Investigating the role of translators in cross-language qualitative research in psychology

Abstract

Academics in social sciences are increasingly conducting research in multilingual contexts. Researchers in the field of cross-language research agree that issues on the role of translators and translation are often neglected and even omitted in research reports, which may affect the trustworthiness of such a study. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of translators in cross-language qualitative research from the views of master’s and doctoral students who conducted cross-language qualitative research in psychology at a selected South African university. Exploratory qualitative research and methodology were deemed suitable for this study. Key participants were sampled through snowball sampling. Five postgraduates availed themselves to participate. Data were collected by semi-structured e-mail, telephone and/or face-to-face interviews. Semi-structured interviews were audio recorded and transcribed by the researcher after the interviews. As the number of available participants was limited, the researcher also sampled unpublished dissertations (5) and doctoral theses (2) to conduct document analysis. Transcripts were imported into ATLAS.ti™, whereafter the qualitative data were analysed by means of thematic data analysis. Five main themes emerged from the data. Themes from the transcripts as well as notes in the researcher’s reflective journal and relevant literature findings were collated. Finally, a critical discussion was provided. Key participants believed that translators may play a significant role in several stages of a cross-language qualitative study. Participants reported experiencing several translation challenges, namely: language barriers between them and their research participants; difficulty translating subject terminology from English into Afrikaans; and outdated bilingual scientific dictionaries. Findings also revealed that the credentials of the translator hired may have an impact, whether positive or negative, on the translation product. Reasons why translators may be excluded from a cross-language qualitative study were also highlighted. Firstly, although some of the participants reported that translators may be valuable in a cross-language study, all of them strongly asserted that they possessed high language competency, and therefore they deemed the inclusion of translators unnecessary. v It also emerged that qualitative researchers may need to be cognisant of ethical issues that may arise in a cross-language study. Translators may further be excluded as translation may not be suitable for the specific research design (for example, phenomenology). Finally, researchers may not have the financial means to hire translators. None of the key participants reported the language/translation challenges they experienced during their studies and the possible impact it may have had on the methodology or quality of data. They did not deem it an important aspect of their studies. In some of the dissertations and theses sampled, only the mother tongue of participants was often indicated but, in most cases, was discussed very superficially. These researchers mostly mentioned (as part of the biographic information) the language profile of their participants; that the data for that study were collected in either Afrikaans or English; and that the data were translated and analysed. Finally, although some of the sampled research reports were edited by professional language practitioners, translation and grammatical errors were clear throughout in the manuscripts. From this research it was clear that including translators in cross-language qualitative research in psychology is not a common practice in the South African context, and matters relating to translation and how challenges in this regard were dealt with are grossly neglected and mostly omitted in postgraduate research reports. To conclude, limitations of this study were highlighted, and recommendations for future translation research and practice were made. Keywords:;

Navorsing in sosiale wetenskappe word toenemend in veeltalige kontekste uitgevoer. Kruistaal kwalitatiewe navorsers is dit eens dat vraagstukke rondom die rol van vertalers en vertaling gereeld oor die hoof gesien word en selfs in navorsingsverslae uitgelaat word, wat uiteindelik die vetrouenswaardigheid van so ʼn studie mag affekteer. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om ondersoek in te stel na die rol van vertalers in kruistaal kwalitatiewe navorsing vanuit die oogpunt van meestersgraad- en doktorale studente wat kruistaal kwalitatiewe navorsing in sielkunde aan ʼn gekose Suid-Afrikaanse universiteit uitgevoer het. Eksploratiewe kwalitatiewe navorsing en metodologie is as geskik geag vir hierdie studie. Sleuteldeelnemers is deur middel van sneeubalsteekproefneming gekies. Vyf nagraadse studente het hulleself beskikbaar gestel om aan die navorsing deel te neem. Data is deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde e-pos-, telefoon- en aangesig-tot-aangesig-onderhoude ingesamel. Die aantal deelnemers wat aan die studie kon deelneem was beperk en daarom het die navorser ook ongepubliseerde verhandelings (5) en proefskrifte (2) ingesamel ten einde dokumentanalise uit te voer. Transkripsies is in ATLAS.ti™ ingevoer, waarna die kwalitatiewe data deur middel van tematiese data-analise ontleed is. Vyf hooftemas het uit die data gespruit. Temas uit die transkripsies sowel as die navorser se notas uit haar reflektiewe joernaal en relevante literatuurbevindinge is saamgevat, waarna ʼn bespreking gevolg het. Sleuteldeelnemers was van mening dat vertalers ʼn belangrike rol kan speel in verskeie fases van ʼn kruistaal kwalitatiewe studie. Volgens deelnemers het hulle verskeie vertaaluitdagings ervaar, naamlik: taalhindernisse tussen hulle (die navorser) en hul navorsingsdeelnemers; uitdagings om vakterminologie van Engels in Afrikaans te vertaal; en verouderde tweetalige vakwoordeboeke. Bevindinge het ook getoon dat die aangestelde vertaler se kwalifikasies ʼn impak mag hê, hetsy positief óf negatief, op die vertaalproduk. Redes waarom vertalers van ʼn kruistaal kwalitatiewe studie uitgesluit kan wees, is ook uitgelig. Ten eerste, hoewel enkele deelnemers meegedeel het dat vertalers in ʼn kruistaal kwalitatiewe studie waardevol kan wees, het alle deelnemers sterk benadruk dat hulle oor hoë taalvaardigheid beskik, en daarom het hulle die insluiting van vertalers in hul studies vii onnodig geag. Dit blyk ook dat kwalitatiewe navorsers bewus moet wees van etiese vraagstukke wat in ʼn kruistaal studie mag onstaan. Vertalers kan voorts uitgesluit word indien vertaling nie geskik is vir die spesifieke navorsingsontwerp nie (byvoorbeeld, fenomenologie). Laastens, navorsers beskik moontlik nie oor die finansiële middele om vertalers aan te stel nie. Geeneen van die sleuteldeelnemers het die taal- of vertaaluitdagings wat hulle in hul studies ervaar het, genoem nie en het ook nie gemeld wat die moontlike impak op die metodologie of kwaliteit van die data mag wees nie. Hulle het dit nie in hulle studies belangrik geag nie. In enkele gekose verhandelings en proefskrifte is die moedertaal van navorsingsdeelnemers in daardie studies aangedui, maar is meestal baie simplisties bespreek. Hierdie navorsers het grotendeels slegs die taalprofiel van hulle deelnemers genoem (as deel van die biografiese inligting); dat data in hulle studies in óf Engels óf Afrikaans ingesamel is; en dat die data vertaal en ontleed is. Laastens, hoewel sommige van die navorsingsverslae deur professionele taalpraktisyns geredigeer is, is vertaal- en grammatiese foute steeds deurgaans in die manuskripte opgemerk. Dit blyk duidelik uit dié navorsing dat die insluiting van vertalers in kruistaal kwalitatiewe navorsing in sielkunde nie algemene praktyk in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is nie, en sake wat verband hou met vertaling en hoe uitdagings in dié verband hanteer is, word grootliks nagelaat en meestal in nagraadse navorsingsverslae uitgelaat. Ten laaste is beperkings van die studie uitgelig, en aanbevelings is gemaak vir toekomstige vertaalnavorsing en -praktyk.

Batlhatlheledi mo dithutong tsa maaranyana a dikgolagano gareng ga batho ba ba dirang patlisiso ka ga bopuontsi, ba ntse ba oketsega go feta. Babatlisisi mo tikologong ya dipuo tse di fapaaneng ba dumela gore mabaka a a ka ga karolo e e tsewang ke baranodi le diphetolelo, mo nakong e ntsi e tlogelwa kwa morago mme le gone ga e akaretswe gotlhelele mo dipegong tsa patlisiso. Seno, se ka ama boikanyego jwa serutwa. Maikaelelo a serutwa seno e ne e le go batlisisa karolo e e tsewang ke baranodi mo patlisisong ya dipuo tse fapaaneng e e itsegeng ka la ‘qualitative’, go tswa mo dikakanyong tsa baithuti ba dithuto tsa Masetase le tsa Bongaka, ba ba dirileng patlisiso tsa dipuo tse di fapaaneng mo patlisisong e e itsegeng ka la ‘qualitative’, mo go saekholoji mo yunibesiting e e kgethilweng mo Aforikaborwa. Patlisiso e e ka ga ditlhaloso tsa mabaka a a batlisisiwang, ya go utulola mmogo le mokgwa wa go batla tshedimosetso, di fitlhetswe e le tse di siametseng serutwa seno. Batsayakarolobagolo ba patlisiso ba ne ba kgethiwa mme ba ne ba tshwanetse go batla batsayakarolo bangwe ba go tla dirwang diteko ka bone. Batsholadidikerii tsa dithuto tse dikgolwane ba le batlhano ba ne ba ithaopa go tsaya karolo. Tshedimosetso e kgobokantswe ka imeile ya seka-thulaganyo, mogala le/kgotsa dipuisano tsa go lebelana ka matlho. Ditherisano tsa seka-thulaganyo di ne tsa gatisiwa mme tsa kwalololwa ke mmatlisisi morago ga dipuisano. Ka ntlha ya fa palo ya batsayakarolo e ne e le e nnye, mmatlisisi o ne a kgobokanya dikao di le 5 go tswa mo dithutong tsa Masetase, le tse 2 go tswa mo go tsa Bongaka, tse di sa phasaladiwang di kanoka. Dikgatiso di ile tsa tsengwa mo teng ga ATLAS.ti™, mme morago tshedimosetso e e ka ga ditlhaloso e ne ya kanokwa ka mokgwa wa kanoko ya dithitokgang. Go tswa mo tshedimosetsong, go ne tlhagelela dithitokgang di le tlhano. Dithitokgang go tswa mo dikgatisong mmogo le dikwalwa go tswa mo jenaleng ya dikakanyo tsa mmatlisisi le diphitlhelelo go tswa mo dipuisong tsa patlisiso, di ne tsa kgobokanngwa. Mo bokhutlong, go ne ga nna le puisano e e nang le dikakanyo tse di farologaneng. Batsayakarolo-bagolo ba na ba dumela gore baranodi ba ka tsaya karolo e e botlhokwa thata mo thutong ya ditlhaloso e e ka ga dipuo tse di fapaaneng. Batsayakarolo ba begile fa ba nnile dikgwetlho tsa diphetolelo, e leng: dikganedi tsa puo magareng a bone le batsayakarolo ba bone mo patlisisong; bothata jwa go fetolela mareo a serutwa go tswa mo Seesimaneng go ya kwa Seaforikanseng; le dibukantswe tse dipuopedi tsa bonetetshi tsa bogologolo. Diphitlhelelo di supile gape gore bokgoni jwa moranodi yo o hirilweng bo nnile le tshusumetso, E ka ne e le e e siameng kgotsa e e sa siamang, mo go lereng phetolelo. Mabaka a goreng baranodi ba ka tlogelwa kwa morago mo serutweng se se ka ga dipuo tse di fapaaneng, le one a ne a tlhagisiwa. Sa ntlha, le fa ba bangwe ba batsayakarolo ba begile gore baranodi ba ka nna botlhokwa thata mo serutweng se se ka ga dipuo tse di fapaaneng, botlhe ba ne ba dumela gore ba na le bokgoni jwa maemo a a kwa godimo jwa puo, mme ka lebaka leo, ba bone gore go akaretsa baranodi ga go tlhokege. Go ne ga tlhagelela gape gore babatlisisi ba dipatlisiso tse di ka ga ditlhaloso, ba ka tshwanela go ela tlhoko mabaka a a amogelegang ka sengwe se tsewang se siame kgotsa se se siama, a a ka tlhagelelang mo serutweng se se ka ga dipuo tse di fapaaneng. E bile baranodi ba ka nna ba se akarediwe ka gonne diphetolelo di ka fitlhelwa se nne matshwanedi mo mekgweng le mefuta e e dirisiwang go kgobokanya le go kanoka tshedimosetso ka ga dipatlisiso (sekao, serutwa se se ka ga kakanyo kgotsa maitemogelo). Mo bokhutlong, gongwe babatlisisi ba ka se nne le madi a go thapa baranodi. Ga go ope wa batsayakarolo bagolo yo o begileng dikgwetlho tsa puo/phetolelo tse ba kgatlhaneng le tsona mo dithutong tsa bone le le seabe se di nnileng le sona mo mokgweng wa go batla tshedimosetso kgotsa boleng jwa tshedimosetso. Ga ba a bona seno e le ntlha e e botlhokwa mo dithutong tsa bone. Mo dithutong tsa masetase le tsa bongaka tse di kgobokantsweng, go ne ga tlhagisiwa fela puogae ya batsayakarolo, mme mo mabakeng a le mantsi, puisano ka ga yona e ne e se boteng. Babatlisisi bano ba kaile go le gantsi (jaaka karolo ya tshedimosetso ka ga motho) ka ga puo e e buiwang ke batsayakarolo; gore tshedimosetso ka ga serutwa seo e kgobokantswe ka puo ya Seaforikanse kgotsa Seesimane; le gore tshedimosetso e ne ya fetolelwa mme ya kanokwa. Mo bokhutlong, le fa diphoso tse di ka puo mo go tse dingwe tsa dipegelo tsa dipatlisiso di ne tsa baakanngwa ke baitseanape ba ba dirang ka puo, diphoso tsa phetolelo le thutapuo di nnile teng mo dikwalweng. Go tswa mo patlisisong eno, go ne ga itshupa gore go akaretsa baranodi mo patlisisong ya dithuto tse di ka tlhaloganyo, e e ka ga ditlhaloso mo dipuong tse di fapaaneng, ga se se se diriwang ka tlwaelo go ya ka Seaforikaborwa. Le gona, mabaka a a amanang le phetolelo le mokgwa o dikgwetlho di neng tsa rarabololwa ka teng, di kgatolositswe e bile ga di akarediwe mo dipegelong tsa dipatlisiso tsa dithuto tse di kgolwane. Go konosetsa, dikganedi tsa serutwa seno di ne tsa supiwa mme ga newa dikgakololo ka ga dipatlisiso le tiriso ya phetolelo mo isagong.