Collaborative and Iterative Translation: An Alternative Approach to Back Translation

TLDR

Back translation is commonly used to verify translation accuracy in survey research, but it yields only literal translations and fails to address conceptual equivalence, comprehension, or respondent meaning unless combined with pretesting. This article examines the limitations of relying solely on back translation in isolation. It proposes a collaborative, iterative approach to translating questionnaires for international marketing research.

Abstract

Back translation is the technique most commonly used to check the accuracy of translation in survey research. Although it results in a direct or literal translation, it does not address issues of conceptual equivalence. Furthermore, if it is not combined with pretesting, it does not address issues of comprehension and meaning to the respondent. This article discusses some of the problems of relying exclusively on back translation in isolation. It suggests the use of a collaborative, iterative approach for translating questionnaires for international marketing research.