Methods of Empirical Translation Science and Its Application in East Slavic Translation Research: Observation, Introspection and Retrospection, Survey

Abstract

The choice of a research method is crucial for the implementation of the data collection and for the type, depth and, last but not least, verifiability of the data collected. This article deals with popular empirical methods of translation research – observationn, introspective and retrospective data collection and questioning. In view of the fact that East Slavic translation studies are currently undergoing an intensive change from linguistically oriented translation studies to translation studies as an independent discipline, considerations on research methodological questions are highly relevant in this context. The methods presented in this publication examine translation primarily as a process. They are used for implicit (procedure logging) and explicit (registration of thought processes) recording of the translation processes. In addition to a summary description, advantages and disadvantages are discussed here and research questions that have already been examined and/or potential research questions are listed. This overview also enables a comparison of the research methods, which is particularly useful in the run-up to an experimental study. Particular attention is paid to the increasing use of empirical research methods in East Slavic translation studies. This article mentions numerous studies that have so far been published in Ukrainian and Russian. Thus, this publication provides an overview of translation process research and makes these studies accessible to a wider audience.