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Panel 4. Communicating research to the professions

The relationship between the research community and the translation professions (taken in the widest sense) could be improved. The problem, we suggest, is basically one of communication, or miscommunication, about what translation research is, what it has to offer, who translation scholars are, and how our knowledge can and should help solve some of the problems confronting the professions.

The first improvement to seek is thus one of communication: How can we make it clear that we are producing useful knowledge? How can we best communicate the findings of our research? And what areas of professional practice (or status) could benefit from more attention by translation scholars?

Papers are especially invited on the following topics:

  1. Aspects of professional practice where research can be of use to professionals.
  2. The different kinds of insight and experience behind practice-based and research-based knowledge.
  3. The possible role of research with respect to accreditation and improvements in social status. 
  4. The role of professional associations in opening up avenues for knowledge transfer and a general demystification of specialist expertise.
  5. The social and professional profiles of translation scholars.

This panel will build on previous projects in which the EST has participated, notably the study of the status of the translation profession in Europe (Pym et al. 2012) and our 2014 survey of the translation experience of translation scholars (EST 2014).

Ideally the panel will bring together key players from our various professional and scholarly associations, setting up a dialogue that might lead to new modes of communication: an institutionally-backed blog readable by both researchers and professionals?, an electronic journal with a highly accessible format?, a series of web-based interviews on problems facing the professions?

It may also lead to new forms of cooperation between our professional associations.

  • Names of conveners: Anthony Pym; Henry Liu (FIT)
  • Affiliation: Universitat Rovira i Virgili
  • E-mail: anthony.pym@urv.cat