Hello remote conversation analysts!
Join us in analyzing talk live, at the New Scientist Live Festival. On this page you will find a set of instructions for the analysis we are doing currently.
Accessing the data:
The data can be found streaming live here. There are two cameras, a wide shot and a narrow shot. The data is being automatically chunked into 1 minute clips, so the materials are easy to access in bite-sized pieces.
Current collections ongoing:
Although you should feel free to add your own observations (unmotivated looking, after all), these are the collections that we are currently working on (links in the livestream video description!).
Summons to the table & name elicitation: How does the host get people to the table (hint: we’ve found soliciting people’s names when the table is nearly empty is a good way to get others wandering nearby to give their name and sit down). We’re also collecting moments when the host forgets names, how it comes about that he decides to do a round of introductions again, etc.
Requesting to speak & Getting access to the microphone: How speakers self-select to speak. Hand gestures, gaze, mouth openings, etc. How do these get noticed by the host. How does this work when getting the microphone from the host vs. from another participant.
Role of the host: How the host redirects questions away from himself. How the host accounts for talking too little or too much.
Role of the participant: Being a ‘good’ participant.
What to do:
Watch the clips! Make some observations. You can tweet observations, and if you’re feeling keen, we would love if you made some rough-and-ready transcripts or smaller clips. You can upload transcripts and clips here:
Your observations, transcripts, and clips will be used in our live explanations of CA to the public. People are constantly stopping by our booth, and we are using the transcripts and clips to explain the analysis we are doing so far. Every example makes it easier to explain what is exciting, interesting, and unusual about CA. A good looping-clip example of microphone passing, for instance, makes it easy for people to see subtle hand gestures or gaze.
We’re focusing on getting people interested in thinking about the ‘rules’ that organize our interactions, and how we can observe conversations to find out new things about humans and society.
Em: (.) °does° [CA. 