Evidence synthesis projects are prone to language bias, and thus it is considered best practice to not limit by language in your search. It is considered even better practice to include non-English papers in your synthesis. It is not uncommon for abstracts to be in English but the rest of the paper will need to be translated.
You have a few options:
- Have a volunteer translate the paper using Cochrane Engage. Select "Translation (linguistic)" for your task.
- Use an academic translation service, which will be the most accurate way to translate but may be costly.
- Rely on a machine learning tool like Google Translate. Avoid generative AI tools like ChatGPT which will fabricate words. Usage of generative AI also requires disclosure (see Elsevier's requirement) where you agree to be responsible for any errors it makes.
Be sure to note in your protocol your strategy for translation.
