The discussion in the report relates to two problems with respect to studies of situated interaction - first, the problem of transcribing talk to text, and thereafter, the problem of interpretation of the text.
The first question the researcher has to handle is how to transcribe recorded talk. Transcription ia not a neutral thing to do. It reveals the analyst's (implicit) theoretical stance twards talk and text. Any transcription system is designed to support a particular kind of analysis.
The next qestion is how to interpret the transcribed text. Interpretation is a complex, layered process and it is necessary to make certain distinctions between understanding and interpretation. A text can be understood in different ways. The production of meaning takes place in interactions, on the one hand in the writers's struggle with thought and words in conceiving and formulating the text, and on the other hand, in the reader's efforts in assigning meaning to the text.
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