Difference Between Journal and Magazine

Magazines vs Journals
A magazine is a periodical aimed at the general public, which contains news, opinion and personal narratives. Journals are scholarly periodicals aimed at researchers or specialists.

One can come across many differences between a journal and a magazine. Most people easily understand the articles in a magazine where as only those who know the subject that is being discussed understand the articles in a journal.

While a journal contains original research articles, magazines contain articles pertaining to current events or general interest topics. The articles in a journal contain an abstract and a bibliography. But a magazine article does not come up with abstracts and bibliographies. When journals contain elaborate write ups and provide in-depth knowledge of the topic, the articles in a magazine are brief and gives broad overviews of the topic written.

Coming to the publication, journals are published monthly or quarterly and magazines are published weekly or monthly.

When one compares the authors of a journal and a magazine, the former gives authors credentials and the later may or may not name the writer. Though a writer in a magazine could be a professional, he may or may not be an expert of the subject that he handles.

The language used in both the journal and magazine is also different. The language of journals is aimed mainly at the scholarly people with special terminology and jargons. A prior knowledge is required to understand the language used in journals. On the other hand, the language used in a magazine is understandable to every one. They are written in very simple language keeping in mind both the scholarly and the common man.

A jury of experts always reviews a journal article before it is published. But the articles in a magazine are generally reviewed or edited by the staff editors and not by experts.

One can also come across difference in the lay out. An article in a journal begins with an abstract of the contents. It contains conclusion, bibliography, charts, graphs, but rarely contains photographs. Meanwhile, magazines have eye-catching articles, including illustrations and photographs. While the journals cite sources, the magazines rarely come up with such a thing.

When magazines are profit making, the journals are meant for research purposes. As such the journals have only a few advertisements while magazines will have extensive advertisements, which are their source of income.

Summary
1.A magazine is a periodical aimed at the general public and Journals are scholarly periodicals aimed at researchers or specialists.
2.A journal contains original research articles. But a magazine contains articles pertaining to current events or general interest topics.
3.Coming to the publication, journals are published monthly or quarterly and magazines are published weekly or monthly.

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