Implementation Type: MLM: Multi-Language Management for Surveys in English or Spanish (the complete approach)

This page provides guidance for testing the setup and strategy for managing the participant's language preference.

Setting up the participant's language preference, setting up and testing surveys the surveys, setting up and testing survey invitations are not included in this page.

Topics covered


Testing Practices

In order to validate how you've configured your project to set and manage the participants language preference, you'll need to create separate test records that assert either English or Spanish as the language preference.

Test in Different Browsers

In general, for testing, we recommend using all the different browsers you have access to. This is because the MLM language cookie is not, and cannot, be set at the individual record level, and if you use the same same browser for testing all of your records it means every time you test a new record it will default to the language preference of last record tested, which does not emulate the experience of most participants, who the first time they encounter one of your MLM surveys, will be on their own devices browser, which will not have an MLM cookie set.

Using different browsers for different individual records gives you a better chance of understanding if your approach for setting and managing the preference will work for the requirements of your study. 

When to Test in the Same Browser

If participants will be completing one or more study surveys in device managed by the study team or sharing a home device, test the approach or approaches that apply to that survey(s)

Track Which Browser Used for Which Record

It also helps to track the browser you used when you first created a record and the language preference is first set. You could create a field for this on the a form or survey to enter the name of the browser, which you would need to make sure to delete before moving the project to production.


Support Track Availability

Standard Service for Research

MLM Wiki Pages

This is advanced or optional functionality that can only be enabled or installed by a REDCap admin and requires special instruction & support.

Intended Audience & Prerequisites

Intended Audience

  • Survey project builders/project point persons setting up research projects participating in the pilot.

Prerequisite Knowledge & Experience

  • Basics & Survey trainings.

  • Working knowledge of the Online Designer, Survey Settings, and optional survey tools.

Create a Report to Track Language Preference

It will be helpful to track the language preference for each individual record so you that when you pull up a record you know what preference you're testing for. An easy way to track this is to create a report that includes the field(s) in which the participant's language preference is captured and/or maintained.


Testing Instructions: Language Preference Setup

Test Staff Setting the Language Preference

Determine which browsers/devices you are using to test for English and Spanish.

Test for English

  • Open a browser that you have not used for testing the MLM surveys.
  • Create a record.
  • Select English as the preference.
  • Note for yourself, the record id and the browser you used.
  • Navigate to the survey that's set up for participants to confirm their language preference and open it.
  • Verify that English is selected and survey is displayed in English.
  • Complete and submit the survey.

Test for Spanish

  • Open a browser that you have not used for testing the MLM surveys.
  • Create a record.
  • Select Spanish as the preference.
  • Note for yourself, the record id and the browser you used.
  • Navigate to the survey that's set up for participants to confirm their language preference and open it.
  • Verify that Spanish is selected and survey is displayed in Spanish.
  • Complete and submit the survey.

Test Participant Selecting their Language

Test for English

  • Open a browser that you have not used for testing the MLM surveys.
  • Create a record.
  • Navigate to the survey set up for participants to select their language preference and open it.
  • Confirm all elements of the survey are presented in English and Spanish.
  • Select English.
  • Submit the survey.
  • Close the survey page.
  • Back in the project project, click the button to Leave without saving changes.
  • Note for yourself, the record id and the browser you used.
  • Navigate to a different survey in the project and open it.
  • Confirm the survey is in English.

Test for Spanish

  • Open a browser that you have not used for testing the MLM surveys.
  • Create a record.
  • Navigate to the survey set up for participants to select their language preference and open it.
  • Select Spanish.
  • Submit the survey.
  • Close the survey page.
  • Back in the project project, click the button to Leave without saving changes.
  • Note for yourself, the record id and the browser you used.
  • Navigate to a different survey in the project and open it
  • Confirm the survey is in Spanish


Testing Instructions: Managing the Participant's Language Preference

Test Participant Managing Preference

Test for English

  • Find a participant record where the language preference is English.
  • Open the browser that you used for first testing the record.
  • Navigate to a survey that's not been completed and open the survey.
  • Confirm the survey is displayed in English.

Test for Spanish

  • Find a participant record where the language preference is Spanish.
  • Open the browser that you used for first testing the record.
  • Navigate to a survey that's not been completed and open the survey.
  • Confirm the survey is displayed in Spanish.