The Web can be a good research source for:

• sampling public opinion of people on the Internet
• gathering a wide range of ideas
• locating information on topics not found in mainstream publications
• learning more about companies and organizations
• reading information from the government
• finding quick facts
• catching up with current news

The key idea when using the Web is that you get QUANTITY over QUALITY. The Web is a good tool for finding information, but it is usually not the best place to begin academic research.