A periodical is a literature published with a set schedule for various purposes, ranging from entertainment to scholarly. Journals and magazines are both types of periodicals released in a set interval.
Journal vs Magazine
The main difference between a magazine and a journal is that they are aimed at different audiences. Magazines are for the general public, while journals are aimed at scholars.
Journals are the periodicals that release research and scholarly articles in a monthly schedule. They are mostly written by scholars and are aimed at the group of audience who have prerequisite knowledge of the topic at the discussion. Journals include even a bibliography and not everyone can submit an article.
Magazines are the periodicals used for entertainment of the general public through articles, fluff pieces and mainly, gossips. They are written in simple language, for the public’s understanding. Magazines are usually very vibrant and well-advertised.
Comparison Table Between Journal and Magazine
| Parameters of Comparison | Journal | Magazine |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Dull and sober colours | Vibrant and colourful |
| Contents | Includes only research and scholarly topics that provide knowledge | Includes general knowledge, gossips, celebrity news and fluff pieces. |
| Audience | Aimed at the scholars who have prerequisite knowledge of the topic in the article | Aimed at the general public |
| Details | Has in-depth knowledge about the topic being discussed | Only overviews of the topic |
| Schedule | Monthly or yearly schedule | Weekly or monthly schedule |
| Language | Can be interpreted only by scholars who are aware and familiar with the terminologies or jargons | Easily readable language and anyone can understand |
| Author | Special scholars or researchers who have been doing experiments and theories on the article | Anyone can write an article for a magazine and the name may or may not be included. |
What is Journal?
Journal is a periodical that includes only research, academic articles. It may also include personal articles that have recorded details of their research.
The articles of the journal have a decided structure. They always include bibliography and abstracts. They are mostly published in monthly or quarterly schedule.
A journal is usually only written by experts or scholars of that particular field discussed in the article. They may not be understood by the general public, as they may contain terminologies exclusive to the topic. So, they are aimed at those who have prerequisite knowledge of the topic at the discussion.
Journals are known to carry only original research works and the author or scholar are always mentioned, unlike in magazines.
What is Magazine?
Magazines are the periodicals that are aimed at the general public, with simple language and are also found in various native languages. They usually contain entertainment articles such as gossips, celebrity news, personal narratives etc.
These are weekly or monthly scheduled periodicals that are largely supported and financed by advertisements. They are always attractive and vibrant to catch audience attention.
Articles of a magazine, though interesting, are not written by specific people. They can be written by anyone and everyone, but they don’t need to be given the credits for it. Unlike, journals, magazines do not include a bibliography.
Since they do not go into in-depth knowledge in these articles, they can be about general topics or field-specific topics. They are mostly aimed to entertain or inform the general public about various topics and subjects of interest.
Main Differences Between Journal and Magazine
- The main difference between a journal and a magazine, though they both contain articles is the content they cover. Journals only cover scholarly and informative articles; researched topics are written by experts of their field. Whereas the articles of a magazine are aimed to entertain the general public, therefore they contain mostly gossips, general knowledge etc.
- One can know the difference even in their appearance. Magazines are usually colourful and vibrant to attract audience attention. They are promoted by advertising companies. But journals are dull and have sober colours. This is so the attention of the readers is not diverted from the topic at the discussion.
- The audience aimed by the two also has a striking contrast in them. While a magazine aims at the general public for their entertainment, a journal is aimed at the scholars, researchers and individual who have prior knowledge on the subject and wish to gain in-depth knowledge on them.
- A magazine does not require, nor does it have in-depth knowledge of the news or the topics of the articles. This is because they are purely for entertainment purposes, unlike the articles of a journal. The journal has complete and in-depth knowledge of the topic at the discussion. This helps the targeted audience to get the required knowledge.
- One may expect a magazine to have a weekly or monthly schedule, but the same cannot be expected from a journal. Though, they can have a monthly schedule they are mostly seen to have a quarterly or a yearly schedule.
- The authors or the writers of the contents of a magazine article can be the magazine editors or any freelance writer. But the authors of a journal are those who have done in-depth research in the field or are experts in the field. Therefore, an article in the magazine can be written by anyone.
- The language used in a magazine are easy-to-read and can also be found in many native languages for the audience comfort. They can be read and understood by anyone. Unlike magazines, for reading a journal one needs to have prior knowledge of the subject.
Conclusion
Magazines and journals are both categories of periodicals.
Magazines are the weekly or monthly scheduled periodicals that contain general topics to the interest of the public. They are only aimed at the entertainment of the audience and are usually very attractive and advertised to catch their eyes. They do not have in-depth knowledge of the articles and are easy to read and understood.
A journal is scheduled quarterly or annually. These periodicals contain in-depth knowledge of specific topics, unlike those in magazines. They are always written by experts of these fields and are targeted only to scholars or individuals doing personal research, not the general public.
References
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14786447008640422
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14786444408645047