Any record of occurrences, experiences and reflections will make a journal. The only other criterion is that it should be done on a regular basis. Journals could be a record of accounting transactions, a ship’s log or a record of daily proceedings. Personal musings written down and done on a regular basis is also called a diary. Now, these musings and personal views are shared in the internet and are called blogs.

The characteristic of a good journal will depend on the subject being recorded. In finance, an accounting journal should have relevance and reliability. They should be specific because the components will be used in analysis. A personal journal need not be as concrete. It should be able to be a reflection of what the person writing it really is.