Clinical research organisations
Multilingual documentation for study coordination, research sites, participants and project stakeholders.
Clinical & medical research
Clinical Research Translation Services
Specialist translation for clinical research documentation, patient-facing materials, study communications and research content that needs to remain clear and consistent across languages.
- Protocols & study documentation
- Participant-facing materials
- Ethics & research documents
- Multilingual research projects
Clinical research
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Research Protocol
Multilingual translation
Clinical research documentation
Patient and participant materials
Research and ethics documentation
Specialist terminology management
The service
What is clinical research translation?
Clinical research translation is the specialist translation of documents and communications used to plan, conduct, review and communicate medical or health research across different languages.
The material may be highly technical, written for patients and study participants, prepared for researchers, or intended for organisations reviewing and managing a study. The language therefore has to reflect both the source meaning and the needs of the intended reader.
Best Language Service can support clinical research projects with translation of research protocols, participant documentation, study reports, questionnaires, research correspondence and other related material. For broader patient, healthcare and medical-document requirements, see our healthcare translation services.
Why specialist context matters
The same study can contain scientific terminology, patient-facing explanations, procedural instructions, tables, measurements and administrative language. Translating each element consistently helps preserve the meaning of the original research material.
Who we support
Translation for organisations involved in clinical research
Projects can involve different readers, document types and stages of research. The translation approach should reflect who will use the material and why.
Pharmaceutical teams
Research documentation requiring consistent scientific, medical and study-specific terminology.
Biotechnology companies
Translation of specialist research material for multilingual development and research activities.
Universities & researchers
Research documentation, participant materials, questionnaires and scientific content for international projects.
Hospitals & research centres
Documentation used by research teams, participants and collaborating organisations across language boundaries.
Study sponsors & investigators
Translation support for study information, research communications and project documentation.
Documents
Clinical research documents we can help translate
Send the source files together with the language required and the purpose of the translation. We can then review the material and confirm the appropriate scope.
Clinical research protocols
Protocol amendments
Informed consent forms
Participant information sheets
Investigator brochures
Patient questionnaires
Case report form content
Patient diaries
Research questionnaires
Patient-reported outcome materials
Clinical study reports
Safety-related documentation
Adverse event narratives
Ethics submission materials
Research correspondence
Research publications & reports
Research lifecycle
Translation across different stages of a research project
Clinical research documentation changes as a project develops. Translation requirements can therefore range from early study material through participant communication and final reporting.
01
Study preparation
Protocols, research plans, supporting documentation and early study communications.
02
Participant materials
Consent forms, information sheets, questionnaires, diaries and recruitment-related content.
03
Study operation
Research-site documentation, correspondence, safety information and updated study materials.
04
Reporting & communication
Study reports, research summaries, publications and post-study documentation.
Quality control
Keeping terminology and study information consistent
Clinical research material often contains repeated terminology, version-sensitive text, measurements, tables, abbreviations and language intended for different audiences. Those elements need careful handling during translation.
- Source content reviewed before translation begins
- Study-specific terminology and reference material considered
- Names, numbers, dates and measurements checked carefully
- Terminology checked for consistency across related documents
- Tables, headings and document structure checked before delivery
- Reviewer instructions can be supplied with the source material
01
Project review
Files, purpose, languages and project requirements
02
Terminology preparation
Reference documents and preferred terminology considered
03
Specialist translation
Translation completed with the intended reader in mind
04
Quality checks
Completeness, terminology and document details reviewed
05
Final delivery
Translated material supplied in the agreed format
Choosing the right service
Clinical research translation or clinical trial translation?
The terms overlap, but separating the two services helps you reach the translation route that best matches the project.
Clinical research translation
Covers the broader research environment, including clinical and medical studies, participant materials, research documentation, questionnaires, reports, ethics-related material and scientific communications.
Clinical trial translation
Best suited when the project is specifically an interventional clinical trial and the documentation relates directly to trial conduct, participants, sites or trial-specific study materials.
View clinical trial translation services →Requesting a quote
What to send us
Providing the project context at the beginning helps us review the material and understand the translation requirement more clearly.
01
Your source files
Send the documents or material that needs to be translated.
02
Required language or languages
Tell us the source language and every target language required.
03
Document and study context
Explain what the document is, who will read it and how it will be used.
04
Preferred terminology
Include approved terminology, glossaries or previous translations where available.
05
Required delivery date
Tell us when the translated material is needed so the project can be reviewed accordingly.
06
Any special requirements
Include formatting, certification, confidentiality, reviewer or workflow instructions that may affect the project.
Need certification or a specific translation workflow?
Some research projects require a certified translation or a particular review process, while others require specialist translation only. Tell us the intended use and any stated requirements when requesting your quote. If your project mentions back translation, reconciliation, linguistic validation or another specialist workflow, include that information so availability can be confirmed for your material.
Questions
Clinical research translation FAQs
Useful information to provide before sending clinical research documentation for translation.
What is clinical research translation?
Clinical research translation is the translation of documents and communications used in medical, health and clinical research. This may include technical study documentation, participant-facing material, questionnaires, reports and research correspondence.
What clinical research documents can you translate?
Projects may include research protocols, protocol amendments, informed consent forms, participant information sheets, investigator brochures, questionnaires, patient diaries, study reports, safety documentation, research correspondence and related material.
Can you translate informed consent forms?
Yes. Informed consent forms and other participant-facing documentation can be submitted for review. Include the target language, study context and any preferred terminology or formatting requirements when requesting a quote.
How do you keep terminology consistent across study documents?
Where you provide approved terminology, glossaries, reference documents or previous translations, these can be considered as part of the project. Related files should be supplied together where possible so terminology requirements are clear from the outset.
Can you work with updated versions of a research document?
Updated material can be submitted for review. Clearly identify the current version and, where relevant, provide earlier translated versions or reference documents to help clarify terminology and version changes.
Do clinical research translations need to be certified?
Not every research translation has the same certification requirement. The correct format depends on how the translated document will be used and what the receiving organisation has requested. Tell us the intended purpose so the requirement can be reviewed before the project begins.
Can you support a project involving several target languages?
Send the source material together with the complete list of languages required. The files, language combinations and project requirements can then be reviewed before a quote is confirmed.
What should I send when requesting a quote?
Send the source files, source and target languages, document type, intended use, required date and any relevant terminology, formatting, certification, confidentiality or workflow instructions.
Start your project
Send us your clinical research documents
Share your files, required language or languages, project context and required delivery date. We can review the material and confirm the appropriate translation scope.