Google Scholar is another option for finding scholarly articles. If you are like most, the Google interface and search options are very familiar. This is what Google Scholar like:
This is an example of what your results will look like. It is important to note that full text access will not be available most of the time. It it is available there will be a link to the right of the title. You can see this in them example next to the first result. If the full text is available you need to ensure that has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. This is because many authors will self-archive their work, even before it has been peer-reviewed. If you are not sure ask a librarian for help. Another great feature of Google Scholar is the citation information it provides. For every result it will tell you how many publications have cited it. The more times an article has been cited the more influential it has been in its field.
Following citations is a great way to find more information on your subject. If you have found an article that meets your needs you can check the references or bibliography to see what research the author has already done.
You can then take this information and search the library's databases or Google Scholar to access the article.