Research and academic translation by subject specialists
Translation of papers, theses, proposals and research materials by translators who understand your discipline, so methods, findings and arguments are conveyed with precision.
Research only has impact if it can be read, reviewed and built upon. SILA Linguists translates academic papers, scientific articles, doctoral theses, research proposals and conference presentations across scientific and humanities disciplines, helping researchers, universities and institutions share their work with international peers.
Our research translators often hold MSc or PhD degrees and have in-depth knowledge of fields such as medicine, engineering, the social sciences and law. That background matters when a text depends on precise terminology, careful hedging and the conventions of a particular discipline.
We also translate the materials that research depends on: survey instruments, consent forms, participant information sheets and interview transcripts. We follow your target journal's or institution's formatting and referencing requirements and handle unpublished work and participant data in confidence.
Why choose SILA Linguists for research
Specialist translators
Translators with postgraduate qualifications, often MSc or PhD, and experience in your field.
Discipline conventions respected
Terminology, hedging, units, statistical reporting and citation styles follow the norms of your discipline and target publication.
Journal-ready formatting
We follow the author guidelines, referencing style and formatting of your target journal or institution.
Research instruments
Questionnaires, consent forms and interview guides are translated with attention to meaning and cultural appropriateness, not just wording.
Terminology management
Terminology databases keep key concepts consistent across a paper, a thesis or a multi-year project.
Confidential and GDPR compliant
Unpublished findings and participant data are handled securely, with NDAs available.
Research and academic translation from SILA Linguists® across disciplines and sectors
Our vetted, trained and qualified research translators at SILA Linguists® handle material where a mistranslated term can undermine a whole study. We translate journal articles, theses, grant proposals, conference papers, questionnaires and consent forms for universities and research institutes in education, for sponsors and CROs in life sciences, for clinical teams in healthcare, for evaluators and programme teams in charities and NGOs, and for policy researchers in the public sector. We also translate archival sources and interview data from many regions for social scientists, historians and legal scholars.
Each project goes to a translator who works in your discipline, from epidemiology and engineering to law, social science and the humanities, and who understands research conventions such as validated instruments, back translation and cognitive debriefing. We translate into and out of English and between other languages, including Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, Somali and Urdu, among more than 350 languages and dialects, for research teams in the UK, North America, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Translators keep a project glossary, query ambiguous source wording with the research team and preserve citation styles, tables and figure captions, so the translation can go straight to peer review, an ethics committee or a funder.
Fieldwork usually involves more than written translation. SILA Linguists® provides transcription of interviews and focus groups, verbatim or clean read, with time stamps and translated transcripts; interpreting for fieldwork, by video, telephone or in person; certified translation of ethics approvals, diplomas and official records; and conference interpreting for symposia where findings are presented. Where research concerns migration and asylum, our language analysis specialists can advise. Participant data is protected by NDAs and handled under UK GDPR.
Step by step
Share the brief
Send the text, the target language, the intended journal or audience and any style guide or glossary.
Specialist assigned
We assign a translator with relevant subject expertise and agree the scope and schedule.
Translation and review
The text is translated and then reviewed by a native-speaking professional for accuracy, terminology and style.
Delivery and revisions
We deliver in your required format and can help with changes requested by reviewers or editors.
Frequently asked questions
Who translates research papers?
Translators with specialist knowledge of your field. Our research translators often hold MSc or PhD degrees in disciplines such as medicine, engineering, the social sciences and law.
Can you translate questionnaires for cross-cultural studies?
Yes. We translate research instruments with attention to how each item will be understood by respondents. We also provide back translation by an independent linguist, with a reconciliation report that records how each difference was resolved. Tell us the method your study requires and we will build it into the project.
Do you follow journal formatting requirements?
Yes. Send us the author guidelines and we will follow the required structure, referencing style and formatting.
Can you translate and transcribe interview recordings?
Yes. We can transcribe recordings and translate the transcripts as one project.
Tell us the language, the format and the date
Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.