This chapter presents a discourse analytical study of explicit reference to the
concept of metaphor within a broad range of biological disciplines. The aim of
the analysis was to study in what capacity the term ‘metaphor’ was conceptualized
and framed in actual scientific research writing, and whether the different
framings were related to the specific discipline or genre or even stage of
scientific development. Though the concept of metaphor is generally valued as a
scientific heuristic resource, two distinct positions on the specific values of metaphor
in science are represented in the material. The dominant position criticizes
metaphor for its open-endedness and aims at either empirically sanitizing
or discarding the metaphor. A less dominant and more social-constructive
position
embraces the open-endedness as a valuable and dynamic scientific driving
force suitable for scientific communication as well as heuristics. In either case,
the explicit reference to metaphor functions as a rhetorical strategy for promoting
and positioning the author’s own research.
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Augé, Anaïs
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