Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics
In conversation analysis, the structuring of a conversation through various types of ‘actionsequences’ produced by different speakers. It is assumed that sequential organization is a resource for assigning meaning, that is, within a sequence, an utterance brings about one of various expected actions depending on the preceding turn, which alternately leads to the expectation of a particular next turn (taken from a limited set of possible next turns). In this manner, participants demonstrate how they have understood the preceding turn. Among such types of sequences, in which the choice of a particular first turn leads to a particular next turn, are adjacency pairs (such as question-answer, 
conditional relevance) or sequences with preferred options (such as the acceptance of an invitation instead of its decline, preference). Further evidence for the sequential organization of conversation is provided by expressions that mark misplacements (e.g. by the way, discourse markers). Sequential organization is supported by the ‘local’ management of turn-taking (see Sacks et al. 1974). For this reason, in conversation analysis, utterances are not analyzed in isolation, but rather within sequences. This approach distinguishes conversation analysis from other related approaches of discourse analysis, such as those of text linguistics or speech act theory. For impressive examples, see Turner 1976 and Jefferson 1981.
References
Jefferson, G. 1972. Side sequences.
In D.Sudnow (ed.), Studies in social interaction. New York. 294–338.
——1981. The abominable ne? In P.Schröder and H.Steger (eds) Dialogforschung. Düsseldorf. 53–88.
Turner, R. 1976. Utterance positioning as an interactional resource. Semiotica 17.233–54.
Levinson, S. 1983. Pragmatics. Cambridge.
Sacks, H., E.Schegloff. and G.Jefferson. 1974. A simplest systematics for the organization of turntaking for conversation. Lg 50.696–735.
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