Grasping the structure of journal articles: Utilizing the functions of information units

Few studies have been done concerning document components and their effects on information use. This research empirically tested a taxonomy of functional units in a prototype journal system. This taxonomy was developed by identifying functions of the smallest information units within four journal article components (i.e., introduction, methods, results, discussion), and their associations with information tasks of using journal articles. Experimental results show that functional units can be utilized in supporting navigation, close reading, comprehension, and information use of journal articles to various extents. The results provide evidence that an individual functional unit has varying relevance to information use tasks, and has varying relevance to other functional units in the same or another component for a particular task. This research suggests that the information within a journal article can be organized and presented by functions to enhance effectiveness and efficiency in reading process and reading outcome.