What Is Localisation Studies? The Birth of a Field of Research

Localisation is not only an industry practice; it is also an academic field of research. This sub-discipline, which has steadily matured within translation studies over the past twenty-five years, is called localisation studies. So how did the field come into being, and where does it sit within translation studies as a whole?

Contents

According to Jiménez-Crespo (2024), localisation studies took shape by adapting the classical conceptual map of translation studies to digital products. This article examines the origins of the field, its relationship with the well-known translation studies map of Holmes and Toury, and the neighbouring disciplines it intersects with. The aim is to see how a practice turns into a field of research.

How did localisation studies come into being?

Localisation emerged as an industry practice in the 1980s, but academic interest became visible only at the end of the 1990s. The earliest publications (Freigang 1996 and Parra 1999, for example) mostly described the process. These descriptive studies aimed to lay a foundation for teaching.

These first texts were written largely by industry specialists, who carried terms such as “locale”, “internationalisation”, “quality assurance” and “localisation level” into the academy. The concepts were quickly absorbed into academic research and teaching, and they both enriched and widened the body of knowledge in translation studies.

The sign that a field has matured is the appearance of publication outlets of its own. Journals such as the Journal of Internationalization and Localization, L10N Journal and Localization Focus show that localisation studies now forms a distinct research community.

The translation studies map and localisation

To position the field, Jiménez-Crespo (2013) took as his basis the translation studies map of James Holmes (1988) and Gideon Toury (1995). This map is seen as a framework that divides the labour of research among scholars, and it splits the field in two: Pure and Applied translation studies.

The Pure branch divides in turn into the theoretical and the descriptive. Descriptive translation studies is then split three ways: product-oriented, process-oriented and function-oriented. Localisation research can fall into several of these boxes at once; a corpus study of a website, for instance, is product-oriented, while a study of the localiser’s mind is process-oriented.

The Applied branch contains components such as training, criticism and translation aids. On the localisation map this section has been widened into localisation training, evaluation, and tool and management solutions. It is also the part that changes fastest.

Adapting the map to localisation

The classical map had to be updated under the impact of technology. Quah (2006), for instance, proposed separating machine translation tools from computer-assisted translation tools, and added a localisation management component to the map. The table below compares the classical map with its localisation-adapted form.

Branch	Classical translation studies	Localisation studies
Pure-Theoretical	General and partial theories	Theories restricted by genre, field or problem
Pure-Descriptive	Product-, process- and function-oriented	Corpus, cognitive and context studies
Applied	Training, criticism, aids	Training, evaluation, tools and management
Aids	Dictionaries, grammars, CAT	MT, language models, localisation management

This adaptation shows that the field is not static. The “translation aids” section in particular is the layer transformed fastest by artificial intelligence and large language models, and it needs continual updating.

An interdisciplinary intersection

Localisation studies is not merely one box within translation studies; it is an inter-discipline that intersects with many fields. Media studies, web usability, web accessibility, cultural studies, internet studies, game studies, and international business and marketing are among these points of intersection.

This many-sidedness is part of a broader trend known as the “technological turn”. As O’Hagan (2013) puts it, translation theories have begun to take in the increasingly visible impact of technology. Snell-Hornby, for her part, calls this the “globalisation turn”.

If you would like to see how these concepts connect to one another, you can look through the relevant entries in our knowledge centre, and for your corporate projects you can visit our translation services page.

Why does the field matter?

When a practice turns into a field of research, it becomes more systematic and more teachable. Localisation studies conceptualises the knowledge the industry has gained by trial and error, and makes it transmissible to future generations.

The contributions of the field can be listed as follows:

It builds a bridge between industry and academia by establishing a shared terminology.
By describing processes, it produces models that can be used in teaching.
It examines matters such as quality, culture and usability critically.
It tracks technological change and keeps the map up to date.

Thanks to these contributions, localisation stops being a “magic box” and turns into an intelligible field of knowledge. Research and practice feed each other.

Descriptive and theoretical research

The theoretical arm of localisation studies tries to establish general principles that explain and predict the field. It takes on fundamental questions such as “what is localisation” and “what sets it apart”. Theoretical work is usually restricted by parameters such as genre, field or problem.

The descriptive arm, by contrast, examines real examples of localisation. Product-oriented studies compare source and target text pairs, and corpus studies of web localisation are growing quickly in this area. Work of this kind documents what is done in the industry, and how, on an evidence base.

Process-oriented studies, in turn, investigate the “black box” in the localiser’s mind. Which decisions does a translator take while producing a localised text? This cognitive dimension is one of the newest and most exciting fronts in the field.

Applied localisation studies

The applied arm of the map focuses on performance rather than knowledge. Holmes saw this arm as a “use-oriented” branch. In the localisation context it covers training, evaluation, and tool and management solutions. Its audience is practitioners rather than researchers.

This arm is the closest point of contact with the industry. How localisation training should be delivered, how quality should be measured and which tools should be used are all debated here. Applied work carries academic knowledge straight into practice.

The fastest-changing part of the applied arm is translation aids. Beginning with dictionaries and grammars, this section today also takes in machine translation and large language models. It therefore needs continual updating.

The field’s own publications

The maturity of a field of research is measured by its own publication outlets. Localisation studies meets that criterion. Journals such as the Journal of Internationalization and Localization, L10N Journal and Localization Focus publish research dedicated to the field.

Alongside these outlets, articles on localisation also appear in general translation studies journals. This shows that the field has both an identity of its own and a strong link with the wider discipline. The two do not exclude each other.

The variety of publications also reflects how widespread the field is globally. Researchers from different countries and languages document the problems particular to their own contexts. This polyphony frees the field from dependence on a single centre.

Another strength of localisation studies is its interdisciplinary nature. The field leans not only on translation studies but on many neighbouring areas: media studies, web usability, web accessibility, cultural studies, internet studies, game studies, and international business and marketing. This wide contact surface enriches the field, but it also demands a many-sided outlook from the researcher. A scholar confined to a single discipline will struggle to grasp localisation as a whole.

This many-sidedness is part of a larger trend called the “technological turn”. Translation studies has begun to build the increasingly visible impact of technology into its theory. Localisation is the most concrete example of that turn, because technology sits at the centre of its very definition. The process Snell-Hornby calls the “globalisation turn” completes the picture. Together, the two trends explain why localisation is one of the most dynamic areas of translation studies.

The future of the field depends on that dynamism continuing. Artificial intelligence, large language models and automation constantly supply localisation studies with fresh research questions. The field is therefore not a structure that was built once and then froze, but a living research community that renews itself alongside technology. That vitality is a valuable resource for academia and industry alike.

The Türkiye context

In Türkiye, localisation studies is a relatively new area that has grown up inside translation studies departments. At many universities, localisation is taught as part of translation technology or audiovisual translation courses rather than as a discipline in its own right. This shows that the field is still at the stage of becoming institutionalised in Türkiye.

The fact that Turkish is a low-resource language makes this research more important still. Most of the international literature rests on English-centred examples, whereas the agglutinative structure of Turkish, its free word order and its casing behaviour (the dotted and dotless “i”, for instance) give rise to problems peculiar to localisation. Such problems can only be documented and solved through local research.

A stronger bond between industry and academia means both better-qualified graduates and more informed buyers. Once that bridge is built in Türkiye, localisation projects will lean less on trial and error and more on evidence-based knowledge.

What does this mean for you?

A field with a research foundation offers you a direct assurance: knowing that the supplier you work with uses its concepts not at random but on the basis of an established body of knowledge. Teams that grasp the process systematically will manage your project more predictably.

Note whether your supplier uses localisation concepts consistently.
Ask which field of research your project corresponds to: product, process or usability?
Confirm that the approach to quality and testing rests on a documented method.
Make sure that problems specific to Turkish have been allowed for from the start.

To have your project planned in the right framework, you can send us your requirements through our quote form. Conceptual clarity is the first step of a good project.

Frequently asked questions

Is localisation studies part of translation studies?

Yes. It is positioned within translation studies as a sub-discipline that examines the localisation of digital products, and it draws on that discipline’s conceptual map.

What is the Holmes-Toury map?

It is a fundamental framework that divides translation studies into Pure and Applied and shows how research labour is shared among scholars. Localisation studies has been adapted to this map.

Which disciplines does localisation studies intersect with?

It intersects with fields such as media studies, web usability and accessibility, cultural studies, game studies, and international business and marketing.

Does the field have journals of its own?

Yes. Publications such as the Journal of Internationalization and Localization, L10N Journal and Localization Focus are devoted to the field, and articles also appear in general translation studies journals.

References

Jiménez-Crespo, M. A. (2024). Localization in Translation. Routledge (Chs. 1-2).
Holmes, J. S. (1988). “The Name and Nature of Translation Studies.” Translated! Papers on Literary Translation and Translation Studies. Rodopi.
Toury, G. (1995). Descriptive Translation Studies and Beyond. John Benjamins.