Evaluation of metaphor identification procedure VU (MIPVU) by the criteria of a truly scientific method

Due to the growing scholarly interest in metaphor in language, discourse, and thought within cognitive linguistics, metaphor identification is now the center of attention. A lot of methods have been developed to identify metaphors with different degrees of accuracy. The algorithms are based on different theoretical premises; their developers pursue various goals, for example, fully automated computer metaphor search. In order to choose the most reliable method for a given study, it is necessary to evaluate the existing methods by a number of specifically designed criteria. This article is aimed at evaluating Metaphor Identification Procedure VU (MIPVU) by nine criteria that in Russian scientific tradition are considered to be useful for determining whether a method is truly scientific. Before the evaluation is given, the essence of MIPVU (including all steps) is described and a context is analyzed with the help of the procedure, so this paper can also be used for initial familiarization with the procedure.