Questionnaire for my MA thesis about translators' motivation Thread poster: hrabina240
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hrabina240
Poland
Local time: 23:22
English to Polish
Hello everyone
I would like to ask you to fill out my survey on the influence of motivation processes on translator's effectiveness. The survey contains 25 closed questions, is anonymous, and shouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes of your time.
This survey will help me gain my Master's degree and finally become your colleague
So, if any of t... See more Hello everyone
I would like to ask you to fill out my survey on the influence of motivation processes on translator's effectiveness. The survey contains 25 closed questions, is anonymous, and shouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes of your time.
This survey will help me gain my Master's degree and finally become your colleague
So, if any of the members of this forum has a moment to take a look at it and answer my questions, I would be very grateful.
The link to my survey is here:
https://www.survio.com/survey/d/H2I3J9H5E8Q5K5I8L
Thank you very much in advance, and I wish you a beautiful day! ▲ Collapse
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Good luck with it... and do let us know about the result in a forum here at proz.com so that we can see what goes around out there.
(May I suggest that you give the survey a round of spelling; I think I spotted several issues in this area.)
| | | | | 5 minutes, tops | May 31, 2017 |
I would suggest you re-post: I understand you don't want to annoy people because they end up spending more time than they thought, but your survey is really very quick to complete and I think you're shooting yourself in the foot by suggesting that it could take as much as 15 minutes.
Good luck!
| | | | Kay Denney 
France
Local time: 23:22
French to English
However, there were several questions where I wanted to click on more than one answer and couldn't. I put "undecided" once because I couldn't just put a straight yes or no, context would have been needed (well yes, I'm a translator after all!)
The question about "I have a good opinion...": I think you mean "reputation".
It could have been helpful to put the various motivations in order, starting with the most important down to the least.
And I agree that it should... See more However, there were several questions where I wanted to click on more than one answer and couldn't. I put "undecided" once because I couldn't just put a straight yes or no, context would have been needed (well yes, I'm a translator after all!)
The question about "I have a good opinion...": I think you mean "reputation".
It could have been helpful to put the various motivations in order, starting with the most important down to the least.
And I agree that it should have been proofread. ▲ Collapse
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It took me 5 minutes. Good luck!
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 23:22
Spanish to English
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I'm filling in your questionnaire now. I must confess that I find it difficult to choose just one of the multiple choice options.
PS: I recommend you add the final "s" to "asses ", otherwise you might cause some amusement among our transatlantic cousins
PS: Also, in the Yes/No questions, I sometimes find myself looking for a Don't know / Not applicable option. Perhaps you should think about including tha... See more I'm filling in your questionnaire now. I must confess that I find it difficult to choose just one of the multiple choice options.
PS: I recommend you add the final "s" to "asses ", otherwise you might cause some amusement among our transatlantic cousins
PS: Also, in the Yes/No questions, I sometimes find myself looking for a Don't know / Not applicable option. Perhaps you should think about including that.
[Edited at 2017-05-31 13:52 GMT]
Likewise, sometimes the answer would be ‘Yes’ if the question were phrased differently. For example: "Criticism demotivates me" - That's a hard one for me to answer with a simple yes or no. I don’t enjoy being criticised, especially if I don’t think it’s justified, but sometimes it can spur you on to improve something, especially if it’s constructive criticism. I wouldn’t say it motivates or demotivates me, just that sometimes it rankles.
[Edited at 2017-05-31 13:57 GMT]
And I’m sorry, but I really dislike questions that presume I have “long-term goals”. As far as I know, I’ve never really had any, and always just sort of ended up doing what I do, ever since I was a teenager.
[Edited at 2017-05-31 14:01 GMT]
So, as of question 23/24, my eyes are starting to glaze over and going back to work is starting to seem more appealing than finishing the questionnaire.
[Edited at 2017-05-31 14:02 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Just finished it.
Good luck!
Elena
| | | | | Sorry, couldn't submit it | May 31, 2017 |
The survey requires all questions to be answered, and some questions just don't have the right answer:
I usually choose:
Translations that I feel I'm good at, so they are not that difficult
Translation that appear a bit challenging
Translations that seem to be difficult
Anything goes, I am not picky.
In my job:
I usually stick to safe, tried conventions and solutions (e.g. in terms of vocabulary, phrases, structures)
I adopt more creative and varied convention and solutions when the text type allows me to
I choose the solutions most suited to the job in question.
How effective have your long-term/short-term goals been in helping you develop as a translator?
What if my goals have nothing to do with translation?
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Kay Denney
France
Local time: 23:22
French to English
neilmac wrote:
Likewise, sometimes the answer would be ‘Yes’ if the question were phrased differently. For example: "Criticism demotivates me" - That's a hard one for me to answer with a simple yes or no. I don’t enjoy being criticised, especially if I don’t think it’s justified, but sometimes it can spur you on to improve something, especially if it’s constructive criticism. I wouldn’t say it motivates or demotivates me, just that sometimes it rankles.
Thank you Neilmac, this is exactly what I meant but I just went ahead with the survey then couldn't remember.
When the client says I should have put "The company has produced" rather than "The company produced" because that's how they put it in French, they're just making a very basic grammatical error. That kind of criticism drives me up the wall.
However other clients who make more complex remarks like I shouldn't have left the word "château" in French when the subject is not wine, deserve a proper answer, and they get one. More often than not, they will accept my explanation. I once had a PM telling me that the client was really angry, but once they saw my detailed explanations they turned round and said they wanted me and me only to handle their work, because I obviously gave the texts a lot of thought and had a rich vocabulary. That sort of criticism is what I feed off.
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 23:22
French to English
| thank you Anton | Jun 1, 2017 |
I usually choose:
Translations that I feel I'm good at, so they are not that difficult
Translation that appear a bit challenging
Translations that seem to be difficult
I like a bit of everything really. Sometimes I like to be challenged, on a Monday morning I'd rather do something that's not too taxing.
In my job:
I usually stick to safe, tried conventions and solutions (e.g. in terms of vocabulary, phrases, structures)
I adopt more creative and varied convention and solutions when the text type allows me to
Like Anton, I choose the solutions most suited to the job in question. I'll go with the first for a manual, and with the second for the arty-farty stuff.
How effective have your long-term/short-term goals been in helping you develop as a translator?
We'd first have to define our goals. Short-term is mostly "let's get this out the way quick" and long-term is mostly "I'll be accommodating for this text so they keep sending me stuff". Usually helps.
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 17:22
English to Spanish
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| And the questionnaires continue | Jun 1, 2017 |
I'm no fan of questionnaires at the best of times, but I am definitely opposed to poorly designed questionnaires, especially when they're part of a thesis research.
There are so many interesting problems to tackle in translation and interpreting, and we are happy with discussing 'motivation'? Not that motivation is not important, but in what context?
Is your MA thesis topic the motivation of translators? Really? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm being incredulous and... See more I'm no fan of questionnaires at the best of times, but I am definitely opposed to poorly designed questionnaires, especially when they're part of a thesis research.
There are so many interesting problems to tackle in translation and interpreting, and we are happy with discussing 'motivation'? Not that motivation is not important, but in what context?
Is your MA thesis topic the motivation of translators? Really? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm being incredulous and I'm shaking my head.
In addition, has anyone noticed that this 'student' is a new user with no profile on Proz? Sorry to sound paranoid but would you answer a questionnaire (5, 10 or 15 minutes of your time) for a complete stranger who doesn't know how to introduce herself/himself, or doesn't care to?
[Edited at 2017-06-01 18:34 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 23:22
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
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| I will answer your questionnaire. : ) | Jun 1, 2017 |
Mario Chavez wrote:
Is your MA thesis topic the motivation of translators? Really? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm being incredulous and I'm shaking my head.
To me, the author seems more like a psychology student or psycho-linguistics student (based on how the question is asked). We all need to pay our bills, and I didn't know there was a rocket science behind it : )
Mario Chavez wrote: In addition, has anyone noticed that this 'student' is a new user with no profile on Proz? Sorry to sound paranoid but would you answer a questionnaire (5, 10 or 15 minutes of your time) for a complete stranger who doesn't know how to introduce herself/himself, or doesn't care to? [Edited at 2017-06-01 18:34 GMT]
No, I wouldn't. If I'm stopped in the street by those people asking me to answer their poll or questionnaire, I usually say "Yes, I can do it, if you pay me". Then they just leave me alone.
: ) )
[Edited at 2017-06-01 19:06 GMT]
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 17:22
English to Spanish
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Of course, comparing academic research questionnaires to street question-and-answer encounters makes sense!
Lingua 5B wrote: Mario Chavez wrote:
Is your MA thesis topic the motivation of translators? Really? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm being incredulous and I'm shaking my head. To me, the author seems more like a psychology student or psycho-linguistics student (based on how the question is asked). We all need to pay our bills, and I didn't know there was a rocket science behind it : ) Mario Chavez wrote: In addition, has anyone noticed that this 'student' is a new user with no profile on Proz? Sorry to sound paranoid but would you answer a questionnaire (5, 10 or 15 minutes of your time) for a complete stranger who doesn't know how to introduce herself/himself, or doesn't care to? [Edited at 2017-06-01 18:34 GMT] No, I wouldn't. If I'm stopped in the street by those people asking me to answer their poll or questionnaire, I usually say "Yes, I can do it, if you pay me". Then they just leave me alone. : ) ) [Edited at 2017-06-01 19:06 GMT]
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 23:22
French to English
| yes, obviously | Jun 2, 2017 |
Mario Chavez wrote: I'm no fan of questionnaires at the best of times, but I am definitely opposed to poorly designed questionnaires, especially when they're part of a thesis research. There are so many interesting problems to tackle in translation and interpreting, and we are happy with discussing 'motivation'? Not that motivation is not important, but in what context? Is your MA thesis topic the motivation of translators? Really? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm being incredulous and I'm shaking my head. In addition, has anyone noticed that this 'student' is a new user with no profile on Proz? Sorry to sound paranoid but would you answer a questionnaire (5, 10 or 15 minutes of your time) for a complete stranger who doesn't know how to introduce herself/himself, or doesn't care to? [Edited at 2017-06-01 18:34 GMT]
I can spare 5 minutes to give my opinion, I'm generous that way. And you just did too, even if you didn't answer the questionnaire, you took the time to give your opinion on why you wouldn't.
If the person behind this profile hasn't yet participated in discussions here, it's perhaps because they are not yet a translator?
And I remember that motivation was a subject that came up often at university, with students wondering however they could work up the motivation to do this stuff for the rest of their lives. They have to do all sorts of translations so obviously there are subjects they don't enjoy - they can't see far ahead enough to realise that they will be able to refuse translations they don't like the look of.
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 17:22
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Not so obvious | Jun 6, 2017 |
Texte Style wrote: Mario Chavez wrote: I'm no fan of questionnaires at the best of times, but I am definitely opposed to poorly designed questionnaires, especially when they're part of a thesis research. There are so many interesting problems to tackle in translation and interpreting, and we are happy with discussing 'motivation'? Not that motivation is not important, but in what context? Is your MA thesis topic the motivation of translators? Really? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm being incredulous and I'm shaking my head. In addition, has anyone noticed that this 'student' is a new user with no profile on Proz? Sorry to sound paranoid but would you answer a questionnaire (5, 10 or 15 minutes of your time) for a complete stranger who doesn't know how to introduce herself/himself, or doesn't care to? [Edited at 2017-06-01 18:34 GMT] I can spare 5 minutes to give my opinion, I'm generous that way. And you just did too, even if you didn't answer the questionnaire, you took the time to give your opinion on why you wouldn't. If the person behind this profile hasn't yet participated in discussions here, it's perhaps because they are not yet a translator? And I remember that motivation was a subject that came up often at university, with students wondering however they could work up the motivation to do this stuff for the rest of their lives. They have to do all sorts of translations so obviously there are subjects they don't enjoy - they can't see far ahead enough to realise that they will be able to refuse translations they don't like the look of.
I wasn't aware participating in commenting about the original posting was a generosity contest. Can we leave the personal references aside (i.e., the “you” statements) and focus on the topic instead?
Whether motivation is a valid research topic or not is besides the point. I didn't question it, but I did comment on the use of questionnaires for academic research, especially when they're part of a master's or doctoral thesis. My question (and the readers can assume it to be rhetorical or literal): Is a MA student trained in preparing research by questionnaire? Also, the statement by the OP, namely, “This survey will help me gain my Master's degree and finally become your colleague,” raises suspicions. The average translator may agree that a master's degree is not required to become a translator or a colleague of ours.
So, this suspicious circumstance begs the question (at least in my mind): what is this individual, with a blank Proz profile, no personal name or any identifying data, is fishing for? Who collects the data? Maybe the participants are happy that the survey doesn't ask for name, address, etc. but a survey can collect their IP addresses, perhaps for less clear purposes.
My skepticism, born out of experience and proper information about cyber attacks, makes me be rather cautious instead of generous.
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