At the intersection of text and conversation analysis : analysing asynchronous online written interaction

Abstract

This paper demonstrates how two approaches from discourse studies – digital Conversation Analysis (CA) and Textual Interaction Studies (TIS) – can be used in tandem to analyse asynchronous written conversation. The main motivation for this mixed-methods approach is our observation that the interaction in many asynchronous platforms, such as blogs and discussion forums, tends to be located somewhere in between the main focuses of digital CA and TIS. On the one hand, the posts are often textually complex, multiparagraph entities. Furthermore, the opening posts usually address an imagined audience similarly to mass media texts. On the other hand, interaction within the conversation threads unfolds through the co-operation of at least two participants, and the meaning of each contribution is jointly negotiated. Our paper illustrates the benefits of combining digital CA and TIS by presenting a case analysis of one conversation thread from a Finnish book club blog.