ABSTRACT
This chapter examines why researchers need help from professionals, the kind of research interpreting really needs, the benefits of working with researchers. Professor Graham Turner, a researcher in sign language and sign-language interpreting at Heriot-Watt University, has been working with interpreters and Deaf organisations to create research that is helpful for all stakeholders. Professional associations could attempt to build closer links with universities, asking for research on the topics that most interest them and contributing to relevant academic conferences. Concepts such as neutrality, impartiality, and what constitutes ethical practice were all being critically reviewed. Community-interpreting research, which also sharply focused on the contextual and human factors in interpreting, had started to gain visibility. Local associations could become more active and universities should definitely become more active in reaching out to the professionals, inviting them to public lectures and seminars with the understanding that research results must be presented differently from the typical academic format.
