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Abstract: This paper uses Conversation Analysis to investigate repair in email discussions. Repair in email discussions does not need to deal with troubles arising from real-time spoken interaction, such as repair of simultaneous speech or mid-turn self-repair of word choice or sentence construction. However, all four types of self- and other-initiated self- and other-repair are found, serving a range of purposes such as clarification of meaning, correction of factually incorrect statements, and repairs of technology-related turn-taking problems. A major source of trouble in email discussions is the need to deal with turns which are deemed to be in some way inappropriate, and participants' attempts to deal with these may result in extended metadiscussion, facilitated by the persistent nature of the interaction. Participants may choose to refuse an other-initiated repair initiation, or subvert an apparent repair or repair-initiation for other purposes: such phenomena are particularly associated with flaming exchanges.

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