Designing studies with naturalistic tasks

This chapter presents an overview of what constitutes a naturalistic task in cognitive translation and interpreting studies (CTIS), taking into account research settings, methodologies, data collection methods, and the participants involved. Naturalistic tasks are situated along a continuum that can, at one extreme, replicate specific working conditions or tasks encountered in authentic settings, and at the other, focus on specific task elements under tightly-controlled conditions. We explore possible applications of naturalistic tasks in CTIS study designs and discuss the rationale for using naturalistic tasks instead of or in addition to other types of tasks. We reflect especially on ethical concerns and conclude with a consideration of the emerging challenges in doing research with a commitment to naturalistic tasks and settings.