2.3 Translation process
Before beginning translation, one of the authors involved in developing
and validating the original HPMDQ (Lee WK) was contacted to request his
approval to translate the English version of the questionnaire into
Turkish. Having secured this permission, the translation process began,
involving extensive linguistic transformation in multiple stages. First,
the HPMDQ was sent to a professional translation centre to be translated
into Turkish by two independent native Turkish-speaking translators
fluent in English. Arrangements were also made for two urologists (MG
and MGÇ) to work with the translators to provide medical advice
regarding the development of the Turkish text. After that, the
translated text was rearranged to make it more comprehensible to cover
different socio-cultural and educational levels. In the next step, the
last Turkish version of the HPMDQ was translated back into English by
two native English-speaking independent, professional translators fluent
in Turkish. Back translations then were reviewed and minimal revisions
were made. For verification, a pilot test was then trialled with five
participants with PMD and the final alterations were performed. At this
point, the Turkish HPMDQ was considered ready for use.