Methodological Considerations in Conducting a Bilingual Study

Fawziah Rabiah-Mohammed; Abe Oudshoorn; Maxwell Smith; Panagiota Tryphonopoulos; Carles Muntaner

doi:10.29333/ajqr/14937

Fawziah Rabiah-Mohammed ¹ ^* , Abe Oudshoorn ¹, Maxwell Smith ¹, Panagiota Tryphonopoulos ², Carles Muntaner ³

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AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 3, pp. 208-228

https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14937

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Abstract

This methodological reflection is developed from a nursing research study that compared health systems in Canada and Saudi Arabia, using both English and Arabic languages for data collection. Conducting research in a language not spoken by all the research team members is relatively common, yet addressing the nuanced details of implementing bilingual work has limited guidance within extant literature. This includes consideration of promising practices for concept development, translation, data analysis, and presenting the findings. This article discusses the strengths and limitations of bilingual research and recommendations regarding these issues from our own experiences. Ultimately, it is proposed that via bilingual research, the accumulation of knowledge pertaining to qualitative research concepts, translation, analysis, and dissemination of comprehensive frameworks can be enacted, ultimately enhancing the rigor of qualitative research and increasing confidence in applying knowledge created in the chosen language of participants.

Keywords: Methodology, language translation, cultural-bilingual study, qualitative study

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Citation

Rabiah-Mohammed, F., Oudshoorn, A., Smith, M., Tryphonopoulos, P., & Muntaner, C. (2024). Methodological Considerations in Conducting a Bilingual Study. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 8(3), 208-228. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14937

Rabiah-Mohammed, F., Oudshoorn, A., Smith, M., Tryphonopoulos, P., and Muntaner, C. (2024). Methodological Considerations in Conducting a Bilingual Study. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 8(3), pp. 208-228. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14937

Rabiah-Mohammed F, Oudshoorn A, Smith M, Tryphonopoulos P, Muntaner C. Methodological Considerations in Conducting a Bilingual Study. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2024;8(3), 208-228. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14937

Rabiah-Mohammed, Fawziah, Abe Oudshoorn, Maxwell Smith, Panagiota Tryphonopoulos, and Carles Muntaner. "Methodological Considerations in Conducting a Bilingual Study". American Journal of Qualitative Research 2024 8 no. 3 (2024): 208-228. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14937

Rabiah-Mohammed, Fawziah et al. "Methodological Considerations in Conducting a Bilingual Study". American Journal of Qualitative Research, vol. 8, no. 3, 2024, pp. 208-228. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14937

Rabiah-Mohammed F, Oudshoorn A, Smith M, Tryphonopoulos P, Muntaner C. Methodological Considerations in Conducting a Bilingual Study. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2024;8(3):208-28. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/14937