Is it true? Is it new? Does it matter? Towards a paradigm shift in translation and interpreting studies

Despite the widespread emergence of translations and diverse types of language mediation in contemporary society, our knowledge of the processes and operators involved in the "translation industry" is still very sketchy. With most translation scholars working within the liberal arts paradigm, research to date has tended to adopt methodologies pertaining to the humanities while overlooking more practical approaches typical of the more ‘scientific’ disciplines. This paper outlines the necessity for empirical methods that aim at gathering information regarding basic aspects of translation, ranging from typologies of translations to the operators involved in their production as well as aspects regarding end user perception. Such maps and atlases delineating the status quo of translation and interpreting would provide information for fresh insights.