of a survey. In these conditions, it is impossible to draw any general conclusions and to compare data from one country to another. Even the slightest approximation is enough to distort all of the survey's conclusions.

The price of this type of translation depends on a number of factors, including the translation methodology used. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with us to receive a quote, tailored to your issues and objectives.

To receive a detailed and exact quote, please get in touch with us.

We work with experienced native-language translators who are specialised in the translation of questionnaires and survey materials, and who are acutely aware of the key issues and good practice prevalent in this sector.

Courtesy of our extensive network of translators, our agency is able to handle more than 175 language combinations. Whatever your request, we should be capable of meeting your expectations.

Doubts or questions? Please don't hesitate to visit our "List of languages and markets" page or to get in touch with us directly through our contact form!

Our agency is made up of a team of project managers and experienced translators who are specialised in the market research sector.

In addition, in our constant pursuit of excellence, we have instigated a specific quality assurance process for each of the following five areas:

• Recruitment, selection and ongoing evaluation of linguists:
  Innovative recruitment process ("Smart Recruit"), careful selection of candidates, and continuous assessment of the quality of their work.
• Quality assurance:
  Checking of the source text, systematic review by a second translator, in-house quality control. 
• Technology used:
  Use of a TMS (Translation Management System) and a CAT tool (Computer-Assisted Translation). 
• Communication:
  Single project manager, understanding of client's requests and wishes. 
• Confidentiality:
  Confidentiality agreement signed by all our partners.

Our high-quality services and expertise have resulted in us working with some major players in the opinion poll and market research sector, such as Kantar, BVA and Gallup International.

To ensure the equivalence of translations, we adhere to a proven methodology, which may vary according to the project, objectives and client budget. We systematically carry out a check of the source version and a review of the translation in all cases.

Translation with double review

The translation is executed by an experienced native-tongue translator, and is then reviewed twice by different linguists:

• The first review involves a comparison between the source and target versions to ensure equivalence (with the insertion of corrections where necessary).
• The purpose of the second review is to pick up on any remaining typos or minor errors.

Translation with double review and back-translation

After the double review, all translations are then back-translated into the source language. This additional step enables us to pinpoint and rectify any shifts in meaning or mistranslations.

TRAPD approach

This method consists of five phases:

• T — Translation
  Two translations are produced independently by different translators.
• R — Review
  The translators and reviewers compare the translations produced in the previous step.
• A — Adjudication
  The two translations are reconciled: the best translation is selected for each survey question, after which a harmonised target version is generated.
• P — Pretest
  National versions are tested in a pilot study (small-scale preliminary study).
• D — Documentation
  Documentation of the entire process.

Please ask your question using the form below. We will get back to you within 24 hours.