Read at least the top five results from each seach engine before clicking on any. Don't spend a lot of time trying to figure out the perfect keywords, just get started. Always read results with an eye to creating a better search, and start over whenever you have a better idea how to search. I may have as many as 40 windows open when I'm searching for detailed information. Of course, your computer may not be able to handle too many open windows, so make sure other programs are closed, and experiment.
Topics abound that are hard to find through search engines.
If you've been searching for a while with no luck, try a directory search at the Open Directory Project , or About or Yahoo - their links are reviewed by humans, and sorted by topic. After a while, you will go back to the best sites again and again. And sort them into folders - don't just have one huge list that goes on forever. GuruNet works for you like a reference librarian up on all the latest jargon. MySimon is one of the best, but new additions to this category appear daily.