2016.12.07 how to reverse engineer a journal article
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How to Reverse-engineer a Journal Article
Professor Rebekah Russell-BennettQueensland University of Technology
NUI Galway – December 2016
Why reverse-engineer an article?
What is RE?
Extracting knowledge
or ‘blueprint’
Discover the
methods for writing
YOUR article
Efficiency (why
reinvent the
wheel?)
Effective use of
resources (time, money,
self-esteem)
Increase likelihood of success (if it looks
like a duck….)
Caveat: This is only one way to write an article it is not THE only way.
The proof it worksTemplate:
Harris and Reynolds 2003 –writing up qualitative findings (producing a model and propositions)
Published articleLeo and Russell-
Bennett 2012 – Journal of Marketing Management (ERA A) article on qualitative findings for customer-oriented deviance.
Steps to reverse-engineering a journal article1. Pick your target2. Read the author requirements3. Find an example article4. Deconstruct the article5. Reconstruct your article-structure6. Add your content7. Identify papers to cite
1. Pick your target You either:
design your research around the requirements of the journal Or
Find the journal where your research will fit
V
2. Author RequirementsIt might sound crazy but READ the author requirements
published on the journal websiteExample: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
http://www.springer.com/business+%26+management/journal/11747 What are the aims/scope? Will your research fit?
In order for a manuscript to be published in JAMS it must, at the minimum, meet the following criteria:
Focus on a substantive issue in the domain of marketing Offer fundamentally new insights that advance the field Be literature-based and scholarly Demonstrate conceptual rigor Provide evidence of methodological rigor, if an empirical piece
If you think your research fits then commence – if not find another journal
3. Find an exemplar article Articles have conventions of setting up
research and reporting findings. Find an example article in your chosen journal
that uses the same analysis technique Multilevel regression: Homburg and Furst 2011 Experiment: Du, Fan and Feng 2011
12th Century manuscript
Requirements• Illumination• Colour• Latin• Large opening
capital letter
19th Century manuscript
Requirements• Italics, bold and
underlined headings
• Direct quotes• Black and white
4. Deconstruct the example article(s)Step 1. Heading structure and
paper formatStep 2. StyleStep 3 ContributionStep 4 Purpose and key
frameworksStep 5 logic and structureStep 6 Synthesis techniquesStep 7 ConventionsStep 8 Linking findings back to
literature
4.1 Heading structure and paper formatHow many heading levels?How many words in each section?Where is the emphasis?Open up a new word doc:
Type up the headings with word count
4.2 StyleStep 2. Style
Title: Quirky? Every variable in your model?Language style
US? British? English Passive vs active Readership age
Score Notes90.0–100.0 easily understood by an average 11-year-old student
60.0–70.0 easily understood by 13- to 15-year-old students0.0–30.0 best understood by university graduates
4.3 ContributionImportance of researchIdentify Gap, RQ and contribution in
Introduction and discussionHow do they ‘frame’ the contribution?In which paragraphs is this stated? Add this to
your word docCan you see the relationship between gap and
contribution? Gap and RQ?What is the scope of the research?At what level of cognition is the article
operating? (Bloom’s Taxonomy)?
4.4 Purpose and key frameworksWhat is the goal and aim of research (should link
to RQ)?In which paragraph is this stated?How is theory used in the front section of the
paper?What theories, definitions are used and where
are they stated?What are the seminal papers in the field (how do
you know?)
4.5 Logic and StructureWhat is the purpose of each section?What is the purpose of each paragraph?Write this for each section and paragraph on
your word doc
4. 6 Synthesis techniqueHow do they synthesise the literature?Do they use visuals?
Mindmaps, tables, lists, figuresList techniques you might use in your word doc
4.7 ConventionsHow is the hypotheses/proposition phrased?How are the results reported?
Sample, measures, validity/reliabilityTable format for results
Add these conventions to your word doc
5. Draft structure for your articleUsing the notes from the deconstruction, draft
up your own structureLevel 1, 2 and 3 headingsNumber of wordsPurpose of each sectionKey words for each paragraphWording of hypotheses/propositionsLocation of gap/RQ – top and tailLanguageConventions
6. Reconstruct: Now add your own contentTake content from your thesis and pair it downWhat is your research topic?What is your key contribution?What is a good title that ‘fits’ the journal?What are your headings (this builds your logic
structure)?What is the purpose of each of your sections/paragraphs?How should you word your
hypotheses/propositions?Add the tables and reporting requirementsManchester Uni Phrasebank
7. Who do you need to cite?You should continue a conversation in
a journal It shows you are familiar with the
journalOne of the authors in the journal may
be a reviewerSearch the journal
Keywords that are in your articleTopic area of your researchSeminal authors cited in your research
Read the articles and work out if you should cite them in your article