To search for articles, if you know the broad area your subject is under, a specialize database such as ATLA Religion Database for religious topics is a good place to start.
Articles in scholarly encyclopedias and dictionaries help you orient yourself when you are starting a research project. These articles give you an overview of your topic and often suggest influential books and articles about the topic.
Here's a video about how to search the most popular database for SOT and Christian Ministry students.
Please watch this more advanced video about the ATLA Religion Database,
teaching you how to search its unique index of Scripture passages.