Conversational Analysis of Chat Room Talk PHD thesis by Dr. Terrell Neuage University of South Australia National Library of Australia. THESIS COMPLETE .pdf / or
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ABSTRACT
Beginning with an understanding of the
following linguistic theories: Semiotic Analysis, Speech Act Theory (SA),
Discourse Analysis (DA), Conversational Analysis (CA); several schools of text
analysis theory, including Reading-response Theory, and techniques of technology
analysis, especially Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC), this thesis
discusses how conversation in the text-based chatroom
milieu differs from every day ‘casual’ conversation in a number of respects. It
demonstrates how, despite the differences in ‘chat’ conducted online from that
carried out face to face, online chat and ‘natural conversation’ share some
features, and that analytical theories developed for inquiry into conventional
speech and print-based text reception, can be used for examining online
chat.
This is a study of how the process of
exchanging meaning is functionally motivated within electronic 'talk'. My first
endeavor has been to create a semiotic model for 'Natural Language' within the
chatroom milieu. I have established protocols to
'capture' chatroom 'talk' for analysis.
Beyond this, my research shows that not
only is ‘conversation’ a misnomer in this context, but also that dialogue in
this electronic milieu is different, not only because of the current absence of
sight and sound cues, but also as a result of various features caused by rapidly
changing technologies.
I propose that chatroom “texted-talk” is in fact
a new communicative genre with, on the one hand, characteristics in common with
casual conversation, writing and other forms of electronic communication, but on
the other hand, new and unique features that demand separate
classification.
Chatroom conversation is becoming a phenomenon
which warrants historical study. It is also however showing signs, because of
rapidly changing and evolving technologies, of being a short-lived genre.
Replication of this thesis and my research is already difficult, due to the
changing technologies of delivery on the Internet – another matter that I
explore further in this thesis. This makes such a study timely, both in its
contribution to developing ways of understanding and maybe even developing later
technological applications for online ‘chat’, and for its capacity to capture
and preserve an influential moment of our communication
history.