Open AccessThe Subjectivity Problem: Improving Triangulation Approaches in Metaphor Analysis Studies
Author(s) -
Sonya L. Armstrong,
Hope Smith Davis,
Eric J. Paulson
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international journal of qualitative methods
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.414
H-Index - 29
ISSN - 1609-4069
DOI - 10.1177/160940691101000204
Subject(s) - metaphor , subjectivity , interpretation (philosophy) , epistemology , situated , trustworthiness , criticism , triangulation , conceptual metaphor , qualitative research , sociology , psychology , linguistics , social psychology , computer science , social science , artificial intelligence , philosophy , political science , geography , cartography , law
Metaphor analysis procedures for uncovering participant conceptualizations have been well-established in qualitative research settings since the early 1980s; however, one common criticism of metaphor analysis is the trustworthiness of the findings. Namely, accurate determination of the conceptual metaphors held by participants based on the investigation of linguistic metaphors has been identified as a methodological issue because of the subjectivity involved in the interpretation; that is, because they are necessarily situated in specific social and cultural milieus, meanings of particular metaphors are not universally constructed nor understood. In light of these critiques, this article provides examples of two different triangulation methods that can be employed to supplement the trustworthiness of the findings when metaphor analysis methodologies are used