The Specialist Skills of Market Research Translation

Translation work requires much more than simply an ability to write and understand two different languages and is a skill that can take years to master. In fact, most translators will choose to specialise in one particular field to hone their skills. When working on market research translation, the skills and qualities required are much more complex not only for the translator but also for the project management of the task.

Market research translation skills

At Mission Translate, we work with numerous international market research companies. Our blog this week shares why it is necessary to have specialists working on your market research projects and what skills are required to ensure the work is successful.

Accuracy

Although this is not a quality that differs from any other type of translation work, when dealing with market research projects, accuracy is undoubtedly one of the top requirements of a project.

Accurate market research means that a business is armed with all the correct information when launching a new product or service or running a marketing campaign. If any step involved in carrying out the research or its resulting data is mistranslated, then there is the potential for the business’s activity to falter.

Working with native, sector-specialists translators and providers who follow proven quality control processes will help to ensure high-quality translation of market research projects.

Speed and a strict adherence to deadlines

Market research is one step in a client’s race against their competitors to launch a new product or service. We understand, therefore, that your clients have strict deadlines by which they need their market research turned around and often, these deadlines are short.

At Mission Translate, we appreciate that a late translation has a wider impact on your relationship with your client and the success of their business. We, therefore, take any deadline seriously.

Localisation

When gathering data from an international audience, localisation is very important to contextualise and adapt questions so that meaningful conclusions can be drawn while ensuring the questions asked remain accurate to their original intent.

Although the word-for-word translation of research tools, such as questionnaires or discussion guides, can result in outputs that may not make sense to the participants surveyed, a translator must be careful when applying localisation to ensure the questions are in no way leading or biased.

Understanding of software and research tools

There are many stages in the market research process where translation can be required. At Mission Translate, our project managers have the experience of working with the most up-to-date technology to ensure your translation is dealt with effectively. Whether it is translating web-enabled surveys or completing their link-checking, coding responses, transcribing interviews or creating subtitles, our project managers work closely alongside our translators to ensure accuracy and efficiency throughout your project.

Flexible approach

Market research projects can take a variety of different formats and so when assisting with translation, a flexible approach is required.

Surveys may be qualitative or quantitative. The data collection could involve online or offline responses, face-to-face or online interviews or focus groups, all with a differing number of speakers.

We offer a bespoke approach to all our translation projects, meaning that we are happy to adapt our processes to fit your exact requirements. Furthermore, we understand that sometimes direction or timings can change, and we have the flexibility to accommodate that.

Technical vocabulary

Whichever field a translator chooses to specialise in, knowledge of the technical vocabulary used in that industry is vital. However, market research translation can cover a variety of subjects, for example, medical, financial or technical topics. Nonetheless, market research translators will still be expected to have an up-to-date and cohesive understanding of the topic to deliver accurate, high-quality outputs.

The many moving parts involved in completing a market research translation project mean that it is crucial a translation provider has the necessary skills and experience to ensure the process runs smoothly. When allocating your project, checking this in advance means that you can leave your project in safe hands and keep your end client happy with the results you deliver.