The document discusses methods for analyzing conversational data in conversation analysis (CA). It describes three key stages: [1] locating interesting phenomena in the data without preconceptions, [2] analyzing collections of instances to identify patterns, and [3] closely examining single cases or extended sequences. Specific techniques are outlined, including studying summons-answer phone call sequences, components of storytelling, and recipients' responses during stories. Maintaining cultural understanding and prioritizing participants' orientations are emphasized.

1. Analysing Data I: Building Collections
and Identifying Phenomena
Zakie Asidiky
120 180 180 501
Conversation Analysis

2. Collections and Patterns
• The main research procedure in CA progresses
through three stages
– The first is to locate a potentially interesting
phenomenon in the data
– The data are not necessarily approached with a
particular question in mind
– Avoid letting preconceptions about what may be
found in some set of transcribed recordings direct
their mind when first encountering the data

3. Sacks (1984a:27)
• When we start out with a piece of data, the
question of what we are going to end up with,
what kind of findings it will give, should not be a
consideration. We sit down with a piece of data,
make a bunch of observations, and see where
they will go…I mean not merely that if we pick
any data we will find something, but that if we
pick any data, without bringing any problems to
it, we will find something. And how interesting
what we may come up with will be is something
we cannot in the first instance say.

4. Schegloff (1968)
• Police make the call. Receiver is lifted and
there is a one second pause.
1. Police : Hello.
2. Answerer : American Red Cross
3. Police : Hello, this is Police Headquarters….er,
4. Officer Stratton ((etc.)

5. Hyla and Nancy teenage friends
1. ((Ring))
2. Nancy: H’llo?
3. Hyla: Hi:,
4. Nancy: Hi::,
5. Hyla: How are yuhh=
6. Nancy =Fi:ne how er you,
7. Hyla Oka:[y,
8. Nancy: [Goo:d,

6. Three very important principles of the
conversation analytic method
1. The insistence on rigorous, formal
description
2. The attempt to maximize the generalizability
of analytic accounts
3. The serious attention given to ‘deviant’ cases

7. Conversational Devices
• It is important to stress at this stage that the
aim in CA is not simply to build descriptions of
patterns in large collections.
• We have the two core analytic questions in CA
1. What interactional business is being mediated or
accomplished through the use of a sequential
pattern?
2. How do participants demonstrate their active
orientation to this business?

8. [Goodwin: Family Dinner]
1. Dot: Do we have two forks cos we’re on television?
2. Mother: [[No we-
3. Father: [[Huh hh [huh hh [h ( )
4. Angie: [Yeahah [h hah .hh
5. Mother: [Uh huh [huh huh
6. Angie: [heh heh heh
7. Father: [Right yeh
8. Pro[bably the answer right the[re
9. Angie: [Eh hah hah [
10. Mother: [.hhh you have
11. pie you have pie:: tonight

9. Participants’ orientations to a
conversational device
1. Host: You sa:y that you would not force people to do
2. it. You do however accept that there is prejudice
3. against .hh er certain kinds of, homes and
4. er, [ .hh] hospitals in communities [ .hh] so .h=
5. Caller: [Yeh] [Yeh]
6. Host: =if: that prejudice exists people aren’t going
7. to gi:ve ti:me. Or money for the matter

10. Different Types of Phenomena
• It is not the phenomenon as linguistic object
which is the focus of interest for CA, but the
interactional work being accomplished via
turns at talk.
• It is clear that even when the device in
question is described in relatively abstract
terms, such as ‘You say (X)’ device, no two
cases are exactly the same

11. The role of commonsense knowledge
• The aim is actually to come to an
understanding of what the participants are
relying upon. In other words, it is absolutely
necessary that conversation analysts are
either members of, or have a sound
understanding of, the culture from which their
data have been drawn.

12. The relevance of culture
• Some work in CA does make explicit reference
to cultural specifics. The kinds of points made
tend to focus on two issues:
1. The existence of cross-cultural similarities in
conversational practices
2. The nature of intercultural differences in certain
practices

13. Quantification
• Although the conversation analysts, like
quantitative researchers, engage in developing
categories and classifying data extracts in terms
of those, both the ways in which those categories
are assembled and the role they play in analysis
are different from purely quantitative approaches
• Conversation analysts use collections in order to
reveal systematic patterns in talk-in-interaction
across differing contexts and involving varying
participants.

14. Analysing Data II:
Extended Sequences and Single Cases
• A technique that can be applied in the analysis of
extended sequences of talk is ‘single case
analysis’.
In contrast to analysis of collections, this
technique involves tracking in detail the
production of some extract of talk, which can be
drawn more or less at random from any
interactional context, to observe the ways in
which particular conversational devices are used
in its production.

15. Analysing single episode
1. ((Ring))
2. Nancy: H’llo?
3. Hyla: Hi:,
4. Nancy: Hi::,
5. Hyla: How are yuhh=
6. Nancy =Fi:ne how er you,
7. Hyla Oka:[y,
8. Nancy: [Goo:d,

16. This opening exemplifies what has been identified as the four ‘core
sequences’ that are characteristic of telephone conversation openings
in Western (and some non-Western) cultures:
• The summons l answer sequence (lines 0-1): This consists of the
telephone ring (the summons) and the answerer’s first ‘Hello’.
• The identification/recognition sequence (lines 2-3): This is accomplished
in extract (2) as the caller recognizes the called party’s ‘Hello’, and uses
a vocal signature to identify herself and invite reciprocal recognition.
• The greeting sequence (lines 2-3): In extract (2), this is accomplished
simultaneously with identification/ recognition; but in other calls, the
participants may need to identify each other before engaging in
greetings.
• The initial inquiries sequence (lines 4-6): Following greeting,
participants regularly engage in an exchange of ‘How are you’s. These
may lead straight into a first topic: for instance, if a response to a ‘How
are you’ inquiry is either very negative (‘terrible’) or overly positive
(‘Fantastic!’), the inquiry may ask ‘Why’ Alternatively, as in extract (2),
the response can be neutral (‘Fine’ or ‘Okay’) and then first topic needs
either to be introduced or solicited.

17. Storytelling Sequences
• Stories involve extended, multi-unit turns at
talk.
• The analysis of stories merges into the analysis
of storytelling, which in turns becomes a focus
on the production of storytelling sequences.

18. Story Prefaces
• This is a turn in which a speaker, often indirectly,
propose to tell a story. The recipient can then
respond by indicating whether they wish to hear
the story; an finally, the story can be told with the
recipient appropriately aligned.
• The canonical format for story prefaces is thus a
three-part structure:
1. TELLER Story preface
2. RECIPIENT Request to hear story
3. TELLER Story

19. Recipient’s Actions during the
sorytelling
• The story Turn itself is not a single unbroken
utterance, but one which is punctuated by
turns the recipient.