All academics and university lecturers, the world over, need
to keep up to date with the latest research in their own discipline, whether
this be in the field of science, medicine, the arts or social sciences. They do
this by undertaking research individually or in teams and publishing the
results in academic journals which are read by other academics and
professionals to keep them abreast of new knowledge in relation to their
discipline. There are many hundreds of specialist journals which publish academic
research covering every sphere of learning. Originally they were published only
as printed monthly or quarterly journals and universities and libraries
subscribed to receive them by post and made them available for reference, but
now most are also available (some exclusively) as online publications.
The journal editorial teams publish very clear guidelines
about the content, format and style of research paper they are prepared to
publish. When they receive articles for consideration they submit them to other
academics who specialise in the subject for critical evaluation to ensure the
papers meet the criteria and that the research methods, the data obtained and
the analysis are all sound. This system is called “peer review” and is used to
ensure that all research papers published can stand up to rigorous scrutiny
from other experts in the same field.
Although there are many academic journals across the globe
some are more influential than others and there is much competition from
academics to have their papers published in the most prestigious journals. The
status of a research paper and of the author(s) can be significantly enhanced
by being published in the most respected journals. The status of a journal or a
research paper is often determined by the frequency with which it is quoted by
other academic researchers in their publications and this phenomenon is
referred to as “impact”. In the UK, funding for large research projects or
university research departments is partially dependent on the overall “impact” of
the papers or books published each year by their professors and other
academics.
In recent decades research in all fields has become more
international as research outputs from every country have become available
online and accessible through sophisticated databases and search engines.
Researchers can therefore refer to data and analysis from across the globe to
develop their own theories and support their arguments as long, of course, as
they can understand the language. So, the demand for translating research
papers is large and expanding. In some
cases the papers may be written by one of the research team in their own mother
tongue in the language in which it is to be published. However, it is often the
case that the article needs to be written in a specific language for
publication in a high-impact journal and if none of the researchers dominate
that language it must be translated. Furthermore, if it is published in a
language that another researcher does not understand they will need it
translating before they can access it. Almost inevitably the majority of
academic journals with the highest status are currently published in English
but this dominance is decreasing and so there will be greater opportunities for
translating them into other major languages.
In my experience of translating academic texts focusing on
issues of pedagogy and education from Spanish to English, as well as writing
research articles myself in English, they tend to follow a highly formalised
structure and be expressed using jargon and specific terminology. As with many
other types of texts therefore a translator of academic research papers will
need to have an excellent knowledge of the subject matter and terminology in
both languages. Another phenomenon is that a specific research project may
generate a new theory or concept and a new word or phrase is invented, which
will need to be translated. Finally, the translator must also be aware of the
criteria established for the journal where the finished paper will be submitted
for consideration.
The particular nature and requirements of translating
academic articles for publication mean that the role of translator can also encompass
that of consultant and there needs to be a high level of mutual trust and
transparent communication between the author(s) and the translator.
Furthermore, even if the initial translation is excellent, there is very often
a requirement to rewrite sections as the journal academic reviewers rarely
agree to publish any text without some amendments. This requirement for
translating amendments prior to publication must be taken into account when
accepting a commission of this type.
Overall this can be very rewarding work, especially when you
see texts you have translated published in highly renowned journals, but it is
rarely straightforward. In my work the key is the close working relationship I
have with the researchers who write the papers and the fact that I was a
university lecturer for over twenty years. Any translator seeking this type of
work should ideally already have experience of writing research papers for
publication in their mother tongue and then identify university research
departments in subject areas where they have expertise to offer their services.
Graham Webb
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