Tomedes Provides Precise and Clear Research Questionnaire Translation in 3 Days

Our client

Company name: Polaris Global Insights (Pseudonym)
What does the company do?
Polaris Global Insights is a global research firm specializing in market, social, and behavioral studies.
Deadline set by the client: 3 days
What do they need?
They needed an accurate and culturally appropriate Greenlandic translation of a 780-word survey to ensure the validity of the data collected from respondents in Greenland. Every question had to be clearly understood by participants, without ambiguity or cultural misalignment that could skew the results. The translation also had to preserve the original intent and neutrality of the survey to maintain research integrity across linguistic boundaries.

The challenges

Translating a research survey into Greenlandic comes with a very particular set of challenges. Here are the three major ones we tackled head-on:

Firstly, Greenlandic is a polysynthetic language, meaning it combines multiple concepts into single, long words. For example, an English phrase like “Did you go fishing yesterday?” might be expressed in Greenlandic as a single word with built-in verb tense, subject, and object.

This made sentence restructuring essential. We couldn’t just swap out English words for Greenlandic ones—we had to reengineer each question so it made sense within Greenlandic grammatical structures while still conveying the exact same meaning.

Secondly, in research, neutrality is everything. Leading or biased questions can taint your results. In translation, however, some words or sentence structures might unintentionally create bias. For example, terms like “concerned” or “aware” can imply judgment if not phrased carefully. We had to make sure the translated questionnaire was as neutral as the original, especially since it was intended for academic fieldwork.

Lastly, many of the original questions referenced practices common in Western or urban settings—things like recycling bins or public transportation usage. But for many people living in Greenland’s smaller communities, these concepts aren’t as familiar.

We worked with our native linguist to adjust terminology and references so that questions would be meaningful and relatable to Greenlandic respondents without changing the survey’s core intent.

Why Tomedes?

Tomedes is a globally trusted translation company that specializes in technical translations, making us the ideal partner for organizations needing to translate surveys and complex data accurately and effectively. Our native-speaking translators brought not only linguistic fluency but cultural intelligence to the table, especially important for a language like Greenlandic. For this project, we carefully selected a linguist with a strong academic background and experience working with local communities, ensuring the survey questions were both accurate and culturally resonant. This human insight made a measurable difference in the clarity and relevance of the final questionnaire.

Beyond our people, what really set us apart was our smart use of AI. Our Pre-Translation Toolkit helped us analyze the survey before any translation began, highlighting sensitive phrases, complex terminology, and any linguistic red flags. This allowed us to customize our approach, avoid common pitfalls, and assign the right resources from the start. Combined with our client-first philosophy—offering 24/7 support, regular updates, and a dedicated project manager—Tomedes became more than a service provider. We became a trusted extension of the Polaris team.

The solution

So, how did we turn a complex project into a clean, culturally adapted survey in just a few days?

Firstly, we started the project with the Tomedes Pre-Translation Toolkit, which helped us analyze the source text before any translation took place. Using tools like the Language Detector, Topic Detection Tool, and Key Terms Glossary, we confirmed text consistency, identified the subject domain, and extracted critical terminology for consistent use. This initial step laid a strong foundation for accurate, efficient, and culturally appropriate translation.

Next, we assigned the project to a native Greenlandic linguist with experience in survey translation and a strong grasp of research terminology. This ensured that the tone, phrasing, and cultural nuances were perfectly aligned.

Lastly, during translation, we maintained a contextual glossary for key terms and used AI tools to ensure tone consistency. We also ran the final version through our Post-Translation Toolkit to evaluate fluency, terminology accuracy, and overall translation quality.

The result

Polaris received their translated survey on time, fully prepared for immediate deployment in the field. The final Greenlandic version wasn’t just accurate—it was culturally intelligent, with every question written in a way that felt natural and relevant to the local audience. This level of clarity and cultural alignment was essential for collecting meaningful data.

Thanks to our use of glossaries and rigorous quality checks, the survey maintained terminological consistency throughout, avoiding any confusion or ambiguity. The client praised the smooth process, the high-quality outcome, and the responsiveness of our team. In fact, Polaris was so satisfied with the results that they have already returned to Tomedes for additional projects involving Indigenous communities in other regions.

Conclusion

If you’re ready to take your research global, don’t let language be a barrier.

Tomedes helps you translate surveys with accuracy, cultural awareness, and academic integrity—ensuring that your results are valid and your work is respected. From how to translate a questionnaire in research to executing high-stakes fieldwork, we bring linguistic clarity to your global mission.

Get in touch with us today to discuss your next multilingual research project—or try our free Pre-Translation Toolkit to get started. Tomedes: Language solutions built for insight, accuracy, and global understanding.