Defeng Li, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong
Presented by: Sitti Fatimah Saleng
(120221521886) State University of Malang
v Introduction
The
study of translation has been increasing since the mid 1980’s. It has yielded
many interesting insights to the mental translation process. This article
intends to serve as a critical inquiry into the validity and reliability of
think-aloud protocols adopted in the study of the translation process based on
theories about empirical research methodology. However, there are problems with
the research designs, so the trustworthiness of finding is open to debate. In
order to enhance the reliability and validity of such studies, research into
the method of using think-aloud protocols as a means of data collection in
examining the translation process is of prime importance.
v Safeguards for the
trustworthiness of empirical research
Empirical
research can be divided into two kinds – rationalistic and naturalistic, which
are known today as quantitative and qualitative. While some researchers believe
that they can be used in combination, one complementing the other (Mertens
1998), others contend that they are epistemologically different and hence
mutually exclusive. This research concern with qualitative research design
only.
According
to Guba (1981), the criteria for assessing the trustworthiness of naturalistic
inquiries, determine the trustworthiness of an empirical study:
1) Truth value.
How can one establish confidence in the ‘truth’ of the findings of a particular
inquiry for the subjects/respondents with which, and the context in which, the
inquiry was carried out?
2) Applicability.
How can one determine the degree to which the findings of a particular inquiry may
have applicability to other contexts or with other subjects/respondents?
3) Consistency.
How can one determine whether the findings of an inquiry would be consistently
repeated if the inquiry were replicated with the same/similar
subjects/respondents in the same/similar context?
4) Neutrality.
How can one establish the degree to which the findings of an inquiry are a
function solely of subjects/respondents and conditions of the inquiry and not
of the biases, motivations, interests, perspectives of the inquirer?
Regarding with the four concern above, safeguards for
the trustworthiness of empirical research, especially naturalistic qualitative
research, are recommended, including the following:
1) Voluntary participation
and guarantee of anonymity. In order to encourage
subjects to be truthful in their responses and to minimize the chances of subjects
intentionally supplying data they believe is being sought, the investigator
needs to brief the subjects about the purpose and the method of the study,
especially what the subjects are required to do in the experiment, what will
happen to the data, and how their anonymity will be ensured during and after
the study. The subjects’ participation should be voluntary.
2) Purposeful sampling.
The researcher usually should avoid generalizations of findings on the grounds
that virtually all social and behavioral phenomena are context-bound. Thus it
is not possible to come up with ‘truth’ statements that have general
applicability. One must be content with statements that are descriptive or
interpretative of a given context.
3) Triangulation
To cross-check data and interpretations, it is recommended that the researcher
relies on triangulation, whereby a variety of data sources, different investigators
and different methods are utilized. Whenever possible, the research team should
be divided so that the perceptions of several investigators can be compared.
Also, different data-collection methods – e.g. questionnaires, interviews,
analysis of documents – should be brought to bear.
4) Prolonged engagement.
Since an inquiry can be affected by a bewildering array of interlocking factor
patterns and therefore pose formidable problems of interpretation, the researcher
should have prolonged engagement at a site in order to overcome, as far as
possible, distortions produced by the researcher’s presence and to give the
researcher as well as the respondents opportunities to test their own biases
and perceptions.
5) (Near-) Natural situation
Related to prolonged engagement, it is strongly
recommended that the research context be kept as close to the subjects’ ‘normal’
environment as possible. Any external interference or change caused by the
study should be kept to a minimum. Experts on think-aloud protocols also
recommend this.
6) Peer debriefing, stepwise
replication and intercoder reliability. Researchers
should regularly detach themselves from the site and seek out and interact with
other professionals engaged in similar work. They should expose their thinking
to this jury of peers and answer whatever questions arise. In data
interpretation and analysis, stepwise replication is recommended. That is, the
investigators should be divided into two groups which will deal separately with
data sources, which should also be divided, so that their interpretations and
results can be compared. Related to this is intercoder reliability, which
experts on think-aloud protocols regard as an essential check.
7) Member checks.
The investigator should check with the subjects about the authenticity of the
data and the interpretations through member checks. It is the investigation for
checking by the people who were the source of those materials.
8) Thick description.
To enable judgments about how well the research context fits with other
contexts, thick descriptive data, i.e. a rich and extensive set of details
concerning methodology and context, should be included in the research report.
Those mentioned
above are some of the most important considerations. They can be roughly
summarized in Table 1.
Stage of the
research |
Safeguards |
Data collection |
v Voluntary participation v Anonymity assurance Purposeful sampling v Triangulation Prolonged engagement
(Near-) Natural situation |
Data analysis |
v Peer
debriefing, stepwise replication and intercoder reliability v Member
checks |
Reporting |
v Thick description |
Application |
v Refrain
from generalizing |
v Design of the study
To examine the research design of TAP studies on
translation processes. The sample consisted of 15 published articles, book
chapters and monographs, all written in English, on translation processes using
TAPs as the research design. The sample was then examined with particular
attention given to the design of the reported studies. The safeguards listed in
Table 1 were used as the guide in identifying and recording the measures taken
by each study to insure its trustworthiness. Also included as parameters were
two further safeguards required for TAP research, namely training for research
subjects to familiarize them with TAPs and a background check to determine
their suitability for such research.
v Result and discussion
Parameters |
Articles, book chapters and
monographs |
||||
Number |
Percentage |
||||
Yes
|
No/Not
reported |
Yes
|
No/Not
reported |
||
Data collection |
v Voluntary participation v Anonymity assurance v Purposeful sampling v Triangulation v Prolonged engagement v (Near-) Natural situation v Training for subject v Background check |
3 0 6 9 1 7 4 0 |
12 15 9 6 14 8 11 15 |
20 0 40 60 6.7 46.7 26.7 0 |
80 100 60 40 93.3 53.3 73.3 100 |
Data analysis |
v Peer debriefing, stepwise replication
and intercoder reliability v Member checks |
2 0 |
13 15 |
13.3 0 |
86.7 100 |
Reporting |
v Thick description |
8 |
7 |
53.3 |
46.7 |
Application |
v Refrain from generalizing |
11 |
4 |
73.3 |
26.7 |
For the 15 research reports surveyed, it was found
that the following three safeguards were used the most frequently: refraining
from generalizing findings (73.3%), triangulation of data-collection methods
(60%), and thick description in reports (53.3%). Three of the listed
safeguards, namely assurance of anonymity and background checks (under data
collection) and member checks (under data analysis) were not reported as being
used in any of the 15 surveyed studies. In addition, over 70% of the studies
did not use or did not report using one or more of the following: prolonged
engagement (93.3%), peer debriefing/intercoder reliability (86.7%), voluntary
participation (80%), and training for subjects (73.3%).
v Conclusion
There is no doubt that the pioneering work on
translation processes using think-aloud protocols has produced many interesting
findings which otherwise would have remained mostly unknown. However, the
research designs of the studies conducted to date leaves much to be desired,
which in turn has seriously undermined the trustworthiness of many of the
findings. As such, many of the findings emanating from these projects
constitute little more than working hypotheses about translation processes,
which are to be confirmed or refuted by future research relying on enhanced rigor
and trust- worthiness (Ivanova 2000: 48).