In this paper we seek to provide a foundation for the study of the level of use of objectoriented techniques in Java programs in general, and scientific applications in particular. In particular we investigate the profiles of Java programs from a number of perspectives, including the use of class library methods, the size of methods called, the mode of invoke instruction used and the polymorphicity of call sites. We also present a categorisation of the nature of small-sized methods used in Java programs. We compare the Java Grande and SPEC JVM98 benchmark suites, and note a significant difference in the nature and composition of these suites, with the programs from the Java Grande suite demonstrating a less object-oriented approach.