ABSTRACT
The preceding chapters in this volume have focused on qualitative research in the area of language, and, at first consideration, it might seem that applying qualitative approaches to the study of speech would not be successful. However, as has been shown elsewhere in this book, qualitative research in communication disorders is mainly concerned with characterizing interactions between speakers; as these interactions are commonly mediated through the medium of speech, it then becomes clear that a study of interactional phonetics will have much to add to this research approach.
