Student Worksheet: Analyzing a Journal Article
Name: Jasmine 11E Date: 16 August 2019
Journal article title: Recent pace of change in human impact on the world’s ocean
Step 1. What is the purpose/hypothesis/aim/objective of the study?
a. Write down the exact statement in
which the authors describe what they
were testing. (Hint: This information
may be provided in the article as a
purpose statement or as a
hypothesis). Include quotation marks
around the exact wording, and
indicate page number(s).
b. Now describe the purpose of the
study (as you understand it) in your
own words.
c. What was the “gap” in the research
that the authors were trying to fill by
doing their study?
Step 2. What is/are the major finding(s) of the study?
a. Make some notes about the authors’
major conclusions or findings as
written in the article. Include
quotation marks whenever you use
their exact wording.
“To assess pace of change in cumulative
impacts on global oceans, where and how
much that pace differs across the ocean, and
which stressors and their impacts contribute
most to those changes”
Nearly all countries saw increases in
cumulative impacts in their coastal waters,
as did all ecosystems, with coral reefs,
seagrasses and mangroves at most risk.
Mitigation of stressors most contributing to
increases in overall cumulative impacts is
urgently needed to sustain healthy oceans.
“ A fundamental gap in understanding how
humanity is affecting the oceans is our
limited knowledge about the pace of change
in cumulative impact on ocean ecosystems
from expanding human activities – and the
patterns, locations and drivers of most
significant change.”
The author found out that “most of the
ocean (59%) is experiencing significantly
increasing cumulative impact, in particular
due to climate change but also from fishing,
land-based pollution and shipping.”
b. Now write those conclusions (as you
understand them) in your own words.
I think majority of oceans in the world, or
nearly almost every ocean has been affected
by the negative impacts like climate change
but pollution, fishing and shipping also
affects the change.

Step 3. How did the authors test their hypothesis?

a. Briefly summarize the main steps or
measurements that the authors used
in their methods. Try to explain in
your own words as much as possible.
To help address this, the author combined
high resolution, annual data on the intensity
of 14 human stressors and their impact on 21
marine ecosystems over 11 years (2003–2013)
to assess pace of change in cumulative
impacts on global oceans

b. Do the authors suggest any problems The author didnt suggest any problems or
or limitations with their methodology? limitations with their methodology.
Do you see any problems or
limitations with their methodology?

c. How did the authors analyze their
data? What test/s did they use?
To determine annual change in stressor and
cumulative impacts, the author applied a
linear regression model to each raster cell
and calculate whether the slope is
significantly different from 0.

Step 4. How reliable are the results?

a. Do the authors suggest any problems The author said that they had to focus on the
with the study that could lead to change in impact over time to get more
unreliable results? accurate results.

Step 5. Based on your analysis, are the claims made in this journal article accurate?
a. Do the conclusions made (about the
results) by the author make sense to
you? Are the conclusions too broad or
too narrow based on what was
actually done in the study?
b. Based on the accuracy of the
methodology and the reliability of the
results as described in Steps 3 and 4,
do you think the conclusions can be
believed?
Step 6. What is the importance of this scientific work?
a. Write (in your own words) the
significant contributions of the
experimental work in this journal
article as reported by the authors.
b. Re-read your notes and explain why
you think this is
o a strong or weak scientific
article
o a strong or weak scientific
study
Yes. The conclusions that is written in the
journal article is accurate. The conclusions
are broad based on what was actually done
in the study.
Yes the conclusions can be believed because
the steps that the author took to test it was
very precise and the results were accurate
aswell.
There are alot of scientific contributions of
the experimental work in this journal
because basically, the journal is testing
about the recent pace that has change the
oceans by human impact. By this study,
people could be more aware of what they
should and should not do to save the oceans.
I think this is a strong for both scientific
article and study because the author gives us
a clear explanation of what is the purpose of
the study. The methods and results were also
very accurate and precise which could lead it
to a strong article and study. The conclusions
the author made was also based on what was
done in the study, thats why I think this will
be considered as a strong scientific article
and study.
Copyright University of Guelph 2013