Google Scholar is a specialty search engine that can sometimes return results considered to be scholarly resources.
Scholarly resources tend to be peer-reviewed journal articles, or websites and books maintained and created by a reputable expert of the field of focus.
Peer-reviewed resources (also known as refereed resources) are highly-favored because they go through several rigorous evaluations by other experts in the field before publication.
With all of this in mind, it is important to note that Google Scholar is NOT perfect; it can and will often suggest papers or presentations written by other students, self-published books and periodicals, and even works that haven't been peer-reviewed—in other words, non-scholarly resources! Not to mention all of the results that are guarded by a paywall...PLEASE NEVER PAY FOR RESOURCES!
RESEARCH DATABASES RULE...LITERALLY!
Online research databases purchased and maintained by your institution will ALWAYS be the preference, the standard, and the rule. But, what if you have exhausted all of the resources provided to you by Lone Star? Read on to learn how Google Scholar might help you when you feel like you're out of options!