Transitioning from Interdisciplinarity to Transdisciplinarity in Applied Translation Studies: Towards Transdisciplinary Action Research in Translators’ Workplaces

Since the beginnings of translation studies, applied translation research has set out to address the practices, processes and products of translation in both work and education. The contexts in which these are realized are embedded in broader sociotechnical systems as well as in the specific settings where translation is performed. Although the situated nature of professional translation is uncontroversial and suggests that it should be investigated in situ, workplace-based, organization-oriented research in applied translation studies is a relatively recent and still under-developed phenomenon. The nascent interest in it is partly due to advances in research tools and practices, but mostly to an emerging but still largely implicit transdisciplinary research framework. This article argues that the actual and potential impact of transdisciplinarity should frame translation research more explicitly. It considers how the growing diversification of professional translation and its convergence with other communication professions calls for applied translation studies to adjust to new realities. It explores current developments in professional translation practice, presents a use case of workplace-based research, and concludes with a model of transdisciplinary action research that can serve as a structured framework for investigating and learning from rapidly evolving professional processes and practices in translators’ sociotechnical workplaces.