Individual and collaborative dimensions of the translation process: evidence from Poland

Research on the translation process increasingly emphasizes collaborative and technology-mediated workflows, yet little empirical evidence exists on how professional translators actually organize their work in everyday practice. This study investigates individual and collaborative translation workflows in the Polish translation market based on a survey of 245 professional translators. Results indicate that translators spend about half of their time on translation or post-editing (51%). Most Polish translators opt for a minimal orientation phase: 46% scan the source text quickly, and only 16% read it thoroughly. Pre-translation research is occasional (46%) or integrated into the drafting phase as needed (34%). Terminology management typically occurs during drafting (41%). Self-revision is performed by almost all participants. Collaboration is infrequent and often optional: 45% report occasional cooperation, while 38% never collaborate. Moreover, 66% express a clear preference for working independently. Regular revision is declared by only 17%, and 18% receive no external revision whatsoever. These findings suggest that real-world workflows diverge from both theoretical models and institutional recommendations, highlighting the need to reconsider assumptions about collaboration, quality assurance and translator education.