Dear Ayse

This is a common concern and I think it is wise of you to give this priority. From an practical perspective, you have to translate it if you would like to publish in an English / American journal. I would add to the text how and who has done the translation. I would also consult other people for it for it to reflect the content. And you are right it may not be word-by-word.

I have have a chapter in this new volume and I am still reading the book, but perhaps you will find something useful in that volume. The library may have an e-version of the book:

Linneberg and Korsgaard (2021). Coding intercultural fieldwork data: a hands-on approach. In: ‘Field Guide to Intercultural Research’ (Guttormsen, Lauring & Chapman, 2021), Edward Elgar (https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/field-guide-to-intercultural-research-9781788970112.html)

Kind regards, Mai

Dear Mai,

Thank you for your reply and advice. They are really helpful. I will take into consideration everything about the translation process and take a look at the book.

Regards

The reader needs to be able to understand your argument. Thus, when you publish in another language than Turkish, you need to translate interview quotes if they are a necessary part of your argument. (If they are not a necessary part of your argument they should not be included in the text anyway :)).

I translate quotes into English for English-language publications. I don't translate English quotes for German texts because German readers are expected to understand English.

And yes, translating interview quotes is a nightmare. Every time. Translation means reconstructing meaning in a different language, and this is always difficult.

I have to do it a lot and I established a group of colleagues where we help each other out. That means, we translate independently the sections we want to publish and compare the outcome to then discuss and conclude/develop the intersubjectively best fitting version. I always conduct the analysis in the original language- so at least the results would stick even though some translations might be slightly off. Furthermore, I make the original data accessible (if possible).

Of course it is acceptable to do so. You make it clear the data was derived from subjects of a certain or specific group, just as you would with gender or age or economic background and that the data is culturally bound. Word for word or linguistic idiosyncrasies doesn't matter. It is the accuracy of the 'meaning' you have to communicate to the reader. If you have to translate 'meaning' between cultures, then do just that, translate meaning for this group. For instance, misogyny, or attitudes towards sexuality will be culturally bound, but you make that clear, these are the attitudes of this/that group, or the data is skewed by the cultural attitudes, legal determinants of this group. It doesn't have to be an essay, just an acknowledgement that there are such factors at play (if indeed they are). The fact that your data is Turkish in origin may be of specific interest to some researchers. I hope I understood your question.

Jochen Glaser

Thank you so much for your reply. It helped me. It can be very tough for me to keep the meanings and emotions of conversations the same but I’m willing to try :)

Johanna L. Degen

Thank you so much for your reply and suggestion. I think working with a group is an excellent idea for the reliability of the translation.

Gillian Walker

Thank you so much for your reply and suggestion. I consider more than reflecting emotions than culture, but your answer is beneficial anyhow. Because my research contains some cultural issues too.