Introduction: Innovations in interpreting research methods

Abstract

With an increasing amount of empirical research being conducted in interpreting studies through social science, humanities and interdisciplinary lenses, more interest is being paid to the nature of the research methods being used. This is evidenced by the publication of a monograph focusing solely on interpreting research methods (Hale & Napier 2013), as well as the inclusion of a dedicated panel (Moving boundaries in translation and interpreting research methods) in the program of the 8th European Society for Translation Studies (EST) Congress (Aarhus, Denmark, 2016), which was convened and facilitated by Napier and de Pedro Ricoy. The recently published Routledge Encyclopedia of Interpreting Studies (Pochhacker, 2015) has 21 entries referring specifically to interpreting research, including: action research, bibliometric research, corpus-based research, experimental research, mixed-methods research, survey research, ethnographic methods, methodology, eye tracking, retrospective protocols, the activist approach, cognitive approaches, discourse-analytical approaches, linguistic/pragmatic approaches, neuroscience approaches, psycholinguistic approaches, sociolinguistic approaches, sociological approaches, epistemology, interdisciplinarity, and paradigms. The publication of this special issue is, therefore, timely. It brings together a collection of articles that specifically discuss innovations in interpreting research methods. Its aim is to consider and discuss how research methods have been used in interpreting studies, and how innovation in the application of such methods can move boundaries in understanding the work of both spoken and signed language interpreters. Studies such as these, conducted on the basis of innovative, cross-disciplinary approaches, can have an impact on promoting best practice and influencing policy, thus yielding benefits for communities and society at large. Collectively, the articles present a critical exploration of how research methods that have been traditionally used in interpreting studies can be adapted to analyze the reality of professional practice in the 21st century. In addition, they also illustrate how the utilization of tools more commonly associated with other disciplines can add further insights into linguistically and/or culturally mediated encounters. In showcasing novel applications of well-established methods (quantitative, qualitative or mixed), the articles in this special issue provide an overview of the state of the art in the discipline from both established scholars and early career researchers. Each paper highlights how and why adopting an innovative research method can extend our understanding of the complexities of interpreting and promote a deeper appreciation of the work of interpreters. In considering the range of papers included in this special issue, we can see that each contribution introduces methods as yet under-utilized in interpreting studies, or they explore how previously used methods can be used more innovatively. Chen adopts a more quantitative approach in the analysis of note-taking in consecutive interpreting through the use of digital-pen technology, which she shows to be a useful method to gain insight into both the interpreting process and the management of the interpreters' cognitive load. The particular innovation in her study is the use of the digital-pen technology for capturing data. Digital pen technology has also been used to investigate how to teach note-taking to interpreting students (Orlando, 2010). Hokkanen employs an auto-ethnographic approach to exploring her position as an interpreter-researcher--a 'practisearcher' (Gile, 1994) and emotions experienced in interpreting fieldwork. Her emphasis is on this method as a non-traditional approach to processing first-hand research material that can throw light on the complex relationship between the researcher's multiple selves and the relevant social setting. …