Challenges of translation process research at the workplace

Translation usually takes place at translators’ workplaces yet much translation process research refers to data collected under controlled conditions. Pursuant with recent descriptions of translation as a situated activity comes the necessity of investigating that activity where and when it occurs. Some of the challenges associated with investigating translation at the workplace are common to any kind of empirical translation research (e.g. recruiting participants), and many of the methods that have proved useful in the lab have also been applied in the field (e.g. screen recording). However, certain workplace constraints (e.g. client confidentiality) present special challenges. As well, issues concerning appropriate performance measures and comparability of processes need to be resolved. Some solutions found for a workplace research project in Switzerland may be useful in other investigations and might allow new questions to emerge in this developing field