How to Reverse-engineer a Journal Article

Professor Rebekah Russell-Bennett

Queensland University of Technology

National University of Ireland, Galway, 2014

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….)

Why reverse-engineer an article?

Caveat: This is only one way to write an article it is not THE only way.

Template: Harris and Reynolds

2003 –writing up qualitative findings (producing a model and propositions)

Published article Leo and Russell-Bennett

2012 – Journal of Marketing Management (ERA A) article on qualitative findings for customer-oriented deviance.

The proof it works

1. Pick your target

2. Read the author requirements

3. Find an example article

4. Deconstruct the article

5. Reconstruct your article-structure

6. Add your content

7. Identify papers to cite

Steps to reverse-engineering a journal article

Deconstruction Phase

You either:

design your research around the requirements of the journal

Or

Find the journal where your research will fit

1. Pick your target

V

It might sound crazy but READ the author requirements published on the journal website Example: 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

2. Author requirements

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

3. Find an exemplar article

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

Step 1. Heading structure and paper format

Step 2. Style

Step 3 Contribution

Step 4 Purpose and key frameworks

Step 5 logic and structure

Step 6 Synthesis techniques

Step 7 Conventions

Step 8 Linking findings back to literature

4. Deconstruct the example article(s)

How 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

4.1 Heading structure and paper format

Step 2. Style

Title: Quirky? Every variable in your model?

Language style

US? British? English

Passive vs active

Readership age

4.2 Style

Score Notes

90.0–100.0 easily understood by an average 11-year-old student

60.0–70.0 easily understood by 13- to 15-year-old students

0.0–30.0 best understood by university graduates

Importance of research

Identify Gap, RQ and contribution in Introduction and discussion

How do they ‘frame’ the contribution?

In which paragraphs is this stated? Add this to your word doc

Can 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)?

4.3 Contribution

What 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?)

4.4 Purpose and key frameworks

What is the purpose of each section?

What is the purpose of each paragraph?

Write this for each section and paragraph on your word doc

4.5 Logic and structure

How do they synthesise the literature?

Do they use visuals?

Mindmaps, tables, lists, figures

List techniques you might use in your word doc

4. 6 Synthesis technique

How is the hypotheses/proposition phrased?

H1. Materialism has a negative association with life satisfaction

Vs

When conferred in the presence of others, preferential treatment that is earned (vs. unearned) will result in increased (vs. attenuated) satisfaction with a shopping experience.

How are the results reported?

Sample, measures, validity/reliability

Table format for results

Add these conventions to your word doc

4.7 Conventions

Reconstruction Phase

Using the notes from the deconstruction, draft up your own structure

Level 1, 2 and 3 headings Number of words Purpose of each section Key words for each paragraph Wording of hypotheses/propositions Location of gap/RQ – top and tail Language Conventions

5. Draft structure for your article

Take content from your thesis and pair it down

What 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 purp

ose of each of your sections/paragraphs?

How should you word your hypotheses/propositions?

Add the tables and reporting requirements

Manchester Uni Phrasebank

6. Reconstruct: Now add your own content

You should continue a conversation in a journal It shows you are familiar with the journal

One of the authors in the journal may be a reviewer

Search the journal Keywords that are in your article

Topic area of your research

Seminal authors cited in your research

Read the articles and work out if you should cite them in your article

7. Who do you need to cite?

Pay attention to the details

Punctuation

Spelling

Grammar

8. Proofing and editing