Abstract :
Electronic communication is characteristically concerned with ‘the message’
(eM), those who send them (S), and those who receive and read them (R). This
relationship could be simplified into the equation eM = S + R.When this simple
equation is applied to electronic communication, several elements are added
that make this straightforward act of sending and receiving a message more
complex. These new elements are characteristics such as asynchronicity,
unknown senders and readers, non-linear text and the absence of non-verbal
cues. What is apparent is that the complexity of these messages lies in their
impact outside the online environment. It is clear from the messages themselves
that the information is being applied to real, authentic contexts and is
not limited to the online environment. Conversational analysis frameworks
must attempt to understand this complexity if the meaning of electronic messages
is to be understood. This paper proposes a new conversational analysis
framework, the electronic conversational analysis framework (eCAF), for use
with electronic communication. The eCAF has been designed as a new methodological
tool that incorporates the unique virtual/real worlds that individuals
participate in and links these two locations to the phases of electronic
discussions.
