Historical Websites Analysis

Essay Instructions:

Instructions
Objective: Evaluate three historical websites and then present your findings in a written essay. Since most background research conducted by online college students is done over the internet, it is imperative to develop a critical eye for distinguishing legitimate sources of information from dubious ones.
First, select any U.S. history topic of interest to you that corresponds with a time period or event covered during the semester. Avoid wide-ranging themes by narrowing down to a more specific subject. If you are considering the U.S. Civil War, for example, you might want to limit your focus to something like the Battle of Antietam or President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. But the topic is NOT the important part of this assignment. You're only choosing a topic so that you have something specific to guide you towards various sites of information on the Internet.
Next, conduct an online search to find THREE websites that contain information related to your subject, and judiciously examine them for academic legitimacy.
Please do not use Wikipedia or other encyclopedias and dictionaries, although they may be convenient sources of straightforward information.
Lastly, write an analytical review for EACH of the three websites you found.
Each review should be composed of 1-2 substantial paragraphs that explain your analysis process, discoveries, and final verdict.
Your essay should also include introduction and conclusion paragraphs.
The three websites should be listed at the end of your essay in a Works Cited page that is formatted to MLA guidelines.
Attention
Turnitin.com Originality Report
You are also required to submit a Turnitin.com Originality Report with your Website Analysis Project. Your instructor will provide you with the class ID number and enrollment key to access the Turnitin.com site.
Purpose
This assignment is designed to develop critical analysis skills by evaluating the legitimacy of historical or informational websites utilized for online research.
You have two entire modules to do this, and it's rather an easy task if you take advantage of all the time you have. Simply think of a historical subject (U.S. history) that is of some interest to you and do a basic Google search to get started. Go beyond the first page and explore further. Don't bother with the easy and obvious sites like Wikipedia, History.com, or Khan Academy (etc.).
Narrow down your topic a bit to keep the search more focused. So instead of writing something like "World War Two," for instance, try a more specific aspect like "changing social roles for women on the home front during WW2," or "the Manhattan Project." Numerous websites will pop up.
Select THREE reputable websites to investigate and analyze.
IMPORTANT: You are not writing about your topic, but rather about the websites themselves.
Look for strengths and weaknesses about the site. Is the information backed by credible sources? Does the website appear biased in any way? Are references to sources provided? What kind of sponsors advertise on the sites (this can be quite revealing)?
Write 1-2 paragraphs explaining what you discovered while investigating each particular site. After you do this for three websites, create an introductory paragraph (explaining why such an analysis of websites is important) and a conclusion (your thoughts on online research after analyzing three sites). There should be at least 5-7 paragraphs total.
CAARP (or TAARP) is helpful:
Currency or Timeliness - How recent is the information? (Are sources listed from within the last 10 years?)
Authority - Does the author or organization cite their sources, are they peer-reviewed?
Audience - Is the article written to the general public or more towards scholars/higher ed researchers?
Relevance - Does the information relate to the topic?
Perspective - Is the writer objective or clearly biased? Is the website pushing a particular viewpoint or agenda?
ALL ORIGINAL WRITING. This should go without saying by this point in time.
Again, this assignment is pretty simple, especially with two whole modules to do it (but don't procrastinate). I also think this is an extremely valuable exercise (and hopefully you can explain your take on this in the introduction and/or the conclusion).
Please list your three websites in correct MLA formatting. Be sure to include the URL address.
Papers need to be submitted through Turnitin AND the assignment thread that will appear in Module 11. No need to worry about Turnitin if you do not copy and paste anything. Your Originality score should be less than 3%.
Although not required, please feel free to add an image or two to make it more visually interesting (just like our discussion postings).
Overall, this should be an easy and hopefully somewhat enjoyable assignment and you have plenty of time to do it. Good luck!

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Website Analysis Project
You’re Name
Course and Section
Professor’s Name
April 21, 2022
Today, it is obvious that students no longer use the traditional method of conducting academic research at their local library because doing so online is so much simpler. Moreover, this gives students more freedom and access to a broader variety of information. In the digital age, students and researchers must be able to evaluate the credibility and dependability of online sources. The women's suffrage movement in the United States is the subject of this essay's investigation of three historical websites. Instead of focusing on historical events, the goal is to assess these websites' academic worth and reliability. While it is necessary to remember historical events, it is equally essential to ensure that the students receive reliable information to prevent the spread of false information. Each website will be critically reviewed in the following parts, and the conclusion will include a summary of the results.
Historical Topic: The Women's Suffrage Movement
In order to guarantee women's ability to vote in the United States, a protracted social, political, and legal struggle known as the Women's Suffrage Movement was launched ("The Women's Suffrage Movement"), beginning in the middle of the 19th century, the effort persisted until the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, was ratified in 1920. The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), headed by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA), headed by Lucy Stone and Henry Blackwell, were founded in the late 19th century. The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), which was eventually formed in 1890 by the merger of these organizations, initially had various goals and techniques.
Some of the informant parts of this event were when Suffragists fought for women's ability to vote at the state and federal levels throughout the late 19th and early 20th century ("Women's suffrage | Definition, History, Causes, Effects, Leaders, & Facts"). Wyoming became the first state to offer women the right to vote in 1869, and the western states were the first to do so. As other states adopted this strategy, pressure for a constitutional change grew. Alice Paul and Lucy Burns became prominent figures in the suffrage movement at the beginning of the 20th century. They established the National Woman's Party (NWP), and they used more extreme strategies such as picketing the White House and hunger strikes ("National Woman's Party – Alice Paul Institute"). Their activities boosted awareness of the issue and pressured the government to take action.
Website Analysis
Website 1: Library of Congress (/collections/women-of-protest)
The Library of Congress website dedicated to the Women's Suffrage Movement contains many primary sources, including images, documents, and oral histories. This is just one example of a website with a reputable information source about this event. The integrity of the information supplied is ensured by the Library of Congress, which serves as the nation's library and is a reputable organization. Because they have a reputation and an obligation to provide correct and de...

Updated on January 26, 2024

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Historical Websites Analysis

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