Translation, cultural adaptation, validity and reliability of a test: Factors influencing researcher decisions

Assessment is an important part of the evaluation process, treatment planning, and intervention and this process requires the availability of suitable tools. Developing an assessment tool is an expensive and time-consuming process. It seems quite affordable to translate and use the existing tools. Translation, validity, and reliability process is different for various tools due to the different factors influencing the process. In the present review article, factors contributing to the researchers’ decision to choose the method of translation, validity and reliability have been discussed. Literature was reviewed to identify factors contributing to the researchers’ decision-making. Google scholar, Pub Med, ProQuest, Elsevier, and OT seeker were searched. The combinations of the key words including validity, reliability, translation, cross-cultural adaptation, methodology, assessment, and psychometric properties were used. The search was limited to the articles published before March 2014. Translation processes change by using a tool in different language and culture. Factors contributing to the researcher's decision-making are different in the field of reliability and validity due to the assessment tool, context of the target population, the process, and resources of the research. Access to translators and professionals, purpose of the assessment tool, access to the tools with the same context in the target language, and access to the target sample appear to be the most important factors contributing to the researchers’ decision-making.