An academic (aka scholarly) journal is a information source containing peer-reviewed articles written by experts in a field for other experts. Academic journals are generally published on a monthly or quarterly schedule, although some are published more frequently.
Many academic journals have been published for decades. The Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering (right) has been published since 1974.
A conference proceedings is a collection of papers presented at a scientific or professional conference. Increasingly, conference papers are peer reviewed. Conference proceedings are published less frequently than journals, often only once or twice a year depending on the frequency of meetings. Some conferences are held every few years.
Conference papers and journal articles are generally indexed in the same databases and search engines.
Journal articles and conference papers have a similar structure.
Title - The title of the article or paper.
Authors - The authors' names, affiliations, and credentials.
Abstract - A brief description of the subject of the article. Author-supplied keywords may also be included.
Introduction - A description of the background, current state, and other published research relevant to the project.
Materials and Methods - A description of the materials and methods used in the project.
Results - A description and analysis of the project data and results.
Discussion - A discussion of the results, their impact on the field, and possible future prospects.
Acknowledgements - Institutions, people, and funding agencies that provided support for the project.
Bibliography (list of references) - A list of all references cited in the article. Depending on the publication, reference lists must conform to a specific style. For example, IEEE and APA styles are commonly used in engineering.