translators’ motivations for title selection in iran: a quantitative study of the role of contextual and professional factors

This paper acknowledges the importance of translators’ motivations in selecting titles for translation and argues that the interplay between their contextual and professional backgrounds and their decision-making processes regarding title selection has been relatively underexplored in translator studies. to address this notable research gap, the present quantitative research examines whether translators’ contextual and professional backgrounds—such as the number of translated books, educational degrees and fields of study—significantly contribute to their motivations in selecting titles for translation in contemporary iran. this study recruited 248 professional translators to complete a self-report questionnaire that gathered their professional demographics and assessed their preferences based on various book selection motivations, including socio-cognitive considerations, externally driven motivations, factors guaranteeing success, translators’ authority and agency, internally driven motivations, and publishers’ authority and agency. the results indicated that only translators’ educational background, number of translated books, and field of study significantly influenced their book selection preferences. further analysis provided insights into which specific book selection motivations are driven by these contextual and professional factors. overall, the article highlights that translators’ choices are shaped by a dynamic interplay of professional experience, academic background, and external market pressures, indicating that effective translator support demands consideration of both individual and systemic aspects.