Transcribing for Social Research

Reviews / Votes

The authors' calm and well-organised coverage pays tribute to a generous variety of transcription styles in the Conversation Analysis tradition. The book is an invaluable source of techniques for capturing the words, whoops, gulps, sighs, eyebrow-flashes and head-nods of language in all the complexity of its performance. -- Charles Antaki An excellent, clear and comprehensive guide to the transcription of talk-in-interaction from the perspective of conversation analysis, demonstrating the continuing 50 year influence, relevance and productivity of Gail Jefferson's ground-breaking initiatives. -- Charles Goodwin The authors argue that standard orthography is unable to represent the 'words, gestures and conduct of the people being studied'. Drawing on insights from conversation analysis which show how social phenomena are 'realised through talk in interaction', as well as discursive psychology and ethnomethodology, Hepburn and Bolden show the reader, in ten succinct and well written chapters, how to capture words and interactions and record them accurately on paper

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Transcribing for Social Research his an invaluable contribution to the methodological literature which will appeal to researchers across a range of disciplines who wish to successfully capture speech in all its complexity. -- Paul Webb * SRA Research Matters * Transcription is often be viewed as merely recording what people have said in written form. Simple. In contrast, this book emphasises both the importance and complexity of this element of research..

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..it is pitched at a level which is appropriate for those with a wide range of experiences. Ultimately, this book is likely to become the go-to text for transcription in the social sciences, for both novice and expert researchers alike. -- Claire Melia * QMiP Bulletin, British Psychological Society *