Starting Your Research:
When I first started researching, I found quickly that it wasn't easy finding sources on this topic. Initially when you search "gap year" the actual concept of a gap year does not turn up. You have to use quotations around the phrase "gap year" for results regarding time off between school to come up. Even then, there are a lot of vague article that come up that are not super helpful if you're looking for study and research on the effects of a gap year. My advice is to start researching knowing what kind of effects you would like to know about. For example, one subject I wanted to focus on was students and the job market, and how a gap year could affect that so I used Boolean terms to specify my searches.
Examples:
"gap year" AND "job market"
graduates AND "job market"
students AND employability
Other examples can be found on the home page under the keywords section. The keywords were the most helpful part of this research.
Databases:
Because this subject does not generate many sources, I found that it's best to start straight on the library's OneSearch page. When it comes to specific databases, Proquest was helpful, as was Educator's Reference Complete.
Other Advice:
Be sure that the research you find is not biased. There are a lot of programs out there looking to promote themselves that do not have an impartial view on the subject. This was an issue I came across. Try to avoid blogs, unless they're from established organizations. I still looked into college websites offering explanations about gap years because I wanted to see what colleges advertise gap years as.
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