Barriers in Conducting Qualitative Research with Non-English Speakers

Historically, nursing has utilized qualitative methodology in an effort to understand cultural differences. However, when conducting qualitative research in a language other than the researcher's primary language, there are a variety of barriers to ensuring the collection of reliable and valid information. A review of current literature shows that researchers often fail to address the effect that the translation process has on collected data.

Standard qualitative methodology is to transcribe interviews directly into the receptor language. This presentation will describe a new methodology, which transcribes into the source language and then translates the information. Sixty participants representing a diverse Latino population experiencing treatment-related side effects from prostate cancer were interviewed in Spanish. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and back translated by bilingual/bicultural staff members. Differences in translation were resolved by review of the translation staff. To control for translation variations, a compendium of words not found in standard Spanish dictionaries, or not used in the appropriate manner, was created. This compendium assisted in successfully analyzing concepts and meanings where regional variations in Spanish could have affected the analyses.

We believe it is imperative to adapt existing research methodologies to more effectively utilize qualitative data collected in the researcher's non-primary language. Our methodology more accurately conveys the true meaning of the participant's experience. This methodology is both more appropriate and meaningful, and opens doors to researchers who are interested in conducting research in a language other than their own, which subsequently broadens fields.