Journal
- Contains scholarly articles with abstracts and references (e.g., footnotes, parenthetical references, citations).
- Submissions are peer reviewed [this means that the scholar's work is evaluated for publication by experts or researchers in the field (academic peers) to decide if the work meets professional standards].
- The author's tone is serious and s/he uses words and ideas that are understood by experts but might be harder for a general reader to understand.
- In print journals, the layout may include graphs and charts, but few photos, pictures and ads. For example, see Cell Research.
- In the growing number of peer reviewed electronic journals, color and design elements are more prominent. For example, see BMC Biology.
- Often published by an academic or professional organization, a journal is designed to advance knowledge or publish research findings in a scholarly discipline.
Magazine
- Appeal to a general audience, although depth ranges from substantive to simple.
- In all good writing, concepts are explained, but the author does not provide the rigorous proof or methodology evident in scholarly work. IN magazines designed for a more educated audience, a short list of books for further reading may follow an article, but footnotes are rare.
- Eye-catching pictures, colorful design elements and fonts, and many ads are evident. For example, see Psychology Today magazine or The New Yorker.
- The goal of a magazine is to attract, inform and entertain general readers.
Reference: NoodleTools Knowledge Base
