Allingus Translation Services® knows that the relevance of translation quality to data quality is the essential element of a Survey Translation and we have established proven guidelines and procedures for the assessment of questionnaires.

Behavioral / Personality Testing	Normative Data	New Hire Documents
Employee Assessments	Human Resource Documentation	Skills Testing
Talent Acquisition	Testing Materials	Training Documentation
General Medical & Surgical Surveys	Pharmaceutical Surveys	Clinical Case Study Questionnaires

The importance of accuracy in translation is essential for all documents, but nowhere is this more applicable than in the case of survey translations.

Expressing the wording of a question in multiple languages, while retaining both the key elements and the subtle linguistic differences, can be challenging and have a significant impact on the results. Even the slightest inaccuracy or shifted meaning can lead to changes in respondents’ comprehension and, therefore, their responses.

Survey translation is one of Allingus Translation Services® specialties. We understand surveys – our translators have experience in a wide range of formats, from human resource questionnaires to market research. Just as importantly, we understand the nuances of both the source and target languages, to avoid any misinterpretation or ambiguity.

Allingus Translation Services® offers survey translations in many common forms. These include fixed, iterative, centered or decentring and in all common practices such as single translation, back translation, parallel translation, committee or combined translation in most of the major European and Asiatic languages. We have produced countless high quality translations for many clients, including major multinational corporations. With the benefit of years of experience in this field, Allingus Translation Services® has established a set of proven guidelines and procedures for the translation of questionnaires and surveys. These guidelines and procedures form the basis for all of our survey translations and ensure that each new translation is carried out in accordance with the same high standards.

Through consultation with our clients, we make sure that we understand the intention of the survey – what you are trying to achieve or find out – and then tailor the project to ensure the aims are met. This involves assigning the right translators and ensuring that they understand exactly what is needed.

If your company is conducting surveys for respondents in multiple language markets, it is essential that the respondents understand exactly what it is that you are asking them. Even the slightest misunderstanding can lead to results that do not match the respondents’ opinions, and this can defeat the entire purpose of the survey. In addition, the question must be the same in each of the languages. It is counter-productive to have a nicely worded, culturally appropriate question in one language if the same question in another language has a different meaning.

In this field, it is not even enough for the translator to be ‘fluent’ in the target language. They must truly understand the subtleties of the language and the cultural connotations of every word. Survey respondents base their responses solely on what they read, usually without the benefit of context or explanation. Therefore, it is vital that the question is clear, concise and reflects precisely what the original survey’s author had intended.

Furthermore, different skills are required for different types of survey translations. For example, a skills testing survey (for new employees, for instance) will often have answers that are clear-cut – they are either correct or incorrect. In these cases, there is no room for ambiguity in the questions. In an opinion survey, on the other hand, the questions are generally more ‘open’, meaning that they leave room for interpretation and for elaboration on the part of the respondent. The translator must understand how a respondent in the target language would interpret each kind of question and ensure that the question is worded in such a way that it directs the respondent to answer in the intended manner.

From a translation company’s point of view, two vital factors are required in order to achieve the right balance of cultural knowledge and subject matter knowledge. The first is to find a translator who is a native speaker of the target language and is immersed in the same culture as the survey respondents. The second is to ensure that the translator understands the technical side of survey translations, the various kinds of surveys and the purpose of each survey. The absence of any of these key factors can lead to survey results that are effectively useless to the client.

Allingus Translation Services®

understands these key factors and they form the basis of our survey translation service. Selecting the ideal translator and providing them with the information they need to produce a perfect translation is the process that we undergo for each and every survey translation.