ABSTRACT
This chapter details conversation analysis (CA), an approach for examining the structure and process of naturally occurring talk-in-interaction. It outlines CA’s roots in ethnomethodology and its core principles: that conversation is orderly, sequentially organized, and co-constructed by participants. Key concepts such as turn-taking mechanisms, adjacency pairs (e.g., question–answer), preference organization, and repair practices are explained with examples. The chapter describes how to collect conversational data (audio/video recordings of real interactions), the conventions of CA transcription (notating pauses, overlaps, and intonation), and techniques for analyzing transcripts to reveal underlying interactional norms. Applications of CA are discussed across settings like medical communication (doctor–patient interactions), service encounters, and online interactions (e.g., Zoom meetings and chat). Ethical considerations (consent in recording conversations) and reflexivity in interpreting data are addressed. The chapter concludes by highlighting how CA insights can improve communication practices (such as helping professionals understand the impact of interruption or silence in conversations) and inform broader theories about social interaction.
