Field-based Metaphor Analysis — Naturalistic Metaphor Elicitation and Interpretation

Field-based metaphor analysis is a qualitative method that collects and interprets spontaneous or elicited metaphors from participants in their natural settings. Grounded in Lakoff and Johnson's conceptual metaphor theory, it reveals how individuals and communities structure abstract concepts — such as teaching, leadership, or illness — through figurative language encountered or produced in real contexts. Unlike purely document-based metaphor studies, field-based variants combine data collection in natural field settings with systematic analytic coding.