Calls for proposals

Check our current and past calls for participation, contributions, research proposals and collaboration, among others.

Current calls for proposals

Call for Presentations – IATIS 2018 | Call for Participation – Usability Study

Call for Presentations – 6th IATIS Conference (Hong Kong, 2018)

The call for presentations of the 6th IATIS Conference is now open for proposals. Proposals can be submitted until 15th July, 2017. The conference will take place from 3-6 July, 2018 at Hong Kong Baptist University. The theme of this new edition is “Translation & Cultural Mobility”.

The Cod.eX research group proposes and organises one panel on Translation-Oriented Localisation Studies (TOLS). We invite any interested individuals working on this field to send their proposals for presentations.

Panel description

Translation-Oriented Localisation Studies (TOLS): New Trends, Future Challenges

The idea of localisation as a merely business-driven activity to reach international markets, as was the case when it emerged in the 1980s, has traditionally moved certain scholars to regard it as a separate area of knowledge from the already well-established Translation Studies. Over the last years, however, technology has dramatically shaped not only the translation profession in terms of processes, as reflected in the recently published IATIS Yearbook (Kenny 2017), but also regarding the nature, form and context of reception of the texts and products that need to be rendered multilingual, predominantly digital. Within this digitalised space, the boundaries between translation and localisation are now more blurred than ever, as the ultimate goal of the latter is to overcome communication barriers (linguistic, cultural and technical) facilitating a successful access to and user experience with multilingual content in digital, interactive and online platforms and devices.

Translation-Oriented Localisation Studies (TOLS) seek to provide an answer to this new reality by defining localisation as a translation-oriented technology-intensive task. In other words, TOLS’ approach to the localisation of digital products is two-fold: (i) it takes into account the concerns and the analytical aspects of the translation profession and discipline –the study of the product, process, function and applications of localisation, the cultural and linguistic transfer, and the communicative action; and (ii) it integrates, at the same time, key concepts and best practices from neighbour technical disciplines, including Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)-related fields, which are gaining ground as essential disciplinary companions (Torres del Rey and Rodríguez Vázquez 2016). In this context, we will promote discussions about cutting-edge theoretical and/or empirical research work covering new trends in the localisation profession (technology, products, processes) or addressing the challenges that these may lead to in terms of localisation training, knowledge and know-how, translators’ identity, socio-professional position and (dis)empowerment, localisation professionals’ social and cultural goals, and the target end user experience.

This panel will welcome contributions on (but not limited to) new trends and future challenges related to the following localisation topics:

Automation in Localisation Workflows (methods, tools, processes)
Localisation and Crowdsourcing
Localisation and Technical Content Management
Localisation Education (academic, institutional, methodological issues)
Localisation, Usability and Accessibility
Machine Translation and Localisation
Multilingual Digital Content Production Strategies: Globalisation, Internationalisation, Transcreation
Profiles, Roles and Interdisciplinary Cooperation in Localisation Projects
Quality in Localisation (methods, tools, processes)
Standards of Localisation and Interoperability
Web, Software (including mobile applications) and Game Localisation

Call for Participation – Study on the Usability of Web-Based CAT Tools for Screen Reader Users

We would like to invite you to take part in a research study on the use of web-based Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) tools. Our main goal is to assess the usability of this type of software for screen reader users, with a view to identify current challenges, if any, and look for potential solutions.

The project is hosted at the Centre for Translation and Textual Studies at Dublin City University and supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). It is being carried out by Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez (silvia.rodriguez@unige.ch), associate member of the Cod.eX Research Group, Sharon O’Brien (sharon.obrien@dcu.ie) and Dónal Fitzpatrick (donal.fitzpatrick@dcu.ie).

We are particularly looking for blind participants with a background in translation or related fields, with a medium to high proficiency in the use of computers and their assistive technology.
Participants do not need to have used any CAT tool in the past, but should be at least aware of the basic principles behind this type of software.
No previous translation experience is required, so everyone is welcomed to participate!

The study will be conducted remotely and asynchronously (i.e. you can decide when and at what time you want to carry out the tasks), but support will be available, if needed. If you accept to participate, you will be asked to conduct a simple translation task using two web-based CAT tools, report any problems that may arise during your interaction with those tools and answer to two brief questionnaires about your experience with said tools.

Your participation in the entire study would take maximum 3 hours of your time, which you could divide, for instance, into two sessions of 1.5 hours (one per tool) and conduct in different days.

Taking part in this research study is voluntary. You may withdraw from the study at any point without repercussion. All the data collected during the study will be treated confidentially.

If you are interested in participating, we would appreciate if you could complete the following informed consent form online: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/consentform-CAT-study

We will then get in touch with you at the e-mail address you indicate in the form.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to send an e-mail to Silvia at silvia.rodriguez@unige.ch.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation, as well as for spreading the word among other people who might be willing to participate!