This paper describes and discusses the innovative methodology used to study the experience of transitions in the Austrian longitudinal three year mixed methods project led by Helga Fasching. Project methods are: analysis of individual transition plans (ITP); questionnaire survey (ministry of education and parents), and analysis of transition meetings (using video). A reflecting team is recruited for the project with which to discuss findings. The paper considers the methodology and analysis of the ITP process that pupils undergo. The methodological question engaged with in this research project is how can you operationalise collaboration in order to investigate whether and how it happens in the process of transition planning meetings. 25 young people will be recruited as part of this project and their meetings recorded. This paper considers a number of possible theories informing how we understand meetings and the methods associated with each. Discourse analysis, activity theory and video interaction guidance (VIG) are the three different theoretical perspectives considered. This paper looks in detail at one particular method (VIG) used to look at a video of a pilot meetings, and discusses the actions of the research team as they discovered this method for themselves. VIG is usually used to improve relationships through the review, by a guider and at least one of the people in a video of interaction, of short clips of interaction in order to notice instances of attunement. In this project the principles of attunement are used as categories of video analysis. To explore the efficacy of using VIG to analyse the transition meetings, the first time that VIG has been used in this way, a pilot interview is recorded of one of the researchers and their daughter discussing her move from school with a teacher. This paper describes how the research team explored the use of VIG to capture collaboration. After watching the whole of the pilot interview, different members of the team took a different aspect of analysis. Some viewed the interview without sound, others looked at aspect of attunement and others at time taken in turns. Reflections of the team was surprise at the lack of collaboration in the meeting, something noticed only from engaging in analysis. All three approaches contributed to an understanding of how collaboration is researched. Implications are discussed for how collaboration in meetings is theorised and analysed, and for the possible actions of the team going forward in the project.

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