Analysis of immigration discourse metaphors in German mass media using the MAXQDA software

The article presents a modern method of metaphor analysis in media discourse using the potential of content analysis software program MAXQDA. The article demonstrates possibilities and limits of the novel technique developed in an attempt to improve the existing methods of discourse analysis. The main aim of this article is to detect metaphors in the mass media discourse of Germany and to analyze the typical metaphorical models using MAXQDA, the innovative program software. The aim was reached in two steps described in the methodological and practical parts of the article. The article focuses on the description of an approach of systematic metaphors analysis in the discourse step by step, beginning with explaining the specialties of the program and demonstrating possibilities to systemize the prepared corpus for a research. It shows how the software MAXQDA can help to identify metaphorical models in the discourse, systemize and analyze them by coding and diverse analysis procedures. The algorithm of the program usage for discourse analysis targets was developed and the basic principles are explained (e.g. units of analysis, working with coding, available editing and graphic changes function for the text analyze, working with coded categories, organization of coding system, demonstration and visualization of the results) in the article. The article contains a lot of snapshots of the program interface, which are very helpful for understanding the main function of them. So fundamental and typical metaphorical models (like water, sport, war and building metaphorical models) were detected in the discourse and thoroughly analyzed; their pragmatic role by creating of a negative picture of migration and the explicit argumentation with metaphors was revealed. The article considers key aspects related to the use of the existing metaphorical models of the modern discourse about immigrants in Germany and the character of the discussion, and how a combination of traditional methods and modern computer technologies can pave the way for further research. The article describes an approach which preserves some methodological strengths of quantitative content discourse analysis and extends them to a concept of qualitative procedure.

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