The internet is often the initial place researchers start there research, and can be a powerful tool for preliminary information or locating references in papers just like articles, or books. While websites are seldom scholarly in the way that scholarly monographs or peer reviewed articles are, you DO want to make sure the websites you use have information that is current, relevant, accurate, reliable, and unbiased, and published by someone who knows what they're talking about.
Copy your search terms into Google Advanced Search. From there, limit to a specific domain, such as .gov, .edu, or .ucsb.edu. Additionally, you can limit by file type. Reports will typically be .pdf files.
You can also try the advanced search on Startpage for some high quality and ad-free results.
Although long viewed by academics and scholars with skepticism, Wikipedia can be an excellent place to start your research, if done critically.
Wikipedia is the world's largest, freely available, and most accessed general reference source on the Internet. [1] It is collaboratively edited by volunteers, though maintained and supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. [1]
As a reference text, it is generally recommended that researchers use it as a starting point when beginning a project. Rather than citing the text of a Wikipedia article, which is continuously updated (and can sometimes be erroneously or maliciously changed), we recommend checking the "References" section at the end of any article and directly consulting the texts cited by editors in the authoring the article. The reference list can be a valuable resource in identifying core texts and scholars on any given topic.
A major pillar of Wikipedia's content policies emphasize that citations are verifiable and come from reliable sources. (Note: The English language Wikipedia is the most robust and expansive, and Wikipedia operates a little differently in other language contexts, so check with the editorial policies of those Wikipedia communities to be sure.)
Can students and researchers cite Wikipedia articles in academic writing? This question does not have a simple answer. Even Wikipedia advises researchers to exercise "special caution when using Wikipedia as a source for research projects." [1] When Wikipedia first emerged, the answer from most faculty and departments was "No." As Wikipedia has expanded, and editors have worked to create high-quality, well-researched Wikipedia entries, and as faculty started to assign Wikipedia editing to students in recent years, people are starting to recognize the value of Wikipedia as an excellent starting point for research. But as with any general reference text, it should be used as a starting point to lead you to more reliable and rigorous scholarly texts.
Wikipedia:Citing Wikipedia - This page is regularly updated with recommendations for citing Wikipedia pages, including sample works cited entries in APA, MLA, Chicago styles, and others.
Cite this page - This tool allows you to search for a particular page, then provides citational information, and citations by style.
Help:Permanent link - Additional documentation on how to find and use permalinks or stable urls.
Evaluating Web Pages - Cornell University
Evaluating Internet Sources - Georgetown University
Evaluate Your Sources - St. Louis Community College
Not sure if a news source you've found is reliable or not? Check out this guide from the University of Michigan about "Fake News" and propaganda to help determine if something you've found is trustworthy: "Fake News," Lies and Propaganda: How to Sort Fact from Fiction.