Over the past century, English has become the global lingua franca in scientific disciplines, serving as a pedagogical tool and an internationally recognised medium for communication and reporting. However, medical evidence is not produced exclusively in English, and research continues to be published in national languages worldwide. Studies have identified a language bias in scientific literature dissemination, favouring English-language texts and raising concerns about access to medical evidence published in other languages. In the UK, NHS Clinical Libraries support knowledge dissemination by assisting medical professionals in evidence-based practice and research. However, language bias limits the inclusion of non-English medical evidence in literature searches. Despite emerging translation policies in healthcare, multilingual communication among medical professionals still relies on bilingualism or informal translatorial activities, while professional translation remains largely overlooked. This thesis explores how the dominance of English as a lingua franca impacts NHS Clinical Libraries, shaping their response to language bias, institutionalised anglophone monolingualism, and the absence of a translation culture. It aims to bridge the gap between linguistic translation and medical knowledge dissemination, re-evaluate language bias from a translatorial perspective, and provide visibility of translation requirements in an environment where English hegemony often obscures significant contributions to global knowledge. Interviews were conducted with 14 Clinical Librarians and 4 Library Assistants across eleven NHS Knowledge Departments in England. Data were analysed using Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and Situational Analysis (SA). Findings revealed (1) a disconnect between guidelines and multilingual search practices, (2) inadequate strategies for retrieving non English texts, (3) a lack of differentiation in the treatment of English and non-English search results, and (4) ineffective application of paraprofessional translatorial strategies. Results highlighted intralingual translation as an integral practice in clinical librarianship. Yet, interlingual translation remains hindered by systemic barriers and communicative gaps due to the absence of formal translation procedures, limiting the integration of non-English medical evidence.
Elisabetta Geromel-Lister (Thu,) studied this question.