Types of Journals

This module discusses types of publications and periodicals, with an emphasis on types of scholarly journals.

Learning Objectives

• List the main types of periodicals and distinguish between them
• Describe the characteristics of a scholarly journal
• Explain the types of scholarly journals and the differences between them

Researchers have a variety of publication options available when it is time to disseminate research findings. Choosing the correct type of publication is critical to ensure that you reach the target audience and uphold the academic integrity of your work. Therefore, it is critical to understand the terminology associated with the various types of publications and be able to recognize whether a publication is scholarly. Scholarly journals are just one type of periodical publication and researchers should understand the difference between scholarly journals and other periodicals to ensure they are choosing academic publications for sharing their research. Following are the three main types of periodical publications and their primary characteristics.

Types of Periodicals

Source:  Is it Scholarly? Distinguishing Periodical Types, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, http://www.library.illinois.edu/ugl/howdoi/pertype.html

If you are having trouble determining if a periodical is scholarly, Ulrich's Periodicals Directory may be helpful. This online resource lists all periodicals and has section that indicates periodical type. 

Scholarly Journals

Once you can determine if a publication is scholarly, you should be aware of some additional considerations and terminology:

• Peer-reviewed journals- Scholarly journals are also known as peer-reviewed journals, academic journals, and refereed journals. This refers to that the fact that articles in these journals have been subject to a peer review process. The majority of academic journals go through this process. An editorial board asks experts in the subject to review and evaluate all articles that are submitted to protect and maintain the quality and integrity of the journal. This rigorous evaluation process lends legitimacy to the research and therefore, most researchers prefer to publish in peer-reviewed journals.
• Open access journals (OA) vs. Non-open access (non-OA)- Open access literature is free, online, unrestricted access to scholarly journal articles. There are two ways authors can provide open access. The first way is by self-archiving their journal articles in an open access repository, such as PubMed. This is also known as 'green' open access. With green access, the researcher publishes in a scholarly journal first and then choses to provide open access through a repository or free online site. The second way is to publish in an open access journal, which is referred to as 'gold' open access. With this type of access, the researcher chooses to publish in an open access journal that provides free, immediate, and unrestricted access to the journal online. Non-open access journals are traditional journals that publish in print or require the reader to have an online subscription to their journal.
• Predatory Publishers -In the gold open access model, the author often pays to have their article published in the online journal. While some of these publishers do have a peer review process, researchers should be aware that many in the scholarly community feel these journals are more concerned with making money than they are sharing scholarly work. Therefore, many gold open access journals are considered "predatory" because they specifically appeal to researchers trying to publish their work who are willing to pay to do so. To uphold the academic quality of your work and maintain its integrity, it is wise to avoid these predatory journals. How do you know which journals are considered predatory? Beall's List of Predatory Journals is an online resource that is very helpful in determining which journals to avoid.

The Resource Links in this module provide additional information regarding the above topic. You can also learn more from the YouTube videos below.

Types of Journal Articles

Types of Scholarly Articles