A journal may 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, an academic or scholarly periodical; Scientific journal, an academic journal focusing on science; Medical journal, an academic journal focusing on medicine; Magazine, 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.