Beyond the Screen: A Systematic Review of Perception/Reception Studies in Interlingual Dubbing and Subtitling

Rachele Antonini; Chiara Bucaria

doi:10.47476/jat.v8i2.2025.371

Authors

Rachele Antonini University of Bologna https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7138-4003
Chiara Bucaria University of Bologna https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2482-793X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v8i2.2025.371

Keywords:

audiovisual translation, dubbing, subtitling, perception, reception, audience, interlingual

Abstract

This paper aims to provide a systematic review of English-language journal articles and book chapters that consider the audience perception/reception perspective in interlingual dubbing and subtitling, with the goal of describing the evolution of this type of empirical research over the last two decades. After establishing exclusion and inclusion criteria, the authors used four databases – Scopus, BITRA, TSB, and Web of Science – to retrieve 93 relevant publications in the time frame 1990–2024. The results showed that the number of publications on reception/perception in interlingual dubbing and subtitling has increased – especially since 2017–18 – but that it remains a fraction of the overall research published in AVT. Moreover, relatively small case studies and non-randomized sampling remain the prevalent methodologies implemented by scholars. The final section of the paper explores potential reasons for and consequences of these methodological choices.

Lay summary

This paper provides a review of English-language journal articles and book chapters that explore how audiences perceive and react to interlingual dubbing and subtitling. The aim is to track the evolution of research in this field over the past two decades. A total of 93
relevant publications from 1990 to 2024 were identified by applying specific inclusion and exclusion criteria and conducting searches across four databases: Scopus, BITRA, TSB, and Web of Science.

The study examines two key points:

1. While there has been an increase in research on audience perception and reception of dubbing and subtitling in recent years, it still represents a relatively small portion of audiovisual translation (AVT) research.
2. Most of the studies in this area are small-scale and tend to be isolated projects.

The results support both points. While there has been a notable rise in research on this topic, particularly from 2017-18 onward, it remains a minor aspect of the broader AVT field. Furthermore, small-scale case studies, often using non-random sampling methods, are predominant. The paper concludes by discussing the reasons behind the prevalence of these methods and their potential implications.

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Author Biographies

Rachele Antonini, University of Bologna

Rachele Antonini is Associate Professor of English Language and Translation at the Department of Interpreting and Translation of the University of Bologna. She received her Ph.D. in Sociolinguistics from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 2012. Her research interests include audiovisual translation, the sociolinguistics of the Irish language, non-professional interpreting and translation and child language brokering. She is the coordinator of the research group In MedIO PUER(I) and the Principal Investigator for the University of Bologna in the EYLBID project (an Erasmus + project led by Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) on Child Language Brokering. She is also the coordinator of the Horizon Europe project: ALPHABETICA: Activating Learning Paths – Holistic Arts-based Education and Training for Inclusion and Cultural Awareness. She has published extensively in volumes and journals and edited and co-edited four volumes on non-professional interpreting and translation and child language brokering. She is the co-founder of the International Conference of Non-professional Interpreting and Translation. She is also a professional interpreter, translator and subtitler.

Chiara Bucaria, University of Bologna

Chiara Bucaria is Associate Professor of English Language and Translation at the University of Bologna’s Department of Interpreting and Translation. She has published extensively in the fields of dubbing and subtitling, media paratexts, humor studies, and translation and manipulation. She has authored the volume Dark Humour as a Culture-Specific Phenomenon: A Study in Audiovisual Translation (2009) and co-edited Between Text and Image. Updating Research in Screen Translation (2008), Non-Professional Interpreting and Translation in the Media (2013) and Taboo Comedy. Television and Controversial Humour (2016). She is the co-founder of The Taboo Conference Series and the recipient of the European Society for Translation Studies (EST) 2025 Open Acess Prize for her article “The audience strikes back: Agency and accountability in audiovisual translation and distribution” (TARGET. International Journal of Translation Studies 35: 3, 2023).

Beyond the Screen

A Systematic Review of Perception/Reception Studies in Interlingual Dubbing and Subtitling

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Author Biographies

Rachele Antonini, University of Bologna

Chiara Bucaria, University of Bologna

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