Eye tracking and the translation process: reflections on the analysis and interpretation of eye-tracking data

Eye tracking has become increasingly popular as a quantitative research method in translation research. This paper discusses some of the major methodological issues involved in the use of eye tracking in translation research. It focuses specifically on challenges in the analysis and interpretation of eye-tracking data as reflections of cognitive processes during translation. Four types of methodological issues are discussed in the paper. The first part discusses the preparatory steps that precede the actual recording of eye-tracking data. The second part examines critically the general assumptions linking eye movements to cognitive processing in the context of translation research. The third part of the paper discusses two popular eye-tracking measures often used in translation research, fixations and pupil size, while the fourth part proposes a method to evaluate the quality of eye-tracking data.El seguimiento ocular es un método de investigación cuantitativa de creciente popularidad en la investigación de la traducción. Este artículo aborda algunos de los aspectos metodológicos más importantes relativos el uso del seguimiento ocular en la investigación de la traducción. Se centra específicamente en el análisis y la interpretación de los datos de seguimiento ocular como reflejo de los procesos cognitivos durante la traducción. El artículo aborda cuatro tipos de aspectos metodológicos. La primera parte considera los pasos preparatorios previos a la grabación de datos. La segunda parte examina críticamente las hipótesis que vinculan los movimientos oculares al procesamiento cognitivo en el contexto de la investigación de la traducción. En la tercera parte se analizan dos parámetros de seguimiento ocular de uso frecuente en la investigación de la traducción (fijaciones y el tamaño pupilar), mientras que la cuarta parte propone un método para evaluar la calidad de los datos de seguimiento de los ojos

Beatrice Fischer & Matilde Nisbeth Jensen (eds.) 2012. Translation and the Reconfi guration

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Translators’ Use of Digital Resources during Translation

This paper presents the findings from a study on translators’ use of digital resources during the translation process. Eye tracking data and screen recording data from 18 professional translators are analysed in order to 1) examine how much time translators spend on digital resource consultation compared with translation drafting and translation revision, 2) examine how eye movements differ between translation drafting, revision and digital resource consultation and 3) investigate what types of digital resources are used by translators. The findings demonstrate that digital resource consultation constitutes a considerable amount of the translation process. The findings also show longer fixations and larger pupils during resource consultation, indicating heavier cognitive load, and finally the study identifies considerable variation in the use of resources between translators