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@Linguist_CIOL OCTOBER/NOVEMBER The Linguist 13 FEATURES In addition to physical issues (such as poorly designed monitors) and the cognitive aspects of CAT tools (such as the quality of translation- memory matches), the ergonomics of translation workplaces includes organisational factors that can aid or constrain translators. These range from client style guides and time pressure to the imposition of certain types of language technology and the support provided for it. On the basis of workplace studies carried out by our team over the past decade, we have determined, for instance, that professional translators' resistance to the uptake of new technology has more to do with their lack of involvement in procurement decisions than with problems caused by the technology itself. Research challenges The challenges involved with undertaking this type of research should not be underestimated. The speed of technological developments is increasingly becoming an issue, as researchers try to keep abreast with what is happening in the workplace, most notably with recent advances of neural machine translation engines such as DeepL Translator and Google Translate. This is complicated by the long lead time for most public funding schemes for research. Workplace-based research is much more resource intensive than most laboratory research, so it cannot always be covered by the internal budgets of academic institutions. This problem is compounded by the need to motivate translators and their employers to participate. If the research results in a loss of income because of missed jobs, then the professionals should be remunerated. Being less susceptible to loss of earnings than either freelancers or commercial LSPs, NGOs and governmental institutions with high translation volumes are more open to workplace-based research. In every setting, confidentiality and anonymity must be guaranteed to make sure there is no reputational risk. When it comes to the specifics of technology use, key issues that emerge relate to stability and change. For example, most users need to go through a familiarisation or training phase before they feel comfortable using new technology and can reach a level of stability with it. But once they become accustomed to a particular technology, users may simply retain default settings, even though these are not ideal for their purposes. It is always difficult to change ingrained habits, even if they are detrimental to productivity. Such behaviour significantly complicates analysis and can distort results. Despite these and other challenges associated with gathering, analysing and interpreting our data, the positive reactions of the professional community have convinced us that the effort is worthwhile. We strongly believe that by closely collaborating with practitioners and the organisations they work for, translation researchers can make a substantial contribution to improving conditions at the workplace, and adding value and quality to the processes and products of professional translation. Workplace research can identify issues even after environments have been designed and technologies have been deployed. Ideally, however, researchers and professional linguists should be involved before implementation, so that they can work with developers, designers and organisations to ensure that users' needs are properly met. Notes 1 'Expectations and Concerns of the European Language Industry' (2018) Elia; bit.ly/Elia18 2 O'Brien, S & Ehrensberger-Dow, M (2017) 'Why Ergonomics Matters to Translators'. In ATA Chronicle 46 (1), 12-14; bit.ly/ATAErgonomics 3 E.g. Ehrensberger-Dow, M, Massey, G et al (2016) 'An International Survey of the Ergonomics of Professional Translation'. In ILCEA Revue de l'Institut des Langues et des Cultures d'Europe et d'Amérique, 27; ilcea.revues.org/4004 4 O'Brien, S, Ehrensberger-Dow, M, Hasler, M & Connolly, M (2017) 'Irritating CAT Tool Features that Matter to Translators'. In Hermes, 56; tidsskrift.dk/her/article/view/97229/146028 Identifying problem areas Our research approaches translation from an ergonomic perspective, investigating how translators are affected by, and cope with, their working conditions. 2 We have found that various features of text-editing software that were originally designed to be helpful to the 'standard user' – i.e. monolingual writers of generic texts – can significantly slow down translation work. For example, inappropriate auto-correction of abbreviations and technical terms requires back-tracking and interrupts the flow of text production. Although they are constantly improving, spell-checking functions cannot automatically recognise more than one language in a document, and the default language settings for documents can be mysterious. Non- mnemonic shortcuts (e.g. ctrl-v for 'paste') impose a load on memory that can draw cognitive resources away from the close attention to detail that revision and post- editing demand. The tendency for cursors to disappear at times can cause frustration and impede the translation process. Some of these issues might seem trivial to light-to-moderate users, but have serious implications for the productivity and health of translators, who often spend more than six hours a day glued to their screen and chair. One of the findings of our research has been a desire for easier customisation of tools, so they can be adapted to the translator's needs. Other common problems include overly crowded screens, and general dissatisfaction with the usability of many workplace tools. 3 An in-depth analysis of comments by survey respondents indicated that the main issues associated with CAT tools are the complexity and segmentation of user interfaces. 4 Eye-tracking recordings reveal that searches to validate terms and expressions often necessitate switching tools and tasks. This could be improved by adding useful search features within the user interface of the translation technology. Translators sometimes feel 'trapped', 'blocked' or constrained by the suggestions offered by their tools, which suggests their creativity, decision-making and autonomy might be negatively affected. Becoming aware of these problems is part of the solution, and appropriate professional development courses could help translators to devise strategies to overcome them. Translators sometimes feel 'trapped', 'blocked' or constrained by the suggestions offered by their tools