What is a scientific journal for articles

In detail

A scientific journal is not just a website with articles and not any publication with an international-sounding title. It is a publishing venue that functions as part of scholarly communication.

A scientific journal usually has

• a stable title;
• an ISSN;
• a publisher;
• an editorial board;
• author guidelines;
• an archive of issues;
• a manuscript review system;
• publication and ethics policies.

A scientific journal may publish

• original research articles;
• review articles;
• short communications;
• case studies;
• methods papers;
• editorials;
• letters.

What distinguishes it from an ordinary information site

• serial/periodic publication;
• a formalized editorial procedure;
• the presence of metadata;
• preservation of an archive;
• orientation toward a scholarly rather than entertainment or promotional function.

When choosing a journal, it is useful for an author to check

• whether it has an ISSN;
• whether the publisher is identified;
• whether an archive of issues exists;
• whether there is a peer review policy;
• where the journal is indexed;
• whether information about the editorial board and submission rules is openly available.

What is important to remember

A scientific journal is a regular academic publication, not just a place where one can post a text.