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Elicited Metaphor Analysis in Educational Discourse
Edited by Wan Wan and Graham Low
[Metaphor in Language, Cognition, and Communication 3] 2015
► pp. 119–138

Retrospective Metaphor Interviews as an additional layer in elicited metaphor investigations

Bridging conceptualizations and practice

| Northern Illinois University

Metaphor-elicitation protocols can provide data that allow researchers a window onto a participant’s conceptualizations on a particular target. These insights can be immensely useful for investigations of academic language and literacy learning. However, such studies can be greatly enhanced when the conceptualization data can be tied to actual learner practice. Through continued researcher-­participant discussion and examination of concrete examples – an extension of the standard stem-prompt completion approach – researchers can simultaneously ensure a richer data set through triangulation and also provide a built-in metaphor check. This chapter describes one such extension technique, called a Retrospective Metaphor Interview (RMI). A sample protocol and insights from two implementations of RMIs are provided to demonstrate the potential utility of this extension technique.

Keywords: educational research, elicited metaphor, extension procedure, interview protocol, metaphor, metaphor checking, Metaphor Interview, triangulation approach
Published online: 2 July 2015
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/milcc.3.05arm
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