Generative AI (GenAI) tools have drawn considerable attention in health research of late, largely because of their asserted potential to make some phases of the research lifecycle more efficient, such as literature reviews, quantitative analysis, and research project management support. Increasingly, AI tools are being touted as a solution for translating research materials into other languages. The use of GenAI tools in this setting requires careful evaluation to ensure they align with WHRI community values and do not perpetuate known biases.
To address the question of whether AI tools can be reliably used to support translation in research contexts, the WHRI is collaborating with the Clinical Research Support Unit at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute to evaluate a process that combines AI translation with structured human review for research documents.
Project Aims
The goal of this project is to develop and share guidance on best practices and key considerations for using AI alongside human review for document translation. This work supports two important commitments: 1) ensuring all people have equal opportunities to participate in research, and 2) helping researchers meet CIHR’s translation requirement for knowledge translation materials produced from CIHR-funded work.
Informed by linguistic validation, the study team is evaluating a translation process designed to leverage the efficiency of AI tools while centering cultural and linguistic knowledge held by community members.
The Process
- An AI tool produces an initial translation of a document.
- Two bilingual community members independently review and edit the translation, with specific attention to cultural appropriateness and gendered language.
- The two reviewers come together and discuss their initial edits in order to reach a consensus on a final version of the translation.
- A WHRI staff member interviews the reviewers together, asking them to discuss their impressions of the document, the choices they made, and any cultural or gendered language considerations that arose.
Findings from these interviews will inform guidance that will be shared with the broader community.
Get Involved
This is an opportunistic evaluation, meaning the project moves forward in partnership with community members who have a need for document translation or are willing to contribute their language skills as reviewers. The team is actively looking for two groups of participants:
Researchers with documents to translate
If you have a research document (such as a study information sheet, consent form, survey, or brochure) that needs to be translated into another language, this is an opportunity to have it translated using the protocol while contributing to the creation of community guidance. We will be accepting 5 documents for translation within the next year.
Multilingual community members
If you are fluent in more than one language and are willing to act as a bilingual reviewer, your expertise is needed across a wide range of languages. Community reviewers will be compensated at $35 per hour.
If you are a researcher with a document to translate, or a multilingual community member willing to participate as a reviewer, please contact Digital Health Research Manager Haley Foladare at haley.foladare@cw.bc.ca.