Google Scholar can be helpful with particularly narrow or specialized topics. It can provides a sense of what is available on a topic. Google Scholar can often show you what is available through the Tomlinson Library databases.
One note of caution: sometimes you will be taken to a publisher's website asking for money to gain access. Never pay for an article. Use Prospector or Interlibrary Loan for free access.
Be sure to check bibliographies, works cited and notes in the useful material for your research. They provide information on whether or not the material is considered scholarly and can also give you additional sources for your own research.
Use the same search techniques to find a specific source to see if the library provides access. If not, then Prospector or Interlibrary Loan for content you can't find through the library.