Here are some steps and considerations for analyzing data produced by Translog-II:
Preliminary Data Review:
- Begin by replaying the translation session using Translog-II's replay feature. This gives you an overview of the translation process.
- Take note of key events, such as significant pauses, frequent revisions, and areas where the translator seemed to struggle.
Segmentation:
- Break the translation down into smaller segments (usually sentences or paragraphs).
- Analyze each segment for the number of keystrokes, revisions, and pauses.
Quantitative Analysis:
- Time Analysis: Calculate the total time taken for the translation, time per segment, time before the first keystroke (indicating reading and comprehension time), etc.
- Revision Analysis: Count and categorize the number and type of revisions made. For instance, are they lexical, grammatical, or stylistic revisions?
- Pause Analysis: Identify and measure pauses. Pauses can be an indicator of cognitive load or processing difficulty. You can categorize pauses based on their length (short, medium, long) and determine where they most frequently occur (e.g., between words, in the middle of sentences).
Qualitative Analysis:
- Examine areas of the text where the translator made significant revisions or paused for extended periods. Try to ascertain why these areas posed challenges.
- If using eye-tracking data, examine where the translator frequently looked back at the source text or if there were patterns in their gaze behavior.
- Analyze the use of external resources. Did the translator frequently consult dictionaries or online resources? For what kind of information?
Comparison:
- If your study involves multiple participants, compare the translation processes between them. For example, compare novice translators to experts to identify differences in their processes.
- Compare translations of different types of texts (e.g., a technical text vs. a literary text) to see how the translation process varies.
Visual Representation:
- Use graphs and charts to visually represent key metrics such as time taken, revisions made, and pause lengths.
- Consider using heatmaps if you have eye-tracking data to show where translators focused their attention.
Consider External Factors:
- Be aware of external factors that might affect the translation process. For instance, a translator's fatigue, familiarity with the subject matter, or previous experience can all influence their translation process.
Conclusions and Implications:
- After analyzing the data, draw conclusions about the translation process. For instance, you might conclude that certain types of sentences pose more challenges than others or that expert translators revise less than novices.
- Consider the implications of your findings for translation training, tool development, or translation theory.
Remember, while Translog-II provides detailed observational data, interpreting this data requires care. It's essential to avoid overgeneralizing based on limited data or making unfounded assumptions about the cognitive processes of the translator. Instead, use the data as a starting point for generating hypotheses and understanding the translation process better.