User expectations research revisited

Abstract

Survey-based user expectations research is an important line of research on quality in the domain of simultaneous conference interpreting. Its methodology has often been criticised for a lack of rigour. However, few have treated methodology as the focus of their discussion. In this chapter, a comprehensive overview of the methodological issues of survey-based user expectations research is provided, with topics covering the construct, criteria, instrument, response format, levels of measurement, measures of central tendency, and sampling. As an illustration for the methodology under discussion, the results of the classic study by Bühler (1986) are reanalysed by using different measures of central tendency. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the importance of incorporating users’ actual experience to make user-related research on interpreting more relevant.