Many databases offer the option to search for "peer-reviewed" journal articles - those are academic articles reviewed by the authors' peers for accuracy during the editing and publishing process.
If you are using a database that does not have this filter option, or if you find an article citation somewhere else, you can check if the article was published in a "peer-reviewed" journal or magazine by using Ulrichsweb. Search for your journal or magazine by title and look for a little black and white striped jersey icon next to its name. 
The impact factor (IF) of an academic journal is a measure reflecting the average number of citations to recent articles published in that journal. Often it is used to help determine the relative importance of a journal within its field, with journals with higher impact factors deemed to be more important than those with lower ones.
You can find journal impact factors in the following databases.
Here are some differences between them.
| Scholarly | Popular |
| Geared to scholars, researchers, professionals | Geared to the general public |
| Long articles; in-depth coverage of research/study | Short articles summarizing research/issues |
| Articles include many bibliographical references | Few, if any, bibliographical references |
| Few ads; few photos unless related to research | Many ads and photos |
| Often issued monthly or quarterly | Usually issued weekly, monthly, or daily (newspapers) |
| Often sponsored by academic/professional group | Can find them at a bookstore or grocery store |
