Editing Scientific journal (section)

{{Short description|Periodical journal publishing scientific research}}
{{About||broader coverage|Academic journal|and|Scientific literature|scientific magazines|List of science magazines}}
{{Redirect|Science journal|the journal "Science"|Science (journal){{!}}''Science'' (journal)|the defunct "Science Journal"|New Scientist{{!}}''New Scientist''}}
{{Merge to|Academic journal|discuss=Talk:Scientific journal#Merge with Academic journal|date=March 2025}}
[[File:Nature cover, November 4, 1869.jpg|thumb|Cover of the first issue of ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'' (4 November 1869)]]

In academic publishing, a '''scientific journal''' is a [[Periodical literature|periodical publication]] designed to further the progress of science by disseminating new research findings to the scientific community.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=September 2017 |title=What Are Scientific Journals? |url=https://www.apa.org/advocacy/research/defending-research/scientific-journals |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923134122/https://www.apa.org/advocacy/research/defending-research/scientific-journals |archive-date=September 23, 2021 |access-date=2023-01-26 |website=American Psychological Association}}</ref> These journals serve as a platform for researchers, scholars, and scientists to share their latest discoveries, insights, and methodologies across a multitude of scientific disciplines. Unlike [[Professional magazine|professional]] or [[Trade magazine|trade magazines]], the articles are mostly written by scientists rather than staff writers employed by the journal. Scientific journals are characterized by their rigorous [[peer review]] process, which aims to ensure the [[Validity (statistics)|validity]], [[Reliability (statistics)|reliability]], and [[Data quality|quality]] of the published content.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> In peer review, submitted articles are reviewed by active scientists (peers) to ensure scientific rigor. With origins dating back to the [[17th century]], the publication of scientific journals has evolved significantly, advancing scientific knowledge, fostering academic discourse, and facilitating collaboration within the scientific community.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />

{{As of|2012}}, it is estimated that over 28,100 active scientific journals are in publication, with scopes ranging from the general sciences, as seen in journals like ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'' and ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'', to highly specialized fields.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> These journals publish a variety of articles including [[Research|original research]], [[Review article|review articles]], and [[Opinion piece|perspectives]], each serving distinct purposes in academia. The advent of electronic publishing has made scientific journals more accessible and efficient, and reduced costs.<ref name="Heller" />{{Obsolete source|reason=This article was written in 1998 and is mostly speculation about what electronic publishing will be like (much of it now demonstrably incorrect)|date=March 2025}}

Scientific journals also play a role in keeping researchers informed about the latest developments in their field, supporting the integrity of research through [[reproducibility]] and replicability,<ref name=":5" /> and influencing the direction of future research endeavors.