The clue to common research in translation and interpreting: Methodology

© 2004 Christina Schäffner and the authors of individual chapters. All rights reserved. Taking as a point of departure the differences stated by Gile between translation research and interpreting research, this chapter focuses on the methodological aspects they share - or could share. This chapter claims that the clue to bringing research into translation and interpreting closer lies in the acceptance - and the use - of a common research methodology by scholars in both fields. Thus, a methodological model is proposed that can be applied to any field or objective within Translation Research and Interpreting Research. The advantages of using the same methodology are obvious and would make it possible, for instance, that any scholar could benefit from the efforts of colleagues who have been interested in the same object of study or that researchers could take as the point of departure of their work the studies of others in the field, building on research that has already been carried out, as well as undertaking research together with colleagues from other specialties/languages/disciplines in an interdisciplinary holistic approach to interrelated topics.