Browsing by Author "Fourie, Jean"

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    The quality of translation regarding medical research questionnaires
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003-12) Fourie, Jean; Feinauer, A. E.; Jordaan, E.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Afrikaans & Dutch.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Little scholarly reflection has been published on the subject of medical research and translation. The aim of this study is to contribute to such literature by investigating the quality of original and retranslated medical questionnaires. The various steps medical researchers follow when translating their questionnaires are considered and discussed. Particular attention is given to questionnaires on AIDS-related topics in South Africa, as well as to the role of translation in ensuring the collection of valid data in medical research. Different translation approaches, which are followed when translating medical texts, and the impact they have on the quality of the research, are discussed. These approaches are the linguistic, text-linguistic and functional approaches. Attention is given to translators as communicators and mediators, as well as to the more general role of the translator. This study hypothesises that the quality of translations of medical research questions is largely inadequate in communicating effectively with the target culture for which they are intended. The retranslation hypothesis stating that retranslations are closer to the source text (ST) than original translations is supported. Afrikaans- and Xhosa-speaking adolescents from two secondary schools in the Cape Peninsula participated in a before-after study. These learners received self-administered medical questions on the two occasions. The first set comprised original translations, while the second set contained retranslations of the ST questions. Evaluation questions were included to assess the quality of these translations. The design, translation approach and quality of the original translations are explained, as is the development of the retranslation and evaluation questionnaires. Translations that do not consider their target audience lead to communication gaps, which have an adverse effect on the validity of data derived from questionnaires that are used in medical research. The results of most of these questions are compared for the two target cultures and are analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. The data are further explored to establish whether and how the translational quality of medical questionnaires can be improved. These aspects and the suggested translation process are discussed while bearing in mind the limitations of a study of this kind. Recommendations are made for possible improvement to the quality of translations of medical questionnaires. Projections for further studies in this direction complete this empirical investigation into translation and medical research.