If a student needs an article about diabetes that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which of the following would be the best tool to use?

Using a periodical database is the most effective choice for finding an article about diabetes published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Periodical databases are specifically designed to provide access to a wide range of academic and professional journals, allowing users to search for articles by keywords, authors, or titles. They typically include indexing and abstracts, making it easier to locate the specific article required.

In contrast, a library catalogue primarily focuses on cataloging books and physical materials available in the library rather than providing direct access to journal articles. Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe, while comprehensive for legal and news-related documents, may not be the best tool for accessing medical journals specifically. The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) is tailored more towards educational research and resources, and may not have the extensive medical journal coverage needed to locate an article from a specific medical journal like the Journal of the American Medical Association. Therefore, the periodical database emerges as the most suitable option for this task.