Use with caution!
Google, Bing, and other internet search engines can be a great way to dip your toes into a topic, but avoid relying on them for all but the broadest research. Avoid Wikipedia as well; it's open source structure means it can be edited by anyone and makes it vulnerable to bias.
If you're searching outside a library or school academic database, I would recommend Google scholar which has access to innumerable books and academic journals and articles. This tool also allows you to see how often a source is cited which can give you a sense of its reliability and academic integrity.
The place to start
The University at Albany library website is an excellent place to start any research. Searching library systems gives you access to sources that you won't get access to through Google. The advanced search tools allow you to refine your searches with boolean options and search parameters. The only thing to consider is that this database can be overwhelming with options and too broad, which leads us to...
Databases and journals
Subject specific databases are a great resource for more advanced researching. To find sources for this LibGuide, I liberally used the East Asian Studies database with which I was able to find journals like the Journal of Asian studies. With access to this journal, I found valuable and peer-reviewed articles about the Taiping Rebellion.
Some suggested search terms:
Narrower terms and suggested searches with boolean operators: