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Part of
Field Research on Translation and Interpreting
Edited by Regina Rogl, Daniela Schlager and Hanna Risku
[Benjamins Translation Library 165] 2025
► pp. 117–136

Chapter 5
‘Going native’ during field research on multilingual legislation

Methodological and ethical strategies

ORCID logo | University of Geneva | Swiss Federal Chancellery
Performing in situ research using ethnographic methods can offer new valuable insights into complex phenomena such as the linguistic revision and legal review of multilingual legislative drafts. At the same time, it entails reflections on the type of involvement of the researcher. In this chapter, I describe how my role in the research setting has evolved from outside researcher to partial insider and eventually to full member. In particular, I illustrate the benefits and risks associated with my becoming an insider. To conclude, I challenge the dichotomy of insider versus outsider; I argue that it is, first and foremost, crucial for the researcher to be transparent about their positionality and to consciously apply strategies to manage related benefits and risks.
Keywords: multilingual legislation, field research, researcher positionality, insider/outsider, research ethics
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Study objectives and design
  • 3.Role evolution
    • 3.1Timeline
    • 3.2Participation in the setting and membership in the group
  • 4.Benefits of becoming a member
    • 4.1Ease of access to participants and data
    • 4.2Natural social interactions
    • 4.3Volume of data
    • 4.4Greater understanding
    • 4.5Enhanced self-reflexivity
  • 5.Risks of becoming a member
    • 5.1Role conflicts or confusion
    • 5.2Over-familiarisation
    • 5.3Bias
    • 5.4Assumptions about prior knowledge, understanding the culture and similarity
  • 6.Methodological and ethical strategies
  • 7.Conclusion
  • References
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