A journal, from the Old French "journal" (meaning "daily"), can refer to several things. In its original meaning, it refers to a daily record of activities, but the term has evolved to mean any record of activities, regardless of time elapsed between entries, such as a

• Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period
• Daybook, also known as general journal, a daily record of financial transactions
• Logbook, a record of events important to the operation of a vehicle, facility, or otherwise
• Transaction journal, a chronological record of data processing

In publishing, it can also refer to various periodicals or serials:

• Academic journal, a generic term referring to academic and scholarly periodicals in general
  • Scientific journal, an academic journal focusing on science
  • Medical journal, an academic journal focusing on medicine
• Magazine, a generic catch-all term referring to non-academic or scholarly periodicals in general
  • Trade magazine, a magazine of interest to those of a particular profession or trade
  • Literary magazine, a magazine devoted to literature in a broad sense
• Newspaper, a periodical covering general news and current events in politics, business, sports and art
  • Gazette, a type of newspaper, often a newspaper of record
  • Government gazette, a government newspaper which publishes public or legal notices