The first thing you may need to do after deciding what you want to write about is learn more about your topic!

Background information is information that you find at the beginning of your research process. It is used to understand the broad topic, gather keywords, and focus,or perhaps even change, your topic.
A great place to find background information is Subject Encyclopedias.
Gale Virtual Reference (listed below) is a great place to find basic information. CQ Researcher, Opposing Viewpoints, and TOPICsearch (listed on the right) are also great places to start.