Journals

Journals are periodical publications that collect and present written works in a defined field. In scholarly contexts, journals publish original research, reviews, case studies, and methodological articles. They are typically overseen by an editorial board and employ a peer-review process to assess quality before publication. The term also refers to personal or professional logbooks, diaries, or journals used to record daily events, observations, or reflections, and to trade or professional magazines that address industry news rather than original research.

Scholarly journals are organized by discipline and may be indexed in bibliographic databases. Submissions go through manuscript screening, peer review, possible revision, and eventual publication. Articles include a title, abstract, keywords, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, and references, and are assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and an ISSN.

Access and metrics: Most journals are published on a regular schedule (monthly, quarterly). Many are available in print and online; open access models (gold, green) allow free access with varying licenses. Journals are indexed in services like Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed; impact factor and other metrics gauge influence but have limitations.

History and distinction: The first scientific journals appeared in the 17th century (for example, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society). Journals differ from magazines in that they emphasize scholarly contribution and evidence, whereas magazines focus on general interest content. Personal journals or diaries differ further as private records of experiences.

Preservation and ethics: Libraries preserve journals; authorship, plagiarism, conflicts of interest are governed by publication ethics and guidelines.