Multi-Country Surveys: Overcoming Linguistic and Localization Barriers

Whether you’re an established multinational brand or seeking to expand your presence in international markets, designing multi-country surveys requires careful consideration of various nuances. Your survey questionnaire must not only be translated into multiple languages but must also be localized to each distinct country being surveyed. 

Localization

Quite often, surveys necessitate adaptations to various countries or regions. For instance, the brands available in Italy may differ from those in Germany. If you are evaluating brand preferences, you must localize your survey to present the appropriate competitive brands to the respective audiences. 

Localization uses knowledge of customs and traditions, typical language formatting, and cultural awareness to ensure clear messaging. Without localization, messages can be lost in translation. Miscommunication can be a significant risk for data quality, as a single misjudged word may substantially alter responses.  

When localizing your survey, some considerations include:

• Contextual meaning: Translate not just the words but also the meaning and context of the questions to ensure they make sense culturally.
• Examples and scenarios: Use examples and scenarios that are relevant and familiar to the target audience. 
• Idiomatic expressions: Idioms and colloquialisms do not translate well. Use clear and simple language that is universally understood. 
• Language specificity: Consider the semantic differences between entities/nouns/referents that are specific to a particular context and those that are not.
• Likert scales and response options: Ensure that response scales (e.g., Likert scales) are culturally appropriate. Some cultures may be more likely to choose extreme or neutral responses. 
• Units of measurement: Convert units of measurement (e.g., currency, temperature) to those commonly used in the target country. 
• Sensitivity disclaimers: Depending on local regulations, certain populations or topics may be considered sensitive or potentially self-incriminating. Understanding the research guidelines specific to each country is essential to prevent any regulatory breaches. For example, in most countries, inquiring about alcohol consumption from individuals aged 18 is acceptable. However, in the United States, such inquiries must be limited to those aged 21 and older. 

Track everything in a single document as you record the various localization elements necessary for your survey. This helps ensure data comparability and facilitates easier management. With this document, IntelliSurvey can more easily assist you in localizing your study. Whether your needs involve complex branching, custom logic, or other specialized features, our team is adept at handling both straightforward and intricate requirements. 

Translating Your Survey

IntelliSurvey offers two methods to translate your survey.  

• Managed translation service
• Provide your own translations

Managed Translation

With over two decades of experience, IntelliSurvey is well-positioned to offer comprehensive translation services for your project. We collaborate with highly qualified vendors to translate your survey, encompassing everything from the questionnaire to instructions and error messages. 

Provide Your Own Translations

For clients preferring to provide their own translations, we offer several tools to make the process go smoothly. 

AI Translations

Leveraging AI translation, you can create an initial draft in seconds. This gives you a solid base to adjust in-line and significantly speeds up the process. In the IntelliSurvey platform, AI is available to translate your complete questionnaire, including response options, instructions, and other elements.

In-Line Editing

Once you have your initial translated draft, you can edit translations in-line. Inside the platform, the original language questionnaire appears alongside the translated version in a presentation similar to what respondents will see when they take the survey. Translations can be input or edited directly in this view.

One significant benefit of editing in-line is that it allows translators to focus on content order and presentation without worrying about HTML tags that render in the background. Compared to methods where HTML is visible, this can save significant time often spent on back-and-forth error corrections.  

Find Missing Translations

Using the in-line editing interface, translators can also filter to see only the questions with outstanding translations or view the entire questionnaire. This is especially useful when questions have been added or edited after the initial translation. 

Download to Word

Once the translations are complete, the translated survey can be downloaded as a Word doc for final review or sent to users who prefer to work offline. 

Additional Multi-Country Survey Considerations

Linguistic translation and localization are just some factors to consider in multi-country studies. 

Distribution method: The appropriate distribution method may vary across countries. For example, in the United States, a mobile online survey might be the best approach given the high smartphone usage. In contrast, in rural India, where internet access might be limited, using CATI would be more effective in reaching participants. 

Audience targeting: To ensure the accurate reach of your multi-country audience, IntelliSurvey partners with a vetted group of trusted global panel providers to use the best multi-source in the local market. When targeting is crucial for achieving high enough incidence rates to field, it is essential to include local and specialized vendors in the sources. For instance, when targeting young mothers in Poland, we would collaborate with Eastern European vendors with detailed profiling on the household situation.

Feasibility: The availability of online sample varies significantly between countries. Factoring additional pricing and timing considerations, a typical project would get 500 respondents in Norway, 1,000 in Sweden, and 3,000 in UK, France, or Germany. IntelliSurvey helps work out the best feasible options. 

Balancing: In the US, it is easy to balance for a lot of entries on age (with top age bucket 65+), gender, income, ethnicity, and race. In other countries, you may be much more limited. In Saudi Arabia, for example, you can’t balance more than age (with 45+ as the top age bucket) and gender (for a limited amount of completes). 

Region-specific factors: Nuances like religion, politics, and legal factors can impact the research. Regulatory constraints are a common roadblock in some countries, so it is essential to partner with an experienced survey provider to help you navigate those challenges.

Time in field: Some countries will deliver completes faster, while others may take longer to reach quota groups. Consider staging your analytics to follow field speed. Large English-speaking countries (e.g., US and UK) usually finish well ahead of others because there is no translation time and the panel sources are very strong. You can analyze these first while field continues in other countries (e.g., Germany, Italy, etc.).

In Conclusion

Designing and conducting multi-country surveys presents unique challenges, particularly in overcoming linguistic barriers. Paying attention to regional nuances is crucial to crafting an effective survey and ensuring precise and reliable translations.

Leveraging IntelliSurvey’s robust translation tools and vetted audience network can significantly streamline this process, making it easier to gather reliable and actionable data from diverse regions. For more information on how we can assist in adapting your study to the dynamic needs of global audiences, please contact us today.