How Equivalence WorksSample OutputsFrameworksPricingFAQSign In

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Scale adaptation ensures that items in a measure retain their intended meaning across cultures and contexts.

(Beaton et al., 2000; International Test Commission, 2018)

This process often involves multiple, iterative steps conducted by different team members, typically consuming 3 to 6 months, through multiple shared files, attachments, and correspondence.

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Equivalence is a cross-cultural scale adaptation workflow that makes this process systematic, documented, and publication-ready.

Project leaders select an established framework to inform the stages. Their team performs the adaptation, while Equivalence automates email correspondence, timelines, handovers, and publication-ready documentation.

Where adaptations are currently taking place.
A unified scale adaptation platform

Cross-cultural scale adaptation made seamless, documented, and publication-ready, all in one platform.

Equivalence guides research teams from source instrument to adapted scale, producing a publication-ready methods paragraph and a single report of translations, decisions, feedback, and project records.

Start your first projectSee example outputs

Your first project is on us. Invite as many collaborators as your study needs.

Source instrument · first item

Item 1 · English

Scored item

Instructions and response options stay with the measure.

Translator A

Ich fühle mich meiner Arbeit eng verbunden.

Submitted

Translator B

Hidden until both submit

Ich fühle mich mit meiner Arbeit eng verbunden.

Submitted

Reconciled version

Ich fühle mich meiner Arbeit verbunden.

Rationale · B’s phrasing reads naturally; A’s intensifier overstates the source item.

Panel of 5 · relevance ratings

I-CVI 0.92 / threshold 0.78

44444

Version of record

24 items · 2 translators · 5 reviewers · S-CVI/Ave 0.94

SHA-256 9f3b6c1a04e8d2f7…5ab1

Item-level workflow, in a nutshell.

Adapt scales with flexible frameworks and export publication-ready tables, figures, and methods sections. A beginner-friendly workflow informed by a decade of cross-cultural adaptation work.

5+
Adaptation frameworks
12+
Registered users
6+
Universities & organizations
0+
Items entered

Frameworks and standards used in Equivalence

  • Beaton et al. (2000)
  • ISPOR TCA guidelines
  • TRAPD · Harkness
  • Dual-panel · McKenna
  • ITC Guidelines (2017)
  • TARES · Iliescu et al. (2024)
  • Lynn (1986) I-CVI
  • Polit & Beck S-CVI
  • Epstein et al. (2015)
  • SHA-256 audit trail
Less administration, clearer evidence

Adaptation, with and without Equivalence

Time
With Equivalence

Roughly 4–8 weeks for one language route in one consolidated platform

Typical adaptation

Roughly 3–6 months for one language route

Coordination
With Equivalence

Automated and customizable stages, deadlines, email handovers, blinding, and versions in one record

Typical adaptation

Email, shared documents, spreadsheets, and manual handovers

Reporting
With Equivalence

Methods paragraph, CVI table, workflow figure, and audit certificate exported from the same project record

Typical adaptation

Reporting materials assembled by hand from scattered files

Traceability
With Equivalence

Rationales, roles, notices, and decisions logged together in Equivalence

Typical adaptation

Decisions dispersed across messages and meeting notes, where context can be lost

Work that normally takes substantial administrative effort becomes seamless, helping a process that can take 3–6 months move toward completion in roughly 4–8 weeks.

Timelines could vary based on team availability, the selected framework, instrument length, and revision needs.

How Equivalence works

The exact stages depend on the framework you choose.

1

Set up the project

Choose the target context, language route, framework, measures, stages, and schedule for the adaptation.

2

Assign the team

Invite qualified team members, assign independent roles, and set customizable deadlines. Equivalence sends invitations, handover notices, and due-date reminders.

3

Add the source instrument

Enter the items, instructions, and response options exactly as respondents see them. Note any wording that may be difficult to adapt.

4

Translate independently

Each forward translator works without seeing the other versions. Versions become available for comparison only after all required translations are submitted.

5

Reconcile the versions

Compare translations side by side, agree on one version of each item, and record the rationale for every decision.

6

Complete framework checks

Depending on the framework, the project may include back-translation, expert review, a review workshop, or a lay-panel review.

7

Record cognitive debriefing

Log anonymized participant feedback, identify comprehension problems, and record how each problem was resolved.

8

Sign off and export

Lock the final version, then export the methods paragraph, CVI table, workflow figure, team profiles, report, and audit certificate.

Review a worked example

See the reporting materials produced for a mock English-to-Korean adaptation.

View example outputs →

Consolidate every step and process in one record

Keep source content, team activity, decisions, handovers, and reporting materials together in one structured project record.

A workflow based on your chosen method

Select a published framework or define your own sequence. Each stage preserves the work and decisions needed for reporting.

Independent work stays independent

Translations and expert ratings remain hidden until all required submissions are complete, with access enforced by the application.

Reporting materials from project data

Prepare CVI tables, a draft methods paragraph, an adaptation flow figure, and an audit certificate from the project record.

A clear role for each team member

Invite collaborators by email. Their roles determine the tasks and project information they can access.

How to use Equivalence

Role-specific user guides

Choose the guide for evaluating, leading, or administering adaptation work. Each PDF includes practical checklists and links to the relevant parts of Equivalence.

Universities Project leaders Admin staff

Equivalence does not automate translation or supply translators. The project leaders plan the workflow and Equivalence facilitates email correspondences, timelines, and documentations on all processes.

New features

We continue to optimize without sacrificing rigour

Project leaders can “set-and-forget” deadlines while Equivalence sends handover notices and due-date reminders.

Multiple measures in one project

Add a scale battery or related set of measures while keeping each measure’s reference, item target, and source content distinct.

All respondent-facing text is included

Instructions and response options can differ by measure and move through the same translation process as the items.

Automatic deadlines and reminders

Assignments receive an editable seven-day deadline, a handover notice, and a due-date reminder.

More flexible role assignments

A member can hold more than one role when the selected framework’s independence requirements allow it.

How to cite Equivalence

You may use this APA 7 citation when reporting work completed with Equivalence.

Mendoza, N. B. (2026). Equivalence (Version 0.4.0) [Computer software]. https://www.useequivalence.com

Planning an instrument adaptation?

Add your measures, choose a framework, and see the full sequence before inviting your team.

Start your first project