METHODOLOGY IN TRANSLATION STUDIES

Abstract

Methodology anchors ontological, epistemological and axiological assumptions to specific research methods. As such, it permeates all aspects of academic activity, and its significance in Translation Studies (TS) cannot be underestimated. In this chapter, after discussing the impact of different philosophical worldviews or paradigms on methodology, we will bring under the spotlight some aspects that we think have had a substantial influence on the methodologies for TS. These include interdisciplinary (r)evolution in the field, globalisation of TS, the impact of (digital) technologies, and finally, expansion of research objects. In the first section, we will go over four worldviews that researchers might bring to an inquiry: (post-)positivism, constructivism, pragmatism, and transformative. We will also discuss complexity thinking at the end of the section. The next section deals with interdisciplinarity of the TS. The interdisciplinary approaches have changed the landscape of research in the field and several sub-disciplines have been established. In Section 4, we will shed light on some recent (digital) technologies that have exerted a tremendous impact on TS and its research, including the new venues for research created with the advent of new (digital) technologies; redefinition of texts, authors, translators, and readers; and finally, enhancement of research, both in terms of data collection and quality. In the subsequent section, we will address the issue of the globalisation in TS and the significance of adopting a global perspective toward translation. In the penultimate section, we will review new types of texts and subjects that have taken the limelight of research in TS (e.g., community interpreting, signed language interpreting, non-professional translation, subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing, audio-description for the visually impaired, fansubbing and fandubbing, funsubbing and fundubbing, etc.). The chapter is concluded by providing a summary of the entire chapter in the concluding remarks section. © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Anne Lange, Daniele Monticelli and Christopher Rundle; individual chapters, the contributors.