EQTIS - Empirical and Quantitative Translation and Interpreting Studies

EQTIS adopts an empirical, data-driven and experimental approach to the study of translation and interpreting. The group employs different methods, including corpus-based analyses, keystroke logging and psychophysiological measures (eye-tracking, skin conductance and EEG). Applying an interdisciplinary approach that brings together translation studies, (interactional) linguistics, bilingualism and cognitive psychology, EQTIS aims to deepen understanding of translation and interpreting as cognitively complex, embodied and technology-mediated practices. Accordingly, EQTIS focuses on the following:

1. Socio-Cognitive variables in Translation and Interpreting: We investigate how cognitive, linguistic and social factors shape translation and interpreting behaviour. This includes examining cognitive factors such as cognitive load and expertise; linguistic factors such as genre and linguistic distance; and social factors including professional roles and gender. Over the years we have explored the use of complex statistical models (logistic regression, mixed-effects modelling, correspondence analysis, hierarchical clustering, random forest modelling) and experimental approaches to understand the complex interplay of these variables in real-world practices.
2. Human-Computer Interaction: We analyse the interaction between human professionals and technological systems, including computer-assisted interpreting (CAI) tools, machine translation and AI-driven applications, to find out what impact it has on processes, outputs, perception and professional decision-making.
3. Multimodality in Interpreting:  We explore the relationship between speech, gesture, gaze and other embodied resources in dialogue and conference interpreting. Adopting a multimodal perspective, we investigate how visual cues contribute to language comprehension and shape interactional processes such as turn-taking, meaning-making and rapport management.

Research tools & datasets

• BOOTHIE, a computer-assisted interpreting tool: http://www.eabm.ugent.be
• Profile-Based Correspondence analysis: as part of the Comure project, dr. Koen Plevoets built a profile-based extension to the standard technique of correspondence analysis: https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/corregp/index.html 
• Tools for Semantic Vector Spaces: as a didactic resource for the module Multivariate Data Analysis with R of the annual Summer School "Methods in Language Sciences", dr. Koen Plevoets developed the R package svs (originally in the context of the PhD of Lore Vandevoorde): https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/svs/index.html.
• Eye-tracking: Tobii Glasses 3 and EyeLink 1000+
  Interested in using this equipment? Contact Bart Defrancq or Evy Woumans
• Mobile EEG:  ANTNeuro eego sports 32/64 Amplifier,  Waveguard net (EEG cap), Waveguard original (EEG cap), bipolar sensors (GSR - Galvanic skin response) and HR (Heart Rate)
  Interested in using this equipment? Contact Bart Defrancq or Evy Woumans
• Dutch Parallel Corpus 2 (as of 2021 available to the research community) for the translation directions French >< Dutch and English >< Dutch, with many translator- and project-related metadata. More information on https://dpc2.ugent.be/ 
  Contact: Gert De Sutter
• IMPID & SHAM: Video corpus of dialogue interpreting in police and municipality contexts
  Contact: Bart Defrancq

Events

• Summer school Methods in Language Sciences (Ghent, Belgium, 13-17 July 2026)
• Summer school Methods in Language Sciences (Ghent, Belgium, 2025)
• Summer school Methods in Language Sciences (Ghent, Belgium, 2024)
• Summer school Methods in Language Sciences (Ghent, Belgium, 2023)
• Summer school Methods in Language Sciences (Ghent, Belgium, 2022)
• Summer school Methods in Language Sciences (Ghent, Belgium, 2021)
• International conference Translation in Transition 3 (Ghent, Belgium, 13-14 July 2017)
• Workshop First Forlì International Workshop - Corpus-based Interpreting Studies: The State of the Art (Forlì, Italy, 7-8 May 2015)
• Workshop Corpus-based Perspectives on Semantic Structure in Translation Studies and Theoretical Linguistics (Ghent, Belgium, 30 October 2013)
• Workshop New Ways of Analysing Translational Behaviour in Corpus-Based Translation Studies (Split, Croatia, 18-21 September 2013)
• International conference Methodological Advances in Corpus-Based Translation Studies (Ghent, Belgium, 9-10 January 2010)