Interpreting for Cross-Cultural Research: Changing Written English to American Sign Language

The quality of cross-cultural research depends on the skills of the investigators and interpreters who participate in each study. This paper addresses sign language interpreters\u27 participation in translating quantitative instruments from written English (source language) into American Sign Language (target language) for use in cross-cultural studies of people who are part of Deaf culture. First, research goals should be explicitly identified as either operational or comparative, and matched appropriately with an asymmetrical or symmetrical translation strategy. Next, interpreters often use a back translation process, with multiple checks on the conceptual integrity of the target language version of the instrument. Qualifications for a research interpreter are described in terms of language competencies and professional maturity. Data gathered through carefully translated instruments strengthens the validity of study findings, and avoids misrepresentation of the people from the culture under study