Category Archives: Surveys and Opinion Polls

Translation and localisation has traditionally been a cost centre, and the work performed by professional translators was mostly paid by word, by line, by page. Today, this model has become meaningless: translating half a million words or generating 100 pages directly in a foreign language can be done faster and cheaper than crafting two or three …

“Leveraging Translation Technology with Discernment | The Keys to Smart Localisation unveils on August 27, 2025”

Andrea Ferrari, cApStAn co-founder You are going to administer a test or questionnaire in multiple countries, cultures, and languages. We don’t need to convince you that the reliable validation of translated data collection instruments requires­ a robust Linguistic Quality Assurance (LQA) design. A design that focuses on equivalence, comparability as well as appropriateness in each …

“Setting up a robust Linguistic Quality Assurance process for your tests and assessments on a low budget”

Advances in survey methodology research have brought advantages to data reliability and validity, especially in the 3MC (Multinational, Multiregional, and Multicultural Contexts) surveys. The “Total Survey Error” (TSE) is the example of a paradigm that provided the conceptual framework for optimizing surveys by maximizing data quality within budgetary constraints. This framework links the different steps …

“Referring to the Total Survey Error (TSE) framework when designing and monitoring translation workflows for questionnaires”

There is no shortage of C-Suite executives and founders who prompt generative AI to provide an optimistic outlook of the coming year. This exercise is typically associated with humble bragging (a frequent oxymoron) about achievements. So, is it anachronic to use a plain rearview mirror for hindsight, an old-fashioned sonar to sound depth, and a …

“Putting into perspective the rearview mirrow, the sonar and the periscope | Steve Dept, Founding Partner”

At cApStAn we strongly believe in the need to perform more “upstream” quality assurance work to reduce the need for “downstream” corrective action. In cApStAn’s modular approach, the creation of glossaries comes under module B, related to the preparation of a translation project. A glossary consists of a collection of terms that need to be …

“The role of glossaries in ensuring the validity and equivalence of tests/surveys across multiple languages“

cApStAn organises its linguistic services in 20 modules grouped into 4 moments of a localisation project. Depending on your requirements, we combine different modules, like building blocks, to form the most suitable design for your project. Fill out the form to receive the document now

The CSDI (Comparative Survey Design and Implementation) Workshop will be held on March 18th – 20th at the SHARE BERLIN Institute GmbH in Berlin, Germany. In a session organised by Dorothee Behr from GESIS and focusing on methods, innovations and new challenges in questionnaire translation, Musab Hayatli, cApStAn Inc. in collaboration with Yongwei Yang from …

“CSDI Workshop in Berlin | Bank for International Survey Answer Scales (BISAS): A Call to Action”

No comparative surveys without comparable data Twenty-four years ago, cApStAn started developing, testing, fine-tuning and implementing methods to ensure comparability between different language versions of tests and questionnaires. That was our core activity and it still is. Tests and questionnaires are measurement instruments. They measure knowledge, skills, attitudes, trends, or opinions. They link data points …

““cApStAn at a scale”, Jan Denys, CEO, and Steve Dept, Founding Partner”

I am Andrea Ferrari, an Italian national, born in Peru. I was exposed to a multicultural environment from early on, living and studying in Canada, Italy, Australia, Greece, and Belgium. I earned a degree in Business Engineering from the Solvay Business School, Brussels, did a stint with a major multinational (Procter & Gamble) but switched …

““Navigating the Seas of Linguistic Quality: A Chronicle of cApStAn’s 22-Year Odyssey” “

Founders of boutique language solution providers are often overrated and cApStAn is a case in point in this regard. I am Steve Dept, a linguist by training—though not a translator—and a polyglot, initially because my parents travelled a lot: before the end of secondary school, I had attended 14 schools in 4 different languages. While attending German …

““What it takes to build a boutique language solutions provider: a cApStAn founder nails it””

cApStAn Founding Partner Steve Dept, from the company’s headquarters in Belgium, and Musab Hayatli, Managing Director of cApStAn Inc, USA are just back from the Biennial ESRA Conference in Milan (July 17-21, 2023) where they were both presenters. As Steve comments: “An impressive conference venue on the Bicocca university campus, insightful sessions, great connections made. …

“cApStAn LQC Founding Partner Steve Dept and cApStAn Inc Managing Director Musab Hayatli at ESRA Conference in July”

This is the 5th and final issue in our “Multilingual Skills Assessment Translation series”. The primary objective of this series is to provide a comprehensive illustration of the complexities inherent in test translation. By doing so, we aim to underscore the immense value derived from establishing a robust linguistic quality assurance design. This episode takes a closer look …

“Multilingual Skills Assessment Translation Series, Episode 5: Disentangling Proficiency in required Skills from Proficiency in Language”