On April 24, 2025, an in-person meeting and workshop of the WG5 subgroup on Qualitative research titled “Beyond Translation: Reflexivity, Ethics, and the Role of Interpreters in Migration Research” took place in Bratislava. The workshop focused on a critical examination of the complexities involved in research that includes interpreters, particularly within the field of transnational family studies.
The aim of the event was to guide participants—through interactive and experiential methods—toward a deeper understanding of ethical, reflexive, and context-sensitive approaches to working with interpreters. The workshop addressed not only the methodological implications of involving interpreters in qualitative research but also emphasized ethical dilemmas and the need for reflexivity.
The day began with an interactive participatory workshop composed of two 60-minute blocks featuring practical activities and discussions. In those, participants explored the various roles that individuals involved in interpreter-mediated encounters might assume—such as children, parents or legal guardians, public officers, researchers, or interpreters. They discussed the types of questions frequently posed in such encounters an explored how the way a question is asked influences the response. The interpreter in this process was discussed, highlighting that interpreters become co-creators of meaning instead of being a neutral subject. The participants discussed the potential implications arising not only for research but also for the subsequent application of interpretation in formal contexts. Specific attention was given to the implications for non-professional interpreters, who are often involved in research settings and whose influence on data collection and meaning-making may be underestimated.
The workshop addressed both the methodological implications of involving interpreters in qualitative research as well as the potential ethical dilemmas and the necessity of reflexivity. Participants were introduced to key theoretical and practical perspectives on interpretation in research, including:
- Interlingual, intralingual, and intersemiotic dimensions of interpretation (Jakobson, 1959);
- Narrative modes and their impact on meaning-making in research (Spotti, 2019);
- The influence of interpreters on data transmission and the positionality of the researcher;
- The role of interpreters as co-creators of cultural meaning rather than passive conduits;
- Ethical dilemmas, power dynamics, and the phenomenon of the “invisibility of the interpreter” in the research process;
- Strategies for dialogic communication and cultural mediation to uphold research integrity.
In a second part of the workshop Helena Tužinská held a lecture on “Beyond Interpreting: Doing Things with Questions”. The final block consisted of an interactive methodological reflection on participants’ own research, followed by a dynamic discussion addressing the ethical and methodological complexities of working with interpreters in research on transnational families. The session also provided space to explore ideas for future collaboration within the network. The participants discussed the methodological challenges of working with interpreters and identified potential areas for future collaboration within the TraFaDy network.
The workshop was content-wise and organizationally prepared by Mgr. Martina Wilsch (Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology, Slovak Academy of Sciences), Esra Demirkol Colosio (Sociology Department at Çankırı Karatekin University, Turkey), and Jelena Predojević-Despić (Institute of Social Sciences, Serbia).
Pictures from the workshop @ Martina Wilsch, Helena Tužinská
