In this paper, the author gives an overview of the field and an interpretation of its development from a sociology of science perspective. In particular he discusses the requirements for interdisciplinary interaction in research on simultaneous interpreting and points out reasons why such approaches have been difficult to establish. Among the difficulties which he sees are those that relate to the co-operation between practicing interpreters and what he calls practisearchers on the one hand and ‘professional’ researchers on the other. Whereas a partnership between the two groups is necessary, in practice there are many obstacles for such partnership.