TY - JOUR
T1 - Methodological and ethical challenges in cross-language qualitative research
T2 - The role of interpreters
AU - Egilsson, Björn Rúnar
AU - Dockett, Sue
AU - Einarsdóttir, Jóhanna
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 EECERA.
Includes bibliographical references
PY - 2021/10/19
Y1 - 2021/10/19
N2 - Interpretation in cross-language qualitative research presents a range of methodological and ethical challenges. Among these are the interpreters’ influence on data generation and interview power dynamics. Having translators review and/or produce an independent translation of recorded interview material for comparative purposes is regarded as one of the ways researchers can control for these challenges. However, there are other reasons why translations of interpreted materials are valuable. This paper explores these issues by reporting an interview focused on investigating the experiences of a non-Icelandic family as their child made the transition to an Icelandic preschool. In this case, the interpreter influenced data generation in a semi-structured interview; a situation that was only fully revealed in follow-up translation. The findings suggest that while the follow-up translation demonstrates discrepancies and the interpreter’s tendency to modify both questions and responses during the interview, comparative analysis of the oral interpretation and translation of the interview text opens up new dimensions in the data that would otherwise have gone unnoticed by the researcher.
AB - Interpretation in cross-language qualitative research presents a range of methodological and ethical challenges. Among these are the interpreters’ influence on data generation and interview power dynamics. Having translators review and/or produce an independent translation of recorded interview material for comparative purposes is regarded as one of the ways researchers can control for these challenges. However, there are other reasons why translations of interpreted materials are valuable. This paper explores these issues by reporting an interview focused on investigating the experiences of a non-Icelandic family as their child made the transition to an Icelandic preschool. In this case, the interpreter influenced data generation in a semi-structured interview; a situation that was only fully revealed in follow-up translation. The findings suggest that while the follow-up translation demonstrates discrepancies and the interpreter’s tendency to modify both questions and responses during the interview, comparative analysis of the oral interpretation and translation of the interview text opens up new dimensions in the data that would otherwise have gone unnoticed by the researcher.
KW - Diversity
KW - ECEC
KW - Interpretation
KW - Parents
KW - Qualitative methodology
KW - Translation
KW - Vulnerability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85117303577&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85117303577&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/1350293X.2021.1992463
DO - 10.1080/1350293X.2021.1992463
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85117303577
SN - 1350-293X
VL - 30
SP - 638
EP - 652
JO - European Early Childhood Education Research Journal
JF - European Early Childhood Education Research Journal
IS - 4
ER -