I have tried mostly 2 different search tools for gathering my research. These are google search and the digital SU library. Google search works easily for me. I just come up with a keyword that I think will produce relevant results to the topic I am intending to research. Then I enter it into the search bar and press enter. The process for the SU library, is very similar to Google Search. I just come up with a keyword and enter it into the search bar. When I search Google, I mostly come up with relevant articles about my subject, and sometimes I few blog posts on the matter. When I search the SU library, I come up with encyclopedia research, and scholarly articles.
I am hoping to find texts from encyclopedias or scholarly articles, written by well respected authors in their respected fields. The field I am researching in a general sense is diversity. I would like to find scholarly articles written by university professors that are well respected. I will work to find these fields and voices, by thoroughly searching through the results that come up on the SU library and through Google Search. Once I find a relevant course for my needs, I won’t just stop there. I will continue to find and collect new sources on top of that, that are relevant, so I can make sure I have all the research I need.
Specialized encyclopedias can have valuable information, but generally work best for pretty narrow concepts. (General-purpose encyclopedias are typically too superficial for this kind of inquiry.)
I would encourage you to dig into the scholarly literature (esp. through SU Libraries, because that will give you FREE access to everything; you’ll often bump into a paywall on Google Scholar). This is where the most up-to-date research and thinking is represented, so it makes sense to go there.
Remember, too, that you will need at least 1 primary source–those are probably best found through Google and other open web searches.