ABSTRACT
Interviews and focus groups provide contextualization of human behavior that allows researchers to understand the meaning of that behavior. The central purpose of both methods is the generation of data on lived experiences and on the meaning which individuals or groups under investigation derive from them. Research using interviews and focus groups for data collection may require prior ethical approval, and participants should be asked to provide informed consent. If participants are associated with institutions they may be subject to that institution particular approval requirements. An increasing emphasis on experience, belief, and perception testifies to a turn that positions translation and interpreting as social practice. The use of interviews and focus groups has advanced people's understanding of translation and interpreting as a form of social behavior and people perceptions of this behavior. It has also provided insights into the experiential aspects of the acquisition and application of interpreting and translation skills.
