History 268
Fall 2002
Below are questions to consider in writing your website evaluation. All evaluations should begin with the name and url of the website. Other questions should help you shape your paper. You need not answer them all, and you should not simply answer each question in sequence. Papers should be 2-3 pages in length, double-spaced, and are due Tuesday, September 17.
1 What is the name and the url of the website you are working with? Who made the website? Was it made by a single author or by joint authors? When was it made? When was it last updated? Is it being continually updated, or is it fixed? Is it part of a larger web constellation?
2. What kind of website is this? Is it an index, an archive, an exhibit, a reference work? If it includes more than one type of material, how are the different types linked? Does it consist mainly of primary or secondary sources? If it includes primary sources, are they textual or "nontextual," and if "nontextual," what is included—photos, artwork, sound files? If there are primary textual materials, are they rendered in facsimile or in transcription?
3. Would you describe the site as "thick"—that is, in depth information on a particular scholarly topic—or might you describe it instead as "broad"?
4. Who is the primary audience for this website—and how would they use it? Is it for students? At what grade level? Is it for teachers? At what grade level? Is it for scholars? Is it for the general public? Is it for multiple users? How do you imagine you might use the site?
5. How does the user navigate through the site? Are the navigation tools and/or search engine helpful? Do the navigation tools and search engines suggest particular ways to navigate through the site?
6. Does the site present itself as "authoritative" or is it instead "playful," experimental, or suggestive? If it is "authoritative," how does it constitute its authority?
7. Does the site invite collaboration and participation?
8. Would you recommend this site to others? Why? And if yes, to whom?