CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHOD
Research method is acknowledged as a plan of procedure and the
characteristics of a disciplined, logical or scientific arrangement. The
methodology is used to examine certain objects in accordance with the kinds of
research to be done. In consequence, the method of this research consists of three
crucial items: the data source, the method and technique of collecting data, and the
method and technique of analysing the data.
3.1 Research Approach
This research was conducted using qualitative approach. The process of
research involves emerging questions and procedures, data typically collected in
the participants’ setting, data analysis inductively building from particulars to
general themes, and the researcher making interpretations of the meaning of the
data (Creswell, 2009: 27). This study collected primary data by note-taking the
English phrases and sentences supposed to be metaphors and their Indonesian
translations. The data were analysed to generate and to answer the problems of
this study.
This research applied note-taking method and documentation technique in
data collection. The data were analysed to identify and determine the types of
metaphors found, to describe the subtitling strategies applied, and to analyse
universality of the metaphors. Descriptive qualitative method was then applied to
explain the analysis of this research.
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3.2
Data Source
As the primary data, a film released in DVD format entitled Sherlock
Holmes: a Game of Shadows in 2011 is used. The metaphors are identified using
the mapping of source and target domains of the metaphors. This film is the
sequel of the previous one in 2009, Sherlock Holmes. The plot picks up shortly
after the first Sherlock Holmes, with the brilliant detective is drawn even deeper
into his manic pursuit to unravel the web of murder, corruption and blackmail that
his arch enemy, Dr. James Moriarty, has woven. Meanwhile, Holmes’ long time
partner and confidante, Dr. John Watson, is preparing to wed his fiancée, Mary,
and leaves crime-solving life behind. After Holmes gets hold of a few essential
clues about Moriarty’s wicked plot, the evil genius doctor decides that he has been
putting off the problem of Sherlock Holmes for too long, and decides to confront
at the detective by targeting those closest to him.
Holmes manages to persuade Watson who is in his honeymoon period into
helping solve this final case. The two protagonists begin a journey across Europe,
following each subsequent clue they discover to the next strand in Moriarty’s
web. However, even with the help of allies like Sherlock’s older brother Mycroft,
or Sim the knife-wielding gypsy, for every step Holmes and Watson take forward,
they find that Moriarty is already two steps further ahead.
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3.3
Research Instrument
The instruments employed in the writing of this study for measurement
device were transcription and check sheet. Transcription sheet was used to note
down monologues and dialogues that contain English metaphors and their
Indonesian translation. Check sheet was used to provide a means to collect the
data as the input for the analysis.
3.4
Method and Technique of Collecting Data
The method of collecting the data is the way to collect or put all of the data
in one place in such way according to the needs of the study. In collecting the
data, the method used was documentation. This method consists of examining the
data in the form of English and Indonesian subtitle. The film was watched several
times to study and examine the English metaphors occurred.
Note-taking technique was applied to list the English metaphors found as
well as their Indonesian translation in the film. After thorough observation of the
film, the monologues and dialogues contained English metaphors were noted
down in transcription sheet. The next step was to categorize the data into check
sheet based on types of metaphors occurred, subtitling strategies applied and
universality in source and target language taken place for further analysis.
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3.5
Method and Technique of Analysing Data
Data analysis in qualitative research involves conducting different
analyses, understanding the data deeper, and making an interpretation of the larger
meaning of the data. This study applied descriptive qualitative method with text
analysis technique to understand the data identification and classification.
The analysis of the examples of English metaphors to find out their source
and target domains can be detailed as follows.
Table 3.1 Sample of metaphor analysis
English SL
Indonesian TL
I’m knee-deep in research.
Aku sibuk dengan risetku
(SHGS, 00:13:25 – 00:13:33)
The phrase ‘knee-deep’ is derived from the conceptual metaphor ‘THE
STATE OF MIND IS PHYSICAL’. To identify which type of metaphor it
belongs to, it is important to determine the source and target domain of the
metaphor beforehand. The source domain applied here is one part of human
physiology, the ‘knee’ as the physic of human body is a concrete concept. The
comparison is made to explain the target domain being described, that is, the
‘state of mind’ of the speaker. The condition of mind is an abstract concept that
can be expressed subjectively. In this example, the mind of the speaker is
apparently concentrated on his research. The nature of being ‘knee-deep’ causes
the body not to be able to move away or stuck in that very spot. It explains the
state of the speaker’s mind which is stuck in particular thoughts, in this case, his
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research. The implication is also supported by his previous statement mentioning
his unawareness of his friend’s absence.
Conceptual metaphor: The state of mind is physical
Corresponding simple metaphor: Deep is up to the knee
The metaphor apparently belongs to complex metaphor. The sub-metaphor
‘deep is up to the knee’ describes a specific-level metaphor. Having up to the
knee immovable makes the entire body not move away from that spot. It generates
the idea that the body cannot move on and the mind does not either because it is
fixed on certain things. Thus, the metaphor mapping can be described as follows.
Knee-deep (physical)  cannot move on  concentrated (state of mind)
3.6
Method and Technique of Presenting Data
The data that were collected from the data source are presented using
tables and figures with description. The tables consist of the metaphors in source
language, their source and target domains and their translations in target language.
For better scheme and understanding of the conceptual metaphors derived from
the English metaphors, source domains are underlined and target domain are
double-underlined. Further descriptions are added to give detailed information on
the application of the subtitling strategies and the universality of conceptual
metaphors; therefore, the analysis is clearer and more comprehensive.