Abstract
We present a method for identifying diverse metaphors used in a given scientific field, while considering how they could be most effectively applied in research and associated applications. Building on metaphors used in reference to agricultural soils, we developed this metaphorical investigation method to help gain insight into and formulate responses on par with the social-ecological issues at stake. It is essential to study and implement a range of metaphors since single metaphors partly shed light on the target issue while overlooking other aspects. The method involves identifying diverse metaphors, classifying them into metaphor sets, specifying and assessing the background elements derived from each set, as well as their limits, and supplementing these insights via exchanges with specialists on the topic at hand. This process may give rise to lively exchanges of knowledge and representations, while fostering dialogue between science and society, thereby offering—in the case of soils—new ways of viewing and studying these living environments so as to help safeguard them from degradation.