From question to useful output
Your question
Define the audience and the decision.
The right approach
Agree on scope and specialist support.
Clear findings
Review the evidence in context.
Your next step
Use the output to inform your work.
Choose between translation and adaptation
Translation aims to preserve source meaning in another language. Transcreation adapts creative messaging for a different audience. A research questionnaire and an advertising headline may therefore require different approaches, even when both belong to the same project.
Give language specialists the context
Share the purpose, audience and subject of the material. Provide a terminology list and explain any brand phrases that need consistent treatment. For discussion guides and research documents, flag wording that must retain a particular meaning.
Plan review and version control
Name the person who will approve the language output and agree on how feedback will be consolidated. Keep source and translated versions clearly labelled. If the source changes, identify the affected passages so the translations can be updated consistently.
Include audio and video requirements early
When material includes recordings, specify whether you need transcription, translation, subtitles or a combination. Agree on timestamps, speaker labels and delivery formats. Subtitle work also needs attention to reading flow and the timing of the original message.