As an alternative to using Google as your primary search engine use Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com/ . Google Scholar works the same way as a regular Google search does, but instead of searching the entire internet, it searches only through scholarly research.
Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/rr/tools.html. The Library of Congress contains a variety of online databases that can be helpful in researching any topic.
"A Research Guide for Students"- a website that can help students with everything from understanding literary classics like The Great Gatsby and Macbeth to writing a research report: http://www.aresearchguide.com/