ABSTRACT

The survey is probably the most common empirical research method in the social sciences and the humanities. It is a method designed to gather data about a human population. The roots of survey research can be traced back to population count in ancient times for raising taxes or conscripting soldiers. Surveys can be used for studying most, if not all, of the topics in translation and interpreting studies (TIS), such as quality evaluation, training, roles of translators and interpreters, their social status, and translation interpreting strategies. The most notable surveyor in TIS is probably Common Sense Advisory, an independent Massachusetts-based market research company with a research team that focuses on localization, translation, and interpreting practices. It should be noted that the survey method can be used alone or with other methods in a study. In TIS, especially in translation process research, the idea of triangulation has been adopted.