Journals are composed of collections of academic articles, which are written by scholars and are usually read by other experts in the discipline. Journal articles can be written by anyone who has something to contribute to the field, and the type of article written will depend on the kind of information the writer wishes to share. Journal articles are often categorized as: empirical research articles, literature reviews, case studies, technical articles, theoretical articles, methodological articles, book reviews, or letters.

The most common of these is the empirical research article. These report original studies and include descriptions of why and how the work was done, as well as what was learned. Literature reviews, also very common, rely on the use of previously published materials only, but the author will read and combine these papers in order to contribute some new idea or perspective.

Journals frequently dictate the types of articles in which they are interested. According to their websites, for example: the Journal of Nanotechnology publishes research articles or review articles (2010); the Journal of Animal Sciences accepts research articles, literature reviews, technical notes, or letters (2010); and Administrative Science Quarterly publishes research articles, theoretical articles, or book reviews (2010). The kind of article written will depend on the work which has been done, and the target journal for publication.

In order to guarantee the quality of a journal, submitted writing undergoes a process of review by a committee of peers. These peers are people accepted as experts in the field of study, and have proven themselves capable as publishing researchers. The reviewers will decide whether the written article is satisfactory, needs revision, or unacceptable. Although the value of peer-review is under debate, it remains that internationally respected journals are those which utilize this system.