Articles will be an important resource for your research projects at ODU because most researchers will publish their findings as articles. Articles from journals will usually be scholarly, whereas articles from magazines are usually popular.

You can't always tell by the title alone.

Wall Street Journal -- journal or newspaper?

Ladies Home Journal -- journal or magazine?

Journal of the American Medical Association -- journal or magazine?

NOTE: You may hear librarians and some professors use the term "periodicals." Periodicals are publications that come out "periodically" such as journals, magazines, and newspapers.