一、主要分类

Journal期刊：刊登关于某特殊主题的文章的期刊

magazine杂志：综合性内容的期刊

transactions(学会等的)议事录,会报,会刊

proceedings记录, 会议录; 年[学]报; (科学文献)汇编

二、IEEE分类

IEEE的paper大体分为3类，letter, magazine, journal/transaction.

IEEE Letter:属于快报形式，一般发表最新的研究成果，文章要求短小，理论推导要求不高。

IEEE Magazine:这才是属于杂志类，一般要求用文字和图表来表述些最新研究成果，不允许有过多的公式推导

IEEE Jour/Trans:这两个属于同一类，期刊杂志，但两者面向的读者和表达方式上略有不同。两者都需要有很大的创新点，和比较详细的公式推导。

Trans:具体到一个相对较细的专业方向上，如IEEE Trans. Sign.Proc.。

而jour:面向的读者群却更加广泛,如IEEEJ-SAC,所以jour需要对背景知识有更加全面的介绍。虽然jour没有trans.的专注度高，但是其理论深度的要求也很高，而且其影响因子往往远远高于Trans.

三、其他说明

1 仅从目标来说， Transaction, Journal, Letter 仅仅是名称不同而已 。以IEEE协会的出版物为例

The mission of IEEE Transactions, Journals, and Letters is toprovide archival publications that are of lasting value to theengineering community. These periodicals provide the professionwith content that has been peer-reviewed and published with theobjective of creating an historical account of progress in thefield.

两个重点： 1）是为了提供一个保存有长久价值的知识的出版品；2） 经过 peer-review 的程序 。

2 但是如果要更细分這三种出版品的話, 先以 IEEE Power Electronics Letters 和 IEEETransactions on Power Electronics 为例说明 Letter 和Transaction的不同：

 1）IEEE Power Electronics Letters

 This electronic publication will be devoted tothe rapid publication of short manuscripts of archival value in thegeneral area of power electronics. Power electronics is theunderlying technology for a vast portion of electrical energyprocessing.

 2）IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics

 The development of power electronics technology.This technology encompasses the effective use of electroniccomponents, the application of circuit theory and designtechniques, and the development of analytical tools towardefficient electronic conversion, control, and conditioning ofelectric power.

可以看到的是, Letter 的内容通常是 Short Paper,有即时性的, 而 Transaction 收录的内容则没有这个在时间上的特性.

3 至于Journal 的內容,是属于比较难的。Journal 所收录的內容介于Transaction 及 Letter之间,可收录Short Paper 也可收录 Regular Paper. 以 IEEE Journal of QuantumElectronics 为例：

IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics is published monthly.Itcomprises original contributions, both regular papers and letters,in the broad field of the science and technology of quantumelectronics of either a device-, subject-, or system-orientednature. IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society Field of InterestLasers, optical devices, optical fibers and associated lightwavetechnology and their application in systems and subsystems, inwhich the quantum electronic devices are key elements. The Societyis concerned with the research,development, design, manufacture,and applications of materials, devices and systems, and with thevarious scientific and technological activities which contribute tothe useful expansion of the field of quantum electronics andapplications.

除了 IEEE, 在通信科学领域另一个重量级学会 ACM,对于命名一个 New Publication 则有下列建议：

Proposedname of new publication

If this is apeer-reviewed journal it will probably be called ACM Transactionson XXX (although there are some exceptions).Other ACM publicationsmust use other names. You may propose a single name or severalpossible names for the Board to consider.

在选择名字时还要考虑到它的类型：

Format andtype of publication

Are youproposing a peer-reviewed journal, a magazine, an onlinenewsletter, or some other type of publication? Are you proposing aprint publication or an online-only publication? How frequentlywill this publication publish new articles? How long will a typicalarticle be? How many articles will be included in each issue? Willthis publication include something other than traditional articles(software, multimedia, message boards, etc.)

另外, 在其中有这么一句话：

Pleaseprovide an overview of the proposed editorial process. Willarticles go through a full refereeing process, or a less rigorousreview process (transactions must use a refereeing process)

这就说明了 Transaction必须经过Refereeing才可以 。

如果有人对其他形式的 publication 如 magazine, newsletter, proceeding 有兴趣 IEEE的 IEEE Policy 6.6 倒是有一些描述可供參考.