Steven Clayman is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has written extensively on topics relating to conversation analysis and is co-author, with John Heritage, of The News Interview: Journalists and Public Figures on the Air (2002).

John Heritage is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. His publications include Garfinkel and Ethnomethodology (1984) and Communication in Medical Care: Interaction between Primary Care Physicians and Patients (2006).

Talk in Action examines the language, identity, and interaction of social institutions, introducing students to the research methodology of Conversation Analysis.
* Features a unique focus on real-world applications of CA by examining four institutional domains: calls to emergency numbers, doctor-patient interaction, courtroom trials, and mass communication,
* Provides a theoretical and methodological overview of the roots of CA, reviewing the main developments and findings of research on talk and social institutions conducted over the past 25 years
* Showcases the significance of this subject to everyday events, making it ideal for students coming to the field for the first time
* Written by two leading figures in the field of Conversation Analysis

Introduction
Part 1: Conversation Analysis and Social Institutions
Part 3: Doctor-Patient Interaction
Part 4: Trials, Juries and Dispute Resolution
Part 5: News and Political Communication
Conclusion
Appendix: Transcription Conventions
References