It depends on many factors as pointed out by many researchers. Journal is just one of the many reliable channels to disseminate scientific information.

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Using Knowledge and Technology to Improve the Quality of Life of People who have Disabilities: A Prosumer Approach by Laura A. Edwards

Chapter V: Information Channels & Dissemination Strategies

"The effectiveness of a given dissemination strategy depends on factors such as the characteristics of the innovation, the target audience, and the information channel. The strategy that works well for transmitting general information to the masses may be inappropriate for communicating specific research findings to policy makers. The strategy that works well for diffusing technological innovations among organizations may not be compatible with dissemination strategies linked to the development of third world countries. Strategies designed for reaching one minority group may not fit well with another minority group. Getting the proper fit among the innovation, information channel, purpose, and target audience is important. While the prosumer approach will help facilitate the dissemination process in ways not possible under the old paradigm, understanding channels for communication and how these are changing is essential to effective utilization efforts under either paradigm.

The information channels around which to strategize range from mass media to mass mailings, from print media to electronic media, from telephone contacts to face-to-face contacts. Purposes include informing, educating, and selling. The ultimate purpose may be to change attitudes and behaviors. Target audiences may be policymakers, service providers, consumers, organizations, or communities. Target audiences may include varied ethnic or minority groups. On the other hand, targeted audiences may include a given socio-economic level, educational level, or special interest category. No one channel assures success of the innovation (Pelz, 1983:22-23). The usefulness of each channel varies for differing innovations, for differing stages in the inno vation process, and for soft vs. hard technology transfer.

Creating the proper fit begins with understanding the effectiveness areas of each media. Creating the proper fit also includes recognizing that no one channel is always sufficient (Reardon & Rogers, 1988). Sometimes the interplay among the varied channels generate awareness and interest simultaneously or sequentially. People may hear of an innovation via mass media but pursue it themselves only after a friend or acquaintance has introduced them to it in a comfortable setting. Reardon and Rogers (1988:286-287) caution against dichotomous separation of dissemination strategies into mass media and interpersonal. Each contributes to the other over time through the various stages of adoption proposed by Rogers (1983): knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation.

The channels highlighted include mass media (e.g., radio, television, teletext, videotext, newspapers, magazines, comics), personal contacts (e.g., informal: family, friends, neighbors, druggists, mail carrier; formal: change agents, consultants), information service systems (e.g., libraries, online databases), training and educational programs (e.g., professional preparation, workshops, computer-assisted), and other (e.g., billboards, posters).

Characteristics of communication channels worthy of note, according to Rogers (1986:21), are: message flow, source knowledge of the audience, segmentation, degree of interactivity, feedback, asynchronocity, socioemotional vs. task-related content, nonverbal, control of the communication flow, and privacy afforded. He charted these characteristics across face-to-face interpersonal communication, interactive (machine-assisted interpersonal) communication, and mass media."