What is the difference between a journal and a magazine and when is it appropriate to use each type of source?
Answer
Journals - contain articles that are written for a scholarly audience by experts in the journal's subject area. Journals usually have editorial boards, composed of subject experts, who review articles for authority and accuracy prior to them being published. Information appearing in journals is more credible than what you might find in a magazine. Journals usually contain very little advertising and when they do, the advertisements are usually strongly related to the journal's subject.
Magazines - are written for every day reading and usually contain a large amount of advertising, pictures and other enticements. Magazine articles are written by staff writers who usually do not have a specialization on the topic at hand and may write articles on a variety of topics. Magazine articles are usually written for a laymen's audience.