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Who guidelines on translation and adaptation of instruments

Who guidelines on translation and adaptation of instruments

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WHO Guidelines on Translation

Available at: http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/research_tools/translation/en/

Process of translation and adaptation of

instruments

The aim of this process is to achieve different language versions of the

English instrument that are conceptually equivalent in each of the target

countries/cultures. That is, the instrument should be equally natural and

acceptable and should practically perform in the same way. The focus is on

cross-cultural and conceptual, rather than on linguistic/literal equivalence. A

well-established method to achieve this goal is to use forward-translations

and back-translations. This method has been refined in the course of several

WHO studies to result in the following guidelines.

Implementation of this method includes the following steps:

1 Forward translation

2 Expert panel Back-translation

3 Pre-testing and cognitive interviewing

4 Final version

1. Forward translation

One translator, preferably a health professional, familiar with terminology of

the area covered by the instrument and with interview skills should be given

this task. The translator should be knowledgeable of the English-speaking

culture but his/her mother tongue should be the primary language of the

target culture.

Instructions should be given in the approach to translating, emphasizing

conceptual rather than literal translations, as well as the need to use natural

and acceptable language for the broadest audience. The following general

guidelines should be considered in this process:

Translators should always aim at the conceptual equivalent of a

word or phrase, not a word-for-word translation, i.e. not a literal translation.

They should consider the definition of the original term and attempt to

translate it in the most relevant way.

Translators should strive to be simple, clear and concise in

formulating a question. Fewer words are better. Long sentences with many

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clauses should be avoided.

The target language should aim for the most common audience.

Translators should avoid addressing professional audiences such as those

in medicine or any other professional group. They should consider the

typical respondent for the instrument being translated and what the

respondent will understand when s/he hears the question.

Translators should avoid the use of any jargon. For example, they

should not use:

technical terms that cannot be understood clearly; and

colloquialism, idioms or vernacular terms that cannot be

understood by common people in everyday life.

Translators should consider issues of gender and age applicability

and avoid any terms that might be considered offensive to the target

population.

2. Expert panel

A bilingual (in English and the target language for translation) expert panel

should be convened by a designated editor-in-chief. The goal in this step is to

identify and resolve the inadequate expressions/concepts of the translation,

as well as any discrepancies between the forward translation and the existing

or comparable previous versions of the questions if any. The expert panel

may question some words or expressions and suggest alternatives. Experts

should be given any materials that can help them to be consistent with

previous translations. Principal investigators and/or project collaborators will

be responsible for providing such materials. The number of experts in the

panel may vary. In general, the panel should include the original translator,

experts in health, as well as experts with experience in instrument

development and translation.

The result of this process will produce a complete translated version of the

questionnaire.

3. Back-translation

Using the same approach as that outlined in the first step, the instrument will

then be translated back to English by an independent translator, whose

mother tongue is English and who has no knowledge of the questionnaire.

Back-translation will be limited to selected items that will be identified in two

ways. The first will be items selected by the WHO based on those terms /

concepts that are key to the instrument or those that are suspected to be

particularly sensitive to translation problems across cultures. These items will

be distributed when the English version of the instrument is distributed. The

second will consist of other items that are added on as participating countries

identify words or phrases that are problematic. These additional items must

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WHO Guidelines on Translation Available at: http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/research_tools/translation/en/ Process of translation and adaptation of instruments The aim of this process is to achieve different language versions of the English instrument that are conceptually equivalent in each of the target countries/cultures. That is, the instrument should be equally natural and acceptable and should practically perform in the same way. The focus is on cross-cultural and conceptual, rather than on linguistic/literal equivalence. A well-established method to achieve this goal is to use forward-translations and back-translations. This method has been refined in the course of several WHO studies to result in the following guidelines. Implementation of this method includes the following steps: 1 Forward translation 2 Expert panel Back-translation 3 Pre-testing and cognitive interviewing 4 Final version 1. Forward translation One translator, preferably a health professional, familiar with terminology of the area covered by the instrument and with interview skills should be given this task. The translator should be knowledgeable of the English-speaking culture but his/her mother tong ...
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