Editing Cross-cultural communication (section)

===Relationship between cross-language issues and qualitative research===

As one of the primary methods for collecting rich and detailed information in qualitative research, interviews conducted in cross-cultural linguistic contexts raise a number of issues.  As a form of data collection, interviews provide researchers with insight into how individuals understand and narrate aspects of their lives. Challenges may arise, however, when language barriers exist between researchers and participants. In multilingual contexts, the study of language differences is an essential part of qualitative research.  van Ness et al. claim that [[language]] differences may have consequences for the research process and outcome, because concepts in one language may be understood differently in another language.<ref name=":3">{{cite journal|doi=10.1007/s10433-010-0168-y|title=Language differences in qualitative research: Is meaning lost in translation?|year=2010|last1=Van Nes|first1=Fenna|last2=Abma|first2=Tineke|last3=Jonsson|first3=Hans|last4=Deeg|first4=Dorly|journal=European Journal of Ageing|volume=7|issue=4|pages=313–316|pmid=21212820|pmc=2995873|doi-access=free}}</ref> For these authors, language is central in all phases of qualitative research, ranging from data collection to analysis and representation of the textual data in publications.

In addition, as<ref name=":3" /> van Ness et al. observe, challenges of translation can be from the perspective that interpretation of meaning is the core of qualitative research. Interpretation and representation of meaning may be challenging in any communicative act; however, they are more complicated in [[cross-cultural]] contexts where interlingual translation is necessary.<ref name=":3" />).  Interpretation and understanding of meanings are essential in qualitative research, not only for the interview phase, but also for the final phase when meaning will be represented to the audience through oral or written text.<ref name="Temple 1–12" /> Temple and Edwards claim that without a high level of translated understanding, qualitative research cannot shed light on different perspectives, circumstances that could shut out the voices of those who could enrich and challenge our understandings.<ref name="Temple 1–12" />