Journal Article Analysis

JOURNAL ARTICLE ANALYSIS

Food for thought: Do males and females differ in their shopping habits? Who purchases more products online and why? What age group do you think spends the most time searching for products online? What age group actually purchases the most online?

In this activity, you will analyse a journal article about US college (university) students’ online shopping behaviours. The aim is to become familiar with the structure and purpose of journal articles, which are an important part of university reading and research. You will also come across some commonly used academic terms.

Section A: The Basics

1. Use a highlighter to locate the following information on the first page of the article:

1. title of the article
2. title of the journal
3. the journal’s volume number
4. the article’s page numbers within the journal
5. the year the article was published (not the year of copyright)
6. the authors’ surnames (family names)
7. the name of the university where the authors undertake research
8. the keywords from the article
9. the ‘doi’ of the article (to be given in the reference list).

1. Which of the following is the correct way to cite the authors in the body of an assignment as per the APA referencing style? Refer to Griffith Library’s referencing tool if necessary (https://app.secure.griffith.edu.au/reference_tool/index-core.php): c

1. Seock & Bailey 2008
2. (Seock & Bailey 2008)
3. (Seock & Bailey, 2008)
4. (Seock and Bailey, 2008)
5. (Yoo-Kyoung Seock and Lauren R. Bailey)

1. Quickly scan the complete article. How many headings are there?
   Answer:_13__
   

1. Look again at these headings and then decide which of the following best describes the overall purpose of typical journal articles:

1. To report different opinions about a topic, and make a judgement about which one is the best.methodology
2. To report original research (experimentation) and discuss its significance. Discussion and implications
3. To gain prestige and convince the university to grant more money for more research.

Section B: Typical Parts of a Journal Article

1. Match the section titles above with a description below:

1. This interprets what the findings mean and talks about their implications. It tries to explain the findings, how the findings fit into the existing body of evidence and how they can be used in practice.
   Answer:______discussion________
   
2. This is a summary of the article. It usually includes the purpose of the research, the research question or issue, the main findings and the implications of the findings.
   Answer:_____abstract____
   
3. This describes in detail how the research was conducted. It includes the research design, the sample (participants), instruments (e.g. survey, interview, observation) and the procedures.
   Answer:_______methodology_______
   
4. This is a list (in alphabetical order according to the authors’ surnames) of all of the texts that were cited in the paper.
   Answer:_____references_________
   
5. This is a summary of what the research found. It usually includes both text and tables. The text answers the research questions and says whether the hypotheses were supported.
   Answer:_____ results findings and data analysis____________
   
6. This includes some background information and a statement about why the research was conducted (why it is significant). It defines the research problem and objectives.
   Answer:_______INTRODUCTION _______
   
7. This is a list of what the researchers expect to find from the research, mainly based on previous studies or theories. It is usually found near the end of the Introduction.  
   Answer:_______ Hypotheses _______
   
8. This gives a brief review of the topic from published journals and books. The aim of this review is to identify appropriate theories that will be used to discuss the research, as well as any gaps in the literature.

Answer:________ Literature Review ______

Section C: The Abstract

1. Use a highlighter to locate the following information in the Abstract:

1. the research tool (the method used to collect data)
2. the research participants (those who were studied; the sample)
3. the research aim (the purpose of investigation and examination)
4. key results (discoveries) from the research – there are two
5. potential implications (consequences) of the research.

1. The abstract lists seven ‘shopping orientation constructs’.  From the list below, tick the three that are the most important to you.

1. shopping enjoyment
2. brand/fashion consciousness
3. price consciousness
4. shopping confidence
5. convenience/time consciousness
6. in-home shopping tendency
7. brand/store loyalty.

Section D: The Introduction

1. In Paragraph 1 of the Introduction, highlight two sentences that say why this research is significant. 

1. In Paragraph 2 of the Introduction, highlight two sentences that say why college students were surveyed. 

1. Why was clothing chosen as the product in this research (Paragraph 3 of the Introduction)?
   Answer: _____________________________________________________________________

1. Highlight the aims of this research (Paragraph 4 of the Introduction).

1. Highlight the gap in the literature (in Paragraph 4 of the Introduction).

1. Usually academic articles have the section title ‘Literature Review’ but this one doesn’t. What headings are used instead?
   Answer: _____________________________________________________________________
   
2. How many hypotheses are made? Answer: ____5_

Section E: The Methodology

1. Complete the table below with information from the Methodology section.