A journal is a scholarly publication containing articles written by researchers, professors and other experts. Journals focus on a specific discipline or field of study. Unlike newspapers and magazines, journals are intended for an academic or technical audience, not general readers.
Most journals are...
- peer reviewed
- have original research
- focus on current developments
- cite other works and have bibliographies
- can be in print, online or both
Journals are published on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, etc.) and are sequentially numbered. Each copy is an issue; a set of issues makes a volume (usually, each year is a separate volume). Like newspapers and magazines, journals are also called periodicals or serials.