Richards, Janis (2008) Question/Answer Adjacency Pairs in the Research Interview. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the interaction between question and answer, as a sequentially paired entity, called an adjacency pair, in a qualitative research interview setting. This project employed Conversation Analysis techniques to investigate how talk was exchanged and how participant behaviour affected its trajectory. This study found that the interviewer mixed her use of formal interview practices with informal practices used in mundane conversation in order to meet expectations of how the conversation was managed. Participants resolved any problems in their talk, by working at a solution locally, in the context of the action that they jointly created, using the practices of everyday conversation, until both were satisfied that a resolution had been achieved. In answer to the research question, the data in this study was found to conform in its syntactical and semantic characteristics in line with CA turn-taking principles. Limitations include this study’s reliance on a small dataset from a singular source which precludes generalisation of findings to wider populations, and the lack of opportunity to examine the audio recordings of the interview. Further study is recommended to undertake similar analyses using data from the same interview, from other interviews in the series, and from other settings, in order to determine whether patterns or practices found in the current study are apparent or common.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Steve Christensen |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Nov 2025 01:53 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Nov 2025 01:53 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52695 |
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