In
academic publishing, a
scientific
journal is a
periodical
publication intended to further the progress of
science,
usually by reporting new
research.
There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many
more have been published at various points in the past (see
list of scientific journals).
Most journals are highly specialized, although some of the oldest
journals such as
Nature publish articles and
scientific papers across a wide range of
scientific fields. Scientific journals contain articles that have been
peer
reviewed, in an attempt to ensure that articles meet the journal's
standards of quality, and scientific
validity.
Although scientific journals are superficially similar to
professional
magazines,
they are actually quite different. Issues of a scientific journal are
rarely read casually, as one would read a magazine. The publication of
the results of research is an essential part of the
scientific method. If they are describing experiments or
calculations, they must supply enough details that an independent
researcher could repeat the experiment or calculation to verify the
results. Each such journal article becomes part of the permanent
scientific record.
Articles in scientific journals can be used in research and higher
education. Some classes are partially devoted to the explication of
classic articles, and
seminar classes can consist of the presentation by
each student of a classic or current paper. In a scientific research
group or
academic department it is usual for the
content of current scientific journals to be discussed in
journal
clubs.
The standards that a journal uses to determine publication can vary
widely. Some journals, such as
Nature,
Science,
PNAS, and
Physical Review Letters, have a
reputation of publishing articles that mark a fundamental breakthrough
in their respective fields. In many fields, an informal hierarchy of
scientific journals exists; the most prestigious journal in a field
tends to be the most selective in terms of the articles it will select
for publication, and will also have the highest
impact
factor. It is also common for journals to have a regional focus,
specializing in publishing papers from a particular country or other
geographic region, like
African Invertebrates.
Articles tend to be highly technical, representing the latest
theoretical research and experimental results in the field of science
covered by the journal. They are often incomprehensible to anyone except
for researchers in the field and advanced students. In some subjects
this is inevitable given the nature of the content. Usually, rigorous
rules of
scientific writing are enforced by the
editors; however, these rules may vary from journal to journal,
especially between journals from different publishers.
Source: Wikipedia
