A
trade journal or trade magazine is a
periodical,
magazine or
publication printed with the intention of
target marketing to a specific
industry or type of
trade/
business. The collective term for this area of publishing is the
trade press.
Trade journals typically contain advertising content focused on the industry in question with little if any general-audience advertising. They also generally contain industry-specific job notices, a highly pertinent aspect to many readers. Many trade publications can also be considered
newsmagazines with a very specific topical focus.
Some trade journals operate under controlled circulation, meaning the publisher decides who may receive free subscriptions based on each individual's qualification as a member of the trade. This allows a high level of certainty that advertisements will be received by the advertiser's target audience.
In some instances, the boundary between trade publication and
peer-reviewed journal has blurred. One such example is
BioTechniques, which contains peer-reviewed technical reports and technology reviews while containing heavy advertising content, a significant proportion of the articles being authored by or in collaboration with vendors who advertise in the same issue.
Trade journals and magazines
List of trade publishers
