Cross-language Research

Research conducted across different languages, requiring translation and interpretation to bridge communication between researchers and participants who do not share a common language. In accessibility research with sign language users, cross-language challenges are particularly acute because translation between a spoken/written language and a visual-spatial sign language involves not just vocabulary mapping but fundamental differences in modality, grammar, and information structure. Standard research instruments like validated questionnaires may lose their scientific validity when translated into sign language, and participant responses in sign language cannot be directly quoted in text without subjective interpretation, raising questions about data integrity and representation.