Sexual source domain selection: contrasting forums and academia in American English

This research takes original data (40 pages) from both Internet forums and academic writing to compare source and target domain selection across the two registers in American English (taking a Conceptual Metaphor Theory approach). The goal of this paper is to contrast the two genres by looking at both source and target domains and considering how the two may interact depending on the register and context (though observed target domains are finite in scope). This research highlights the differences between the two registers (particularly the lack of frequency and variety of metaphor in academic writing) and generates questions that would be beneficial for future research. Though secondary, this paper also considers what sociocultural attitudes might arise from the propagation of specific metaphors and their entailments.