This master’s thesis explores the concept of authorial identity in academic writing and the dynamics of the relationship between the author, the translator, and the discipline that emerges during this process. I focus on how the interaction among the author, translator, and discipline influences the expression of authorial identity, particularly in research articles and their abstracts, a topic that remains largely underresearched in Slovenia as well as internationally. Furthermore, I aim to investigate the role of translation as the final product of these interactions. Using semi-structured interviews with six experienced translators of academic texts who are actively involved in both Slovenian and international academia, either as authors, translators or reviewers of academic texts, I explore how experienced translators perceive their role in translating academic texts and whether, in their opinion, translators’ interventions influence the expression of authorial presence. I compare their observations regarding differences in linguistic practices in connection with lingua-cultural and genre conventions, juxtaposing the Slovenian research space with its Anglophone counterpart. I also analyze the interviewees’ attitudes towards English as a lingua franca, specifically whether they believe it affects the rhetorical patterns and strategies for expressing authorial presence in Slovenian academic writing. Finally, I address the concept of self-translation of academic texts, as well as the latest attempts to reshape Slovenian language policy in higher education towards a stronger promotion of Slovenian as a language of academia.
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