Uses of Figures and Tables from Scholarly Journal Articles in Teaching and Research

Abstract

This paper describes how scientists utilize specific journal article components, the tables, figures, maps, photographs, and graphs contained in journal articles, to support both their teaching and research. These findings are taken from a comprehensive investigation into scientistsâ satisfaction with and use of a prototype retrieval system that indexes tables and figures culled from scientific journal articles. Rather than focusing on seeking and searching, this paper summarizes four ways in which scientists utilize the information they find in tables and figures obtained from journal articles. While the first type of use described here, creating new fixed documents, confirms the findings of previous research, the other three types of use reveal emerging practices with journal article components: creating documents to support performative activities; making comparisons between a scientistâ s own work and the work of other researchers; and creating other information forms and objects.