Database vs Journal vs Article 

Database: A database is a collection of data that is typically stored and accessed electronically, and in many cases, online. In library research, it is where you find online journals and articles. Databases can be subject specific and can contain millions of articles. They typically contain interfaces that allow you to create search strategies that help you find the information that you are looking for. They allow you to look for information about a subject across thousands of journals simultaneously, making the process much more efficient than if you were looking through individual journals. Databases can include various types of publications including journals, newspapers, magazines, etc. They can be either subject specific (eg. Music) or multidisciplinary (eg. the Arts and Humanities). They usually have very strong search engines that let you limit your search very specifically (peer-review, date range, etc), and typically give access to full text. You can also access databases from home using your UTORid. 

Journal: Journals are scholarly publications that contain articles written on a specific subjects by researchers, professors, and other experts in a specific field. Academic journals are often peer-reviewed. Journals typically focus on one specific discipline or field of study. They are intended for an academic audience: those that are doing research. Many journals have a peer review process. They contain original research and have extensive bibliographies. They can be found both in print and online. Additionally, they are published on a regular basis (quarterly; once a month). Each individual journal is an issue, and issues make up a volumes. Volumes are often associated with a specific year. 

Peer-Reviewed Article: A journal article is normally a piece of research that has been published by an academic working in a specific field. It is normally evaluated by several researchers or subject specialist in the academic community prior to accepting it for publication. You can normally search in databases specifically for peer-reviewed journals, or check Ulrich's Periodical Directory in order to see if the are peer reviewed. Other jarticles are not peer reviewed, especially those published for popular magazines or newpapers.