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1. Introduction
Qualitative research acts as a mode of inquiry, as it focuses on meaning and the process of meaning-making. The purposeful nature of qualitative research indicates qualitative researcher as the primary instrument responsible for data collection and analysis. In other words, data are transmitted through researchers and not through inventories, questionnaires or machines. The current pattern of globalization and integration results in increased development of cross-language qualitative researches because of language differences between qualitative researchers and their participants.
“Cross-language” is a term used to describe studies that use a translator or interpreter at any point during the research process (Temple, 2002). Cross-language studies can involve monolingual or bilingual researchers. The difference between a monolingual and a bilingual researcher is that a monolingual researcher has working knowledge on one specific language, whereas a bilingual researcher is competent in both languages used in the research (Liamputtong, 2010).
Language differences play a major role in research, as it is involved throughout multiple levels of research ranging from data collection to data analysis and textual representation in research publications. Moreover, language expresses meaning, affects how the meaning is constructed and governs what can be expressed. Language is also very complex and diverse that some linguists agree that concept in one language may be understood differently in another language (Van Nes et al., 2010). This is highly relevant for qualitative research that pivots on interpretation and understanding meanings.
Traditionally, the process of language translation or interpretation has often been regarded as a value-free and independent process. However, over the past years, a growing number of researchers have argued the application of more inclusive approach in working with translators or interpreters (Chidlow et al., 2014; Plumridge et al., 2012). The researchers have also debated to what extent the translators or interpreters should be involved in a qualitative research.
Since the early 1920s, many literatures have addressed challenges related to cross-language qualitative research. It is evident that language differences present in a qualitative research can limit the transfer of meaning and affect the research trustworthiness. Lincoln and Guba (1985) defined “trustworthiness” as a measure of a qualitative study's rigor that relates to the competency of the researcher to conduct the study (Lincoln and Guba, 1985; Patton, 2002). In...