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Article published In:
Target
Vol. 10:1 (1998) ► pp.69–93

Observational Studies and Experimental Studies in the Investigation of Conference Interpreting

| Université Lumière Lyon 2 and ISIT, Paris

In conference interpreting research, empirical investigation can be classified as observational or experimental. The former can be used for exploration, analysis and hypothesis-testing, and is either interactive or non-interactive. Besides its conventional role of hypothesis-testing, the latter can be exploratory. The main methodological problems in both are related to validity and representativeness and to quantification. At this stage, the most important contribution to interpreting research can be expected from observational procedures. Simple descriptive statistics and uncomplicated quantitative processing of the data still have much to offer.

Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Definitions
  • 3.Basic Approaches in Observational Research
    • 3.1.Three Types of Approach
      • 3.1.1.The Exploratory Approach.
      • 3.1.2.The Focused Analytical Approach
      • 3.1.3.The Hypothesis-Testing Approach
    • 3.2.Interactive and Non-Interactive Observational Research
  • 4.Experimental Research: Statistical Hypothesis-Testing vs. 'Open Experimenting'
  • 5.Fundamental Methodological Issues in Experimental and Observational Research in IR
  • 6.Methodological Issues in the Literature
    • 6.1.Weaknesses Related to the Validity of the Data
    • 6.2.Representativeness of the Data
    • 6.3.Quantification
  • 7.Facing the Problems: Coping Strategies
    • 7.1.Validity of the Data
    • 7.2.Representativeness of the Data
    • 7.3.Quantification
  • 8.Observational Studies vs. Experimental Studies in Translation Research
    • 8.1.Factors Facilitating Observational Research
    • 8.2.Factors Facilitating Experimental Research
  • 9.Conclusion
  • References
Published online: 1 January 1998
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/target.10.1.04gil
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