Lost in interpretation: the use of interpreters in research on mental ill health.
BACKGROUND
The literature concerning interpretation in research primarily concentrates on rigorous techniques to eliminate bias. This article analyses other significant issues that arise when interpreters participate in research.


METHODS
Empirical examples are drawn from a research project concerning mental ill health in a multicultural neighbourhood.


CONCLUSIONS
Interpreters influence interview data in ways commonly unnoticed by researchers. One often-overlooked factor is that languages are dynamic and interpreters are not instruments.


CONCLUSIONS
Research conducted with an interpreter is a complex undertaking. Solely relying on checklists to improve methodological rigour can result in a false sense of the material's validity.
Ingvarsdotter
Karin
K
Faculty of Health and Society, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden. karin.ingvarsdotter@mah.se
Johnsdotter
Sara
S
Östman
Margareta
M
D003144:Communication Barriers; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D012106:Research; D013548:Sweden; D014175:Translating