The impact of ICTs on surveys and interviews in Translation and Interpreting Studies
Alexander Künzli & Daniel Gile
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Title
The impact of ICTs on surveys and interviews in Translation and Interpreting Studies
Abstract
This paper evaluates the impact that information and communication technologies (ICTs) are having on empirical research in Translation and Interpreting Studies. Focusing on verbal report methodologies, it identifies important parameters that ICTs have changed, such as accessing participants, the speed of data collection, and research costs and evaluates potential challenges in its use. Two case studies conducted in respectively subtitling and conference interpreting by means of email interviews and an online questionnaire illustrate the main points made. The observations reveal the advantages of continuous fine-tuning of the tool, of collecting data from respondents living in remote time zones, and of repeated contacts with participants, allowing researchers to include more data in the analysis. Suggestions for further directions include the comparison of data gathered using different data collection techniques and the mining for data on social networking or video sites where translators and interpreters discuss topics of interest regarding their profession, while taking into account internet research ethics.
Keywords
Information and communication technologies, verbal report methodologies, sampling, piloting, data collection
33(2) - 2021