Multi-Language Support Overview
Survey Galaxy supports the UTF-8 character set, allowing special characters
and accented characters allowing you to deploy surveys in over 40 languages.
However, our support for languages does not just allow you to create surveys
in almost any language in addition we also offer the following:
Localised control buttons and messages
Surveys can be deployed that will display the survey control buttons and system messages in the local language. There are over forty language translations already in place but if you should select a local language that is currently not available please contact us and we will do our best to arrange for it to be added to our language library. Where a translation of the system messages is not available, the survey button titles and system messages will revert to English.
Multi-language surveys
Survey Galaxy's support for multi-language surveys allows you to create a survey
in a base language and then provide multiple translations of the survey in other
languages. This is ideal for public agencies that are required to produce their
publications in multiple languages and multi-national companies that would like
to do global surveys and allow their respondents to answer in their native language.
The results for multi-language surveys are automatically rolled up, in real-time,
into the language of the base survey.
When multi-language surveys are deployed and a respondent links to the survey,
the availability of multiple translations is automatically detected and the
respondent asked to select the most appropriate survey language. Where the preferred
language of the respondents is known it is also possible to force a particular
language to be used.
The translations can also take into account language variation between geographical
regions. For example it is possible to deploy a survey in English/British and
English/American so that differences in spelling and terminology can be accommodated.
Base Survey Language
In a multi-language survey the base survey language acts as the seed survey
and to benefit fully from the facility all the translations must follow the
base survey's lead. For example, if there are more answer options in the translation
than in the base survey they will be ignored and if there are less, then the
additional answer options contained in the base language survey will be displayed
in addition to those that have been translated.
Results
When viewing the results of a multi-language survey the reporting language
will be the base language and all the data consolidated as though the only survey
completed was the base survey. Any free text responses such as comments that
respondents have written in the local language will need to be translated manually.
Variation between surveys
As previously stated in a multi-language survey there should be no differences
in meaning and translations between the base survey and the translations and
to benefit fully, the base and translations should be implemented on a like for
like basis.
However, it is possible in the case of currency to provide monetary values in
the local currency by maintaining a known and predetermined exchange rate.
For example if a survey is to be deployed aimed at US, UK and French respondents,
and if for the convenience of this example the prevailing currency exchange
rate is set at $2 to £1, and €1.15 to £1, then the following
translations could be used:
In this example if the UK version of the survey is the base language then any US respondents
who answered 'Under $40' and French respondents who answered 'Sous €23'
would all be combined with UK respondents answers that answered 'Under £20'.
If on the other hand the US was specified as the base language any UK respondents
who answered 'Under £20' and French respondents who answered 'Sous €23'
would all be combined with the US respondents answers that answered 'Under $40'.
Number of translations
There is no specific limit as to the number of translations that are supported
for a single survey. However, there will be practical issues in maintaining
surveys that are translated into more than three languages. If you are planning
on having a large number of translations it is very important to invest the
time in perfecting the survey in the base language first so as to avoid the
need for making changes to all the translations.
Unsupported
Languages that write from right to left (RTL) are not specifically supported
but in many cases can be used without any problem as a translation although
there could be problems such as the in the online Results Analyzer if a RTL
language is defined as the base language.
Survey Translation Service
Survey Galaxy has developed a global network of freelance translators and can assist you with your survey translation requirements. Please contact us through the Help Request facility with details of your requirement and we will be more than happy to provide you with a written quotation.
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