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Lost in interpretation: the use of interpreters in research on mental ill health
Karin Ingvarsdotter1, Sara Johnsdotter, Margareta Östman
1Faculty of Health and Society, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden. karin.ingvarsdotter@mah.se
Background:
The literature concerning interpretation in research primarily concentrates on rigorous techniques to eliminate bias. This article analyses other significant issues that arise when interpreters participate in research.
Material:
Empirical examples are drawn from a research project concerning mental ill health in a multicultural neighbourhood.
Discussion:
Interpreters influence interview data in ways commonly unnoticed by researchers. One often-overlooked factor is that languages are dynamic and interpreters are not instruments.
Conclusion:
Research conducted with an interpreter is a complex undertaking. Solely relying on checklists to improve methodological rigour can result in a false sense of the material's validity.
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