ABSTRACT
This paper presents a review of some of the literature on knowledge translation (KT), a complex set of practices common in many scientific research environments. KT occurs when different spheres and tiers of knowledge come into contact through official or non-official means. Its scope ranges from clinical applications of fundamental research to collaboration between biology and computer science to the “conversion” of scientific findings into public policies.
Through several case studies, some of the operating modes and key problematics of knowledge translation are explored, and their related topics relevant to its use in social sciences, the humanities, and the whole continuum of science and research. Introducing a framework based on Juri Lotman’s semiosphere (1990) and on previous work on intersemiotic and interdisciplinary translation (Mangerel 2016, 2017) allows the exploration of these complex relationships and processes, and illustrates why which knowledge translation can fit in the scope of translation studies.
This study also takes a look at old and new interactions between the so-called hard science and social sciences/the humanities. Examples from KT are used to conceptualize specific challenges in interdisciplinary work. Furthermore, areas of difficulty are highlighted such as differing ethical approaches and methodologies as well as political, economic, and cultural hierarchies.
