Websites

Depending on the purpose of your paper you may use on-line web sources. By applying these five criteria you can decide if they are sources to use. Ask yourself the following questions:

Authority - Is the document author or site sponsor clearly identified? Does the site provide contact information for the author or sponsor?

Objectivity or clear disclosure of advocacy - Is the site's purpose clear (for example, to inform, entertain or persuade). Is the site explicit about declaring its point of view? Does the site indicate whether it is directed toward a specific audience?

Coverage - Are the topics covered by the site clear? Does the site exhibit a suitable depth and comprehensiveness for its purpose? Is sufficient evidence provides to support the ideas and options presented?

Accuracy - Are the sources of information stated? Do the facts appear to be accurate? Can you verify this information by comparing this source with other sources in the field?

Currency - Are the dates included in the website? Is the information current, or at least still relevant for the site's purpose? For you purpose?

Criteria list taken in whole from: Ramage, Bean and Johnson. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing. 5th Ed. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2009: 602.

The Internet is filled with an enormous quantity of information. Remember, search engines only index a small part of the world wide web. To find more results search in a variety of sources.

References and General History Websites

Encyclopedia Britannica Online – Over 100,000 encyclopedia articles in full text providing comprehensive coverage in all academic disciplines. (Requires UC username and password).
Historyworld – An ambitious and growing website that covers the history of virtually every country, important event, and historically significant personage from ancient to modern times.
History Guide – Hosted by University Library Gottingen, Germany, this powerful tool helps locate subject specific websites. Not all websites are in English.
Spartacus Educational - A British online gateway to websites focusing on various historical topics. Available content is geared toward students.
Internet History Sourcebooks Project - The Internet History Sourcebooks are wonderful collections of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts for educational use by Paul Halsall. The site and its documents are well organized and the breadth of materials is impressive. The Sourcebooks include the Early Modern West.
ORB: The Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies - ORB is an academic site, written and maintained by medieval scholars for fellow instructors and students. It offers a topical index of medieval studies and related links. It also recommends sources for the non-specialist. Unfortunately the site no longer appears to be actively maintained and updated.
The Online Library of Liberty -- The OLL makes available at no charge to the public outstanding resources for teaching and learning about individual liberty. The OLL contains 1,700 volumes in multiple formats which are organized by subject areas, topics, and debates.