logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2021
1h 26m

The Qualitative Research Series - Uncove...

Oliver Thomson
About this episode

Welcome to another episode of The Words Matter Podcast.

I’ll again start by thanking all of you that support the show via Patreon – it really makes these conversations possible, and it's fantastic to see a growing community of researchers, students and practitioners support the show and find value in the episodes.

If you’d like to show your support for the podcast, you can pledge as little as £1 per episode by visiting Patreon here.

So, we're half way into the Qualitative Research Series, and to bring you up to date:

Episode 1 eased us in to qualitative research with Perri Tutleman. In Episode 2 we explored grounded theory with Prof. Jane Mills and Prof. Melanie Birks. In Episode 3 I spoke about Ethnography with Dr Fiona Webster. And in the last episode I spoke with Dr Victoria Clarke about Thematic Analysis.

If you haven’t listened to all them, I strongly urge you go back and catch up, as they’re fantastic entrances to their respective topics and there is also a little cross referencing to previous and future episodes - which will give you a rounded view of the series as it unfolds.

The series is shaping up really nicely, and I hope it will become a useful resource for those wanting to orientate themselves with qualitative research theories, methodologies and methods.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Dr Charlotte Albury about conversation analysis. Charlotte is a qualitative researcher that holds a Mildred Baxter fellowship from the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness, and a Fulford Junior Research fellowship at Somerville College, at University of Oxford.

She has held multiple grants including grants from the NIHR school for primary care research, and the British heart foundation. Charlotte is course director for Oxford Qualitative Courses, which are expert-led practical short courses in qualitative methods, including conversation analysis, but also a range of other qualitative approaches.

She has led several research projects which use conversation analysis to identify how to optimise clinical communication including her current work  using conversation analysis to investigate COVID risk communication (see Charlotte's work using conversation analysis here, here and here).

So in this episode we speak about:

  • Conversation analysis (CA) as a qualitative method to uncover the machinery and mechanics of social interaction.
  • The history of CA and its emergence from the US sociology science in the 1960s.
  • CA as a chimeric research methodology, with features and assumption which seems to align with quantitative or positivist research (such as notions of discovery of truth, the somewhat detached-objectivity of the researcher and 'quantifying' aspects of the data (such frequency counts); but also features which are familiar to qualitative research such as the analysis of textual data such as transcripts and the study of social interaction and phenomena). A fascinating hybrid.
  • The the sorts of research questions that CA seeks to address.
  • How Charlotte has used CA to understand communication between patients and clinicians to uncover the different strategies and outcomes of talk (see here for Charlotte’s PhD thesis and work here). 
  • The Jeffersonian system of transcription in CA, which is very particular to CA, and the methods of data analysis once the transcriptions are generated.
  • And finally Charlotte offers some advice for those considering embarking on a CA study or just want to find out more about the method.

So this was such an insightful conversation about an area of qualitative research which was quite unfamiliar to me. Charlotte describes the purpose and methods of CA incredibly clearly, providing a real insight into how conversation analysis proceeds.

The granular, almost reductionist detail of data analysis and the somewhat realist-objectivist notions of CA may initially not be your cup of tea, if you’re an interpretivist or social constructionist - but hold your horses! The forensic attention that conversation analysis gives to the specific words, language and talk offers something valuable to all qualitative researchers interested in understanding and portraying human interactions and social processes. 

I certainly learnt a great deal which I will take with me into my current and future qualitative projects.

Find Charlotte on Twitter @AlburyCharlotte

You can support the show and contribute via Patreon here

If you liked the podcast, you'll love The Words Matter online course and mentoring to develop your clinical expertise  - ideal for all MSK therapists.

Follow Words Matter on:

Instagram @Wordsmatter_education @TheWordsMatterPodcast

Twitter @WordsClinical

Facebook Words Matter - Improving Clinical Communication

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Up next
Nov 2022
Ask Me Anything #6
Welcome to another episode of The Words Matters Podcast. Many of you may be familiar with a recent paper I was proud to co-author titled: Avoiding nocebo and other undesirable effects in chiropractic, osteopathy and physiotherapy: An invitation to reflect – Journal of MSK Science ... Show More
40m 13s
Oct 2022
The Outsiders - Clinicians divorced from their profession with Eliud Sierra
Welcome to another episode of The Words Matter Podcast.Apologies for the slight delay in the episode, work and life events continue to get in the way of my passion for producing these conversations.So it’s time for another Outsider episode (see prior Outsider episodes here, here, ... Show More
59m 57s
Sep 2022
Sociology for practice - the 'ology' you’ve been looking for with Dr Rebecca Olson
Welcome to another episode of The Words Matter Podcast.I hope you’ve enjoyed the last couple of episodes exploring pseudoscientific claims and how to think about, and respond to them (here and here). And to give us all a break from the frustration, today I’m speaking with Dr Rebe ... Show More
57m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2020
Inside JABA #4, Session 123: Telehealth and Public Health Special Series
In the fourth edition of the Inside JABA Series, I am joined by Drs. Dorothea Lerman, Linda LeBlanc, and Matt Normand to discuss the forthcoming JABA Special Series on Telehealth and Public Health. Linda and Matt are no strangers to this podcast, but this is Dorothy Lerman's firs ... Show More
1h 2m
Nov 2023
Solutions and Key Research to Advance High-Quality Cancer Care
Drs. Cardinale Smith and Raymond Osarogiagbon discuss key research featured at the 2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium, including the role of AI in quality measurement and solution-focused approaches addressing care delivery, financial toxicity, and clinician well-being. TRANSCRIPT ... Show More
17m 41s
May 2024
Everything You Need to Know About Therapy
In this mega-episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest Hanson explore everything you need to know about therapy. They share how you can get more from therapy, finding the approach that’s right for you, and some perspectives on why therapy is so expensive. They th ... Show More
1h 35m
Mar 2024
Case Study: Pathological Vulnerable Narcissism
Cluster BThis show aims to educate the audience from a scientifically informed perspective about the major cluster B personality disorders: narcissism, histrionic, borderline, and antisocial. References: American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual ... Show More
22m 7s
Aug 2023
the crisis of contemporary psychiatry with dr. bruce levine
Has psychiatry lost its way? Increasingly, voices within and beyond the profession argue that Western mental health institutions may be perpetuating psychological suffering rather than alleviating it. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Bruce E. Levine, a clinical psychologist a ... Show More
2h 8m
Oct 2023
Case Study: BPD and Excitement Seeking
Cluster BThis show aims to educate the audience from a scientifically informed perspective about the major cluster B personality disorders: narcissism, histrionic, borderline, and antisocial. ReferencesArthur, A. R. (2000). Psychodynamic counseling for the borderline personality ... Show More
22m 15s
Jan 2024
Healing Cycles of Trauma with Dr. Mariel Buqué
Dr. Mariel Buqué joins the podcast to help us learn how we can heal from the past, create healthier patterns, and break cycles of trauma. Forrest and Dr. Buqué talk about what intergenerational trauma is, how we can “hand trauma down,” and how these problematic patterns show up i ... Show More
1h 19m
May 2023
Can You Detect Psychopathy From Pupil Dilation?
Healthy//ToxicHealthy versus Toxic is a podcast where licensed mental health professionals explore what makes a relationship healthy or unhealthy. Our hosts aim to provide a scientifically informed perspective on what factors go into making healthy relationships, how to build sec ... Show More
13m 22s
Apr 2023
Mental Health in the Workplace
Healthy//ToxicHealthy versus Toxic is a podcast where licensed mental health professionals explore what makes a relationship healthy or unhealthy. Our hosts aim to provide a scientifically informed perspective on what factors go into making healthy relationships, how to build sec ... Show More
23m 28s
Feb 2024
College Student Mental Health 101
Jeff talks to Dr. Sarah Ketchen Lipson about common mental health concerns for college students and they discuss tips for recognizing and addressing these challenges and the conditions they can lead to. Jeff also asks Sarah some audience questions about typical campus resources f ... Show More
58m 26s