Designing questionnaires for use in multicultural contexts

Abstract

The measuring instruments (scales and questionnaires) used in social work practice and research are often poorly designed, with little regard for the challenges of the culturally diverse society within which we work. This paper argues that instruments should be purposely developed for use within multicultural contexts. Practice guidelines for the design of such instruments are described and illustrated with the development of the Military Social Health Index, a multilingual social work scale developed for South Africa's multicultural context. Empirical evidence is mobilised to demonstrate that the design processes are effective in producing culturally reliable and valid instruments.