Metodi statistici per gli studi sulla traduzione e l’interpretazione

Adriano Ferraresi – Dipartimento di Interpretazione e Traduzione, Università di Bologna

adriano.ferraresi(at)unibo.it

Abstract: In recent years, methods derived from statistics have gained increasing popularity in various areas of linguistic research, where they are used to describe, explain and predict trends in empirical data. Within the field of Translation and Interpreting Studies, the adoption of quantitative methods in a broad sense is undoubtedly linked to the development of the so-called “descriptive” branch of the discipline. Despite the progress made, statistical methods have not kept to pace with developments in other empirical sciences. This contribution aims therefore to provide an overview of these research methods, which are rarely included in the curricula of Translation and Interpretation programs. Drawing on examples from published studies, the contribution illustrates the different phases of a quantitative study, from the formulation of the research hypothesis to the presentation of the data collected through descriptive and graphical statistics, up to the phase of statistical testing proper. In doing so, it aims to clarify the principles which underlie concepts such as dependent and independent variables, measures of central tendency and dispersion, and statistical significance. Such an introduction, it is hoped, will allow for a deeper understanding of published studies using methods derived from statistics. The last section will propose a reflection on the limits of these methods, which currently at the center of a methodological debate in various empirical disciplines, and will suggest some of the most promising directions to overcome them.