In a significant achievement for our Retrex research project, Phase 1 data collection has been successfully concluded. The project, which aims to explore the 'lived' translation expertise of professionals in authentic workplace settings, has made substantial progress in gathering valuable data.

With a strong focus on the emic perspective, we have used an ethnographic multi-case research design, delving deeply into a few selected translation agencies. Through a combination of participant observation, interviews, focus groups, and document analysis, we aim to capture different dimensions of lived expertise.

During Phase 1, our team collected a variety of data, including observation protocols, interview transcripts, websites of all four cases, and biographical data of all participants. With four researchers involved in the fieldwork, we conducted interviews and observations with 12 individuals. In total, we spent 34 days observing (134.5 hours in total) and 13.5 hours conducting 12 interviews – across four different cases.

Phase 2, scheduled to begin in autumn 2023, will be dedicated to focus group interviews. In parallel, we have already started coding the data from the first phase of data collection. Stay tuned for more updates and insights as our research journey continues!