All Roads Do NOT Necessarily Lead to Rome: An Overview of Translation Methods: All Roads Do NOT Necessarily Lead to Rome: An Overview of Translation Methods Mayumi Anne Willgerodt PhD, MPH, RN University of Washington Center for the Advancement of Health Disparities Research, NINR, P20 NR08351-02 Why is this important?: Why is this important? Increased migration patterns Increased recognition of health disparities nationally and internationally Increased funding opportunities to conduct cross-cultural research What is cross-cultural research?: What is cross-cultural research? Research that compares behaviors across two or more cultures Research with a cultural group other than your own Research using instruments that were intended for a different cultural group Slide4: Purpose of translation is to achieve a functionally and conceptually equivalent version of an instrument that is culturally appropriate Three major types of translation methods Direct translation Back translation Committee approach Translation Methods: Translation Methods Direct Translation Source Target Translation Methods: Translation Methods Back-translation #1 Source Target #3 #2 Source Translation Issues: Translation Issues Translators are unaware of rigorous translation requirements Some content areas are linguistically challenging Translators may not be knowledgeable about the content area Translators may be overly competent Bilinguals are different from monolinguals Translation Methods: Translation Methods Committee Method Source Target Source Target Target Source Target Translation checking: Translation checking Pilot testing Focus groups Additional Points to Consider: Additional Points to Consider Original instruments must be clear Choose method depending on the research question Examine the answering scales The ideal translation process involves professional translators, monolingual individuals representative of study population,and multiple bilingual individuals