Journals and magazines are printed on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, etc.) and both contain articles. However, the term "journal" generally implies a scholarly publication. On the other hand, the term "magazine" usually indicates a publication with popular interest.
These are a special kind of scholarly journal. A peer-reviewed journal contains articles that are reviewed by experts in the field before the journal is published.
How do you know if a journal is peer-reviewed?
Print journals will sometimes indicate inside the front cover if the journal is peer-reviewed.
Databases that provide access to scholarly journal articles often have filters that allow you to search for just peer-reviewed articles.
When in doubt, go to the journal's homepage and look for instructions for authors. This will generally indicate if the articles are peer-reviewed prior to publication.
Visit our Library Reading Room to view the following publications. Can you tell the difference between a journal and magazine?
Examples of Peer-Reviewed Journals
Examples of Scholarly Journals (that are not peer-reviewed)
Popular Magazines