Databases are searchable collections of reliable, vetted resources, like magazines, academic journals, newspapers, and encyclopedias. We pay for access to these resources through subscriptions--like Netflix, but for articles!
Databases are often categorized by topic, which means they will contain periodicals (magazines and journals) about a particular subject. Be sure to be in the database(s) that pertain to your topic.
Digitized back issues of academic journals - ideal for history research
When searching for the title of a literary work, place the work in quotation marks. This will keep all words together.