Identifying and interpreting scientific phenomena

Shneider (2009) identifies four different stages in the development of a scientific discipline, and we can safely state that interpreting as a science has advanced from stage one to stage two, where scientists develop a toolbox of methods and techniques for the new discipline, and is currently navigating the early phases of stage three. According to Shneider it is advances in methodology that bring about an improved understanding of the phenomena that fall into the realm of the new science. The range of phenomena included in interpreting as a science has steadily grown over the years. This essay reviews the expansion of disciplinary boundaries in interpreting and identifies the challenges to be addressed if interpreting as a discipline is to successfully mature and manage the scientific process in an optimal manner.