The Interactional Network Tool
The INT is a new approach to measuring group communication behaviour.  It uses frequency counts of interaction types to create visual representations of group participation.  These frequency data provide a quantitative profile of the group interaction.  The visual representations show a qualitative view, illustrating how participants communicate and cue each other to communicate.  They can be used to provide feedback for group participants, to monitor progress and to set goals.
The filming protocols
Interaction behaviours are coded directly from video samples portraying the interaction from multiple angles.
The use of four cameras and omnidirectional microphones ensures sufficient coverage to capture the detail for up to eight participants seated in static positions around a table. This filming protocol was drawn up by a film production company.
The sampling protocol that transforms the films into three views on one time-sequence video was drawn up by a professional self-shooting director. Both protocols bring a measure of quality control that will bring confidence to your results.
The coding system
This is made up of seven interaction behaviours, incorporating
linguistic behaviours as a means to exchange information, and non-linguistic behaviours (from facial expression, gesture, pointing and gaze) as these have an effect on the interaction flow.
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The coding system has been drawn from established theoretical models of social communication and discourse analysis models using initiation and response categories to analyse interaction.
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Coders focus on on a named participant in the video interaction and code behaviours between that participant and other interactors in the group. These frequency data capture the communication behaviour of both the named participant and reveal the interactive effects of others in that setting.
