Best practices for sign language technology research

Abstract

Research on sign language technology (SLT) has steadily increased in recent decades, and yet, common mistakes and pitfalls have significantly hindered progress in the field. The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the most prominent issues and suggest practical steps to overcome them, outlining the best practices to consider when conducting SLT research. These practices cluster around the five following issues: (1) knowledge of the specific sign language at the centre of the research and of sign languages more generally; (2) involving deaf people at the centre of research, including researchers who are themselves deaf; (3) motivations of the researcher and the relationship to the views of the sign language community; (4) what sign language data needs to be considered; (5) full recognition of the challenges posed by such research.