You can use Google to find background information. Assess the reliability and integrity of the information. (See the box below about this.)
Some tips:
Use the Google Advanced Search to do a precise search. Then, evaluate one of the webpages that come up. The resource below provides ideas about how to evaluate websites.
Wikipedia is a good stepping-stone to other material, but make sure you confirm the information independently. Also, concerning the reliability of Wikipedia, see this Wikipedia article "Reliability of Wikipedia".
Web resources can be rich sources of information on a topic, but when conducting research, it's important to consider the quality and accuracy of sites you visit on the open web. Use the CRAPP test to determine whether a web resource is trustworthy: