Website Analysis .

Project instructions:
Website Analysis

For this website analysis you are focusing on this topic: THE ATOMIC BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA, 1945.

The Internet is the ?wild west? of our electronic age. The huge number of electronic sources of information that are available have become a double-edged sword. On the

one hand, they provide incredibly useful, relevant and credible information that we, as historians, can use in our research. Yet, on the other hand, the Internet also

contains sources with questionable information and perspectives. Since there is no peer review process, almost anyone can upload any sort of information on to the web.

Some website are created by passionate amateurs. Others include fabricated conclusions that are based on unproven or unreliable research. It is up to you to assess

whether or not a particular site is credible.

The aim of this assignment is for you to provide a 500-words analysis of at least three credible websites that pertain to your selected topic. The objective of this

assignment is for you to be able to surf the Internet and be able to distinguish between viable and authoritative sources of information and those that may contain

questionable facts and perspectives. You will sharpen your skills that are required to find, evaluate and use most viable sources that are available on the World Wide

Web.

You could look at a variety of different types of sites and electronic resources available through the Internet. For example, you could look at institutions and

organizations that specialize on the Cold War. You could explore museums or museum exhibits that pertain to your topic. You could also identify specific documentaries,

newspaper articles, or primary sources that are available in electronic format. Be critical of any information you find on the Web and carefully evaluate and assess

each site that you visit. (Note: do not use sources available on or through the Ryerson library system. The aim here is for you to conduct research on the Internet

outside the university library system.)

In your own words, explain to me how each of your selected websites is a credible source that any undergraduate student could use in their research. When evaluating

sites, please keep in mind the criteria listed below. You should not expect to be able to answer all the provided questions in all the cases. Rather, try to use these

questions and criteria as a tool to assist you in evaluating critically Internet sources.

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Evaluating the domain:

-How did you find the website?
-What sort of search engine did you use?
-Was the search engine geared towards scholarly research or general Internet browsing/surfing?
-Was it cited in a scholarly or credible source?
-Was it a link from a reputable site?
-What does the domain name/URL reveal about the source of the information? (This can often provide important clues: ?.org? denotes an advocacy web site, such as a

not-for-profit organization; ?.com? a business or commercial site; ?.net? a site from a network organization or an Internet service provider; ?.edu? a site affiliated

with a higher education institution; etc.)

Type of Information:
-Does the site contain/display primary or secondary documents?
A secondary source is an interpretation of the past written by historians relying on primary evidence, which are the contemporary documents about an event. Secondary

sources can appear in various formats, as articles (long and short), monographs, biographies, etc. They all provide a scholarly interpretation of primary evidence. A

primary source is any direct record contemporary to an event or the relevant time period. Primary sources may be oral, visual, written or physical. These can include

government documents, records, memoirs, letters, private correspondence, clothing, speeches, etc. Internet sites most often will include written primary sources.

However, you may also find speeches, oral accounts or pictures that pertain to your topic.
-Why and how is this information useful in your research?
-Does the site include pictures, video, written materials or another type of information?

Authorship:
-Who wrote the page and can you contact him or her?
– Does the source represent a group, organization, institution, corporation or government body?
-Was it produced only by a webmaster or a company for a specific purpose/agenda?
-Is this person qualified to write this document? (Although this is more difficult to determine, in many cases, authors will acknowledge their education level, i.e.,

they will provide a CV or a bibliographical note.)
-Does the publisher/site list any specific qualifications or credentials?

Purpose:
-What is the purpose of the document and why was it produced?
-Why was the site created: to educate? sell or advertise a product? promote a specific viewpoint?
-Can you identify any reasons why the site is presenting a particular point of view on a topic? (Pay attention to specific political point of view.)
-Who is the intended audience?

Accuracy, Objectivity, and Reliability:
-How detailed is the information? (You will find many Websites with the same rudimentary, general information.)
-What opinions (if any) are expressed by the author? (View any Web page as you would an infomercial on television.)
-Is it clear and forthcoming about its view of the subject?
-Does it use provocative language?
-Ask yourself why was this produced and for whom, and whether this might have had an impact on the accuracy of the information?
-Can factual information be verified through references to other credible sources?
-Are sources of factual information or statistics cited?
-Is there a bibliography included?
-Is the information free of spelling, stylistic and grammatical errors?
-Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched, or is it unsupported by evidence? (You are not required to conduct any additional research to validate

the information but try to evaluate the credibility of the information by looking at evidence or sources that are used/cited.)

Currency:
-When was it produced or created?
-How many dead links are on the site?
-When was it last updated? Are dates included for the last update or modification of the site?
-Are the links current and functional?

Note: Your Website Analysis (500 words in length) should be written in narrative format. Please do not use point form. Each citation of an Internet source?with link

and date of access?should be followed by a comprehensive explanation of the rationale behind your choice. Make sure to include a title page with your name.

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