Transforming interactional structures into codes

Abstract The compatibility of conversation analysis and quantification has been the subject of considerable debate. However, the question seems to be shifting from whether to how a combination of the two approaches can be as fruitful and empirically valid as possible. The “CA-based action coding cycle” (“CABAC cycle”) I present in this paper contributes to answering this question. It traces four steps in the development of a scheme for coding conversational actions: initial and embedding in previous observations, systematization, extensive sequential analysis, and application of the coding scheme. It becomes clear that the fundamental tools of conversation analysis provide a particularly sound basis for coding actions. Furthermore, the “CABAC cycle” shows that special attention should be paid to the corpus characteristics and the associated research questions when creating a coding scheme. Finally, the great potential of quantifying actions is emphasized, especially for the field of applied conversation analysis.