What to know about data collection in a multilingual context?

To appreciate the complexity of a multilingual context, multiply all data collection activities by the number of languages. Here’re 3 must-knows:

1. Select bilingual (speaks the source & target languages) AND bicultural (able to adapt to the customs and practices of the two cultural groups) interviewers. Don’t assume one equals the other, e.g. 2nd-gen Latino may not speak Spanish.
2. Plan early. For example, translation should not be an afterthought or you might run out of budget or time to develop and program the translations. Multilingual contexts almost always necessitate translation.
3. Document! Because it’s unlikely that you speak all the languages, documentation provides a paper trail of the processes and decisions that took place, especially if they deviated from the original plan. (they will…!)

SEE ALSO:

What to consider when surveying hard-to-reach populations?

How to engage hard-to-reach research participants with respect?

How to balance speed and efficiency with quality data collection?

What to do before pretesting data collection instruments?

How to improve research questions for better data collection?

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