Periodicals, Magazine, Serials, Journals are all similar terms for the items that are published regularly, i.e. periodically or in serial format.
Usually, we think of Magazines as those that we find in the checkout of the grocery or at a bookstore, with titles like, Time, HotRod, Fishing and Stream, Newsweek, O -The Oprah Magazine, Glamour, or Midwest Living. These magazines are often published monthly, with stories that are interesting and helpful to our everyday life.
The term Journals is usually reserved for Scholarly periodicals. These periodicals are usually published by professional organizations or academic institutions and consist of Reports of research written by professors or scholars in their field. Some examples are, The Journal of Management, Journal of Educational Research, Journal for the Study of Paul and His Letters, and Research in Phenomenology Often these publications are not published more than quarterly, sometimes only one or two times each year. The journals consist of articles that are long 15-30 pages and the only images are graphs or charts that reflect the research being discussed. Occasionally there will be advertisements for conferences or writing opportunities.
In between these two extremes are Trade Periodicals. These are periodicals that are helpful to professionals or practitioners. There may not be interest outside the field, but offer information that would help one do their work better. Examples of this type of periodical include Bloomberg's Business Week, Library Journal, Teaching Science, and Counseling Today. Many times they are written by practitioners. Advertisements include conferences as well as resources or books important to the field.
