General considerations
Local journals are usually journals publishing content specific to a localised area, such as a country or region, or originates and/or publishes content from an academic society or professional organisation. An example is the British Journal of Haematology from the British Society for Haematology. In contrast, international journals have a global reach and cover a broader spectrum of research topics and problems. As a result, international journals are more desirable for authors to publish in owing to their broader readership and higher citation rates. Local journals typically have limited outreach owing to their narrower scope and readership. As a result, local journals typically have lower rejection rates of papers and thus can be an easier target journal. Local journals are usually recognised by the name of the country in the title, e.g. The Brazilian Journal of Microbiology. There are exceptions, such as The American Naturalist, which is a highly cited and thus considered an international journal.
Practical example for Life Sciences
Within the life sciences, examples of local journals include Acta Biológica Colombiana, which specialises in biology in the Neotropics, and the African Journal of Ecology, which focuses on ecology and conservation in Africa. International journals include Nature, Functional Ecology, and Trends in Ecology and Evolution.
Practical example for Social Sciences
Within the social sciences, journals published by European-based organisations are quite highly regarded, such as The European Journal of Social Psychology.