Salem Witch Trial: Documentary Archive and Transcription Project
Created and maintained by Project Director Benjamin Ray, Technical Development Scholars’ Lab, and The University of Virginia https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/home.html
Reviewed by Georgianna Cooke, February 2023
The Salem Witch Trial: Documentary Archive and Transcription Project website consists of an electronic collection of primary source materials relating to the 1692 Salem witch trials, as well as a new transcription of the court records. The Documentary Archive is being developed under the supervision of University of Virginia Professor Benjamin C. Ray. Professor Bernard Rosenthal of the University of Binghamton oversees the Transcription project and was working with a team of scholars on a new transcription of the original court records, titled Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt, which will be published by Cambridge University Press. This information could be found under Project Information in the Introduction.
Academics such as historians, teachers, students, and other scholars are likely to visit the website because it was designed for educational purposes; therefore, serious scholars and researchers are the likely target audience.
The information on the site appeared to be quite comprehensive, containing everything that the site claimed in the Introduction. Despite the fact that this site was extremely rich in information about the Salem witch trials, with numerous links to information about the trials as well as links to books about the trials and corrections to previous transcriptions, there was no search feature where users could easily find what they were looking for by keying in a word or phrase.
Furthermore, when the links to the books were clicked, some of them took the user to a table of contents, while others took them to clickable images of the book’s pages, but the navigation was a bit tedious for all of them because the user had to constantly select the back arrow to return to the beginning rather than having arrows by each page selected that would give the option of going back to the previous page or going forward to the next page. Although there was one book link, Narratives of the Witchcraft Cases, 1648 – 1706, that took you to the University of Virginia Library website, where the layout was easier to navigate and access the different sections of the book, there was no feature that would allow the user to return to the original Salem Witch Trial website.
Digital historians typically spend more time on infrastructure, digitization, and design than they do on actually reaching a desired audience and getting them excited about their site, or improving the site over time to best serve users and track how well their goals are being met, but building an audience for the site serves the most fundamental democratic and intellectual goals that historians share (Cohen & Rosenzweig, 2005).
The website’s homepage features ten main topic headings, four of which are clickable images and six of which are textual links. There were also twenty-six subheadings with textual links. The homepage would have been more consistent if all of the main headings had been clickable images, or if the headings had been used as textual links at either the top of the page similar to that of the Archive and other pages, or to the left of the screen, making site navigation not only more visible, but also easier for the user to find what they were looking for from the homepage. Furthermore, because the website’s interface does not utilise the entire screen, the font used was small and everything appeared clustered together, which may not be appealing to users.
The authenticity of the site was enhanced by actual imagery of some documents and the use of primary sources, such as the original court documents and the documents in the Archival Collections; however, imagery of the transcribed personal letters found under Documents & Transcriptions and the maps found under Historical Maps would have supplemented the credibility and provided the user with additional insight into the history of the documents. Furthermore, the transcription of the personal letters was difficult to read and comprehend, whereas an image of the original letter, as well as the transcription and either a translation or summary into Standard English, would have aided some scholars, such as students, who were now researching and learning. Users of the site, however, would not be put off by the transcriptions because this was the focus of the website and was to be expected.
In conclusion, this site is a very comprehensive digital history project, and as mentioned in their Introduction, additional work was being done to correct the transcriptions of some of the original court records. To stand out in this digital era, the site’s appearance need to be more consistent and appealing, and a search feature would be extremely beneficial to scholars who usually do a lot of research with deadlines to meet which may be able to save them valuable time when researching a topic of this kind. This feature would have made effective use of the technology where print and film could not.
REVIEW 1
Title: A Brief history of the Steel Pan
Website-Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18903131
Description:
The website https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc , is one which has been created and is termed by its creators as being a “ world leading public service broadcaster”. The main purpose of the website is to create content which can be easily accessed by persons throughout the world that is both entertaining but also formal and educational. The page chosen for review, https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18903131 , has the title “ A brief history of the steel pan “ and the title quite easily identifies the contents of the webpage. The webpage begins by highlighting exactly what the “steel pan” and it then goes onto displaying the details about the very nature and steelpan and how it came to be so significant in Caribbean history today.
Objective:
The objective of the website is to describe and explain the history of the steel pan, its relevance and how it came to be the power master it is today in not only Trinidadian culture, but in the Caribbean as a whole.
Audience:
The audience of the website would be a plethora of persons, but given the nature of the content of the website, it feels as though it is aims at more general audience over a scholarly audience. A specific group of persons to which this website audience may target can be students or individuals who are interested in learning a more summarized and less elaborated version of the history of steel pan.
Content:
The content of the website chosen attempted to identify exactly what is and how the steel pan came about, illustrating the transitions from the use of car parts, paint pots and oil drums to more tuned metallic objects. The website also aims to provide some background history as to why steel pan originated in Trinidad and has become such a staple in the Caribbean in the first place all the while highlighting Trinidadian culture by stating a piece of historical writing about the “panorama” festivities that usually occur in Trinidad. The content of the website essentially ends off with a image and video describing tuned steel pans and a demonstration of its use. Evaluating the website and its content, the information given, in terms of the expected audience, is both sufficient and appropriate and hence meets its objectives, for the aspects of the website as it lays out the history, adds picture and video samples of the instrument as well as it highlights strengths of the steel pan, enabling any common user to understand why it is such a national phenomenon, as well as it allows for a more holistic understanding of its importance, but it also does not go very in depth in terms of its history, its uses and other factors, so it does appeal to a more general crowd, however , for scholarly purposes, information would be lacking therefore. The contents of the website itself does demonstrate some level of comprehensiveness as its information can be said to be “straight to the point”. The purpose of the website has been achieved and therefore the goals and objectives, which were to pass on some information about the history of the steel pan, has also been demonstrated.
Design:
The designs of the website can be separated into its constituent color schemes, organization, font size and textual layouts. To begin, the color schemes of the website are a combination of mainly white (throughout the content page ) as well as red ,white and black for the navigation bar and black for the header of the website. The website begins with a title with a font size of 24 and the content which follows are in the font “Calibri ( body)”. The content has a line spacing of 1.0 and a paragraph spacing of 1.5. The organization of the website is one which consists of a singular webpage containing navigation bars, a header, pictures, and paragraphs of information of the topic at hand, alongside a footer which contains links or hyperlinks to access information about the website itself that is not already contained on the webpage being reviewed.
Review of the website itself:
Though bbc.com boasts to be a website which is not only factual, but is world-wide driven, the information presented on this webpage, alongside the way in which it was highlighted was one of a more questionable nature as , not only was there information lacking, but the consistency of the contents of the page and the general page layout itself was very minimal and somewhat boring, which can potentially cause any user to become less interested in the “ facts” being addressed. According to https://activehistory.ca/2014/10/best-practices-for-writing-history-on-the-web/ , “With the abundance of digitized historical primary sources now available online, historians can link directly to the sources rather than just simply providing breadcrumbs in their footnotes” there were no hyperlinks Present in the footer of this webpage, alongside any other part of the page that enabled or allowed for further expression and demonstration of the media being forecasted. The website also did not quote any pieces of fact or linked to any repositories of information that are considered as “primary information”. Though the website would have added a picture and a video to further illustrate its content, it was still considerably lacking as there also could’ve been a hyperlink which takes the user to another page that would’ve shown its use in Trinidad. The navigation of the page, though simple, was a bit too simplistic for such a profound piece of history which every Trinidadian shares, as there could have been more illustration and designs to this section of the website. The visual appeal was all too simple and very common; hence, visual improvements could be made in terms of how interactive the interface is with the user. All in all, though the content was precise, there is no telling whether or not the information presented was factual as well as, the webpage itself is too bland.
Objectives:
When viewing and reading through the Salem Witch Trial’s website the objective of this website from the it’s footnotes states, “The material presented in the Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive is provided freely for non-commercial educational purposes.” This is done through the exhibition of documents such as court records, record books, past personal letters, historical maps and many other significant records that document and piece together the events that happened throughout the Salem Witch Trials. I believe that they met their website objective of educating people non-commercially is achieved as there is no sign of advertisements throughout the website and its various pages. This is done through displaying of information onto the website in their database gathered throughout many years without any kind of paywall or fee to access these documents.
Audience:
The intended audience of the website would be anyone that is interested in educating themselves with primary source documents from actual Salem trials. Though from its website organization, it would seem that a more academia-based audience would actually access and be attracted because of its content more than its appearance.
Content:
The Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive is a very valuable source of documentation of persons who are interested in studying the trails that occurred in 1692. The website which is curated by the University of Virginia provides a vast collection of firsthand primary source documents as mentioned above such as court records, letters, maps, images and dairy entries.
Upon viewing the website, the homepage is simply organized and easy to navigate with links to various sections such as a search for the database of primary sources, a section about the accused and afflicted, and a section about the historical context of the trials. Additionally, this website provides a bibliography of secondary sources, a glossary of terms related to the trials and links that are relevant to the trials which provide more sources to the trials.
One of the most key features of the website is the searchable database of primary source documents, which gives users access to search for specific people, events or keywords that relate to the trials. The database includes transcripts of court records, letters, maps, images and dairy entries as previously mentioned which can provide more information about the trials and the persons involved at the time. The website also includes biographical information about the people involved in the trials, including the accused, the accusers, and the judges. It also offers resources for educators, such as lesson plans and classroom activities, which can be used to teach about the witch trials.
In conclusion, the content that is displayed on the website is thorough, verified and well researched and allows accessibility to scholars, students, teachers and generally anyone who is interested in further delving into the history of the Salem Witch Trials. It is important to note that the website maintained often with regular updates and improvements which makes the site even more reliable and up to date. The site offers a wealth of information that is both informative and engaging, making it a useful tool for to learn more about this fascinating and often misunderstood period of American history.
Design:
The website’s color scheme is predominantly white, with blue and red accents, which adds visual interest and helps to highlight important information. The typography is clear and easy to read, which is particularly important when dealing with primary source materials and historical documents.
One of the strengths of the website’s design is the way in which it presents the primary source documents related to the Salem trials. The materials, such as court records and maps, are well-organized and easy to access, and the images are of high quality, allowing users to zoom in and examine details closely.
Overall, the design of the website is effective and functional, and it serves its purpose of providing users with access to historical information and resources related to the Salem witch trials. The website’s simplicity and clarity make it a valuable resource for researchers, educators, and anyone interested in learning more about this significant period of American history.
Though the design is generally navigable and simple to digest there are some ways that it can be improved. The website could benefit from more visually engaging elements to better engage users. While the website’s layout is clear and easy to navigate, the lack of more dynamic or interactive design elements may make it less engaging for some users.
The website’s search function could be improved. Although the website has a search bar, the results may not always be relevant or comprehensive, which could possibly make it harder for users to traverse.
The website’s mobile responsiveness could be improved. While the website is functional on mobile devices, the design may not be optimized for smaller screens, which can make it difficult to read or navigate.
Objective:
The objective of this website is to provide a concise and accessible overview of the origins of the internet, as well as, to highlight the important milestones and innovations that have contributed to the internet’s growth and impact on society to present day. The Internet Society works to ensure that the internet remains an open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy platform for innovation and social progress.
Audience:
The targeted audience for this website is anyone who is interested in learning about the history and transformation of the internet as it provides a comprehensive but concise overview of the key milestones and events in the development of the internet, which can be useful for general public of all ages.
Content:
The content on this website provides a brief history of the internet from the 1960s to the present day. The website is run and maintained by the Internet Society which is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting the growth and use of the internet for the benefit of all people around the world. It provides a timeline of important events in the history of the internet, including but not limited to, the creation of TCP/IP, the launch of the World Wide Web, and the growth of the internet up till present day. The website also includes information on the individuals and organizations that played key roles in the development of the internet. Additionally, it highlights the importance of the internet as a tool for communication, collaboration and connecting with one another. The content of the website is organized in a manner of sections that and events in the evolution of the internet. The sections are as follows: an introduction which explains the internet’s impact on the world, followed by a description of the early developments that led to the creation of the internet, then the actual key events that led to the creation of the internet, including the development of the ARPANET and the TCP/IP protocols, after came the description for the development of the World Wide Web and its impact on the growth of the internet and lastly it discussed the current state of the internet, including its impact on society and its future potential. To add, the website also includes additional resources, such as links to related articles and books, that provide more in-depth information on the history and development of the internet.
Design:
The website has a user-friendly design that is easy to navigate. The design is focused on showcasing the content in a clear and concise manner which makes finding content easier to access. The website has a white background with black text and as you scroll downwards, the background colour changes for each section. This makes the website visually appealing which keeps the reader interested. The font is a simple, sans-serif typeface that is also easy to read. Additionally, it has a top navigation bar that provides links to other sections of the Internet Society website, as well as a search bar for finding specific content on the website. The website also includes a sidebar on the right-hand side of the page, which provides links to related articles and resources as well as the organization’s social media channels.
Review 1
Title: SlaveVoyages
Link: Slave Voyages
The Slave Voyages website is the result of several databases relating to the Trans-Atlantic and Intra-American slave trades. It relies on the information from scholars who have been conducting independent and collaborative research for several decades, relying on information from archives and libraries from all over the western world.
Objectives
The main object of slavevoyages.org is to provide the wider public with access to databases tied to the slave trade. SlaveVoyages boasts of being “a collaborative digital initiative that compiles and makes publicly accessible records of the largest slave trades in history”1(website). Individuals can search the website’s records to learn about the origins, forced migrations, and trafficking of Africans in the Americas. The databases allow for people to investigate information on the various events that would occur during the voyages, what locations they were taken and more.
According to the website, SlaveVoyages was developed over the course of three years. It took a multifaceted team of academics with specialties spanning the areas of history, computer programming, web design, cartography as well as individuals such as curriculum specialists, librarians. Additionally, consultations with scholars from universities in places such as Africa, North and South America, and Europe who specialize in the slave trade were used as well.
Yes, the website meets the main objective they have established as they have expansive databases that are accessible to those interested in gaining knowledge on the slave trade. Furthermore, because Slave Voyages is an ongoing project, they are regularly adding to their resources and databases, which translates into more information for their audiences.
Strengths: Meets its objective and it is a continuously growing source of information.
Weaknesses: I could not find any weaknesses with respect to Objectives.
Audience
It is clear to see that the website caters to several different audiences. Anyone from the general public and scholars could be users of this website. The website has a compilation of information from academics from various universities. The site explains that it is “the product of three years of development by a multi-disciplinary team of historians, librarians, curriculum specialists, cartographers, computer programmers, and web designers, in consultation with scholars of the slave trade from universities in Europe, Africa, South America, and North America.”1 There is also a section with lesson plans which further expands the audience to both teachers and their students at the middle and high school levels.
Strengths: Reliable academic information curated for all audiences. Due to the interdisciplinary contributions, there can be several perspectives on the topic of slavery, slave trade, etc.
Weaknesses: More interactive aspects (such as multi-media) to make the material even more interesting.
Design
The SlaveVoyages website can be described as having a modern and up-to-date web design. It has an aesthetically pleasing homepage. The website’s homepage uses interesting historical images pertaining to the slave trade as a slideshow, but it is done in a way that does not distract the reader from the writing that is overlayed on it. Although the homepage is different from the themes of the other tabs/pages (the top of the homepage being black and white), they are also aesthically pleasing.
The overall font used is very easy to read as it is not a complicated font, is also not too small, and there is a clear contrast between the font and the website’s background. The colour scheme of the overall website is easy on the eyes and is not jarring or confusing. Colours such as blues and greens are said to stimulate feelings of peace, calm, and security and are the colours that are used throughout the site in different tabs/webpages.2
The layout of the website is simple and easy to navigate. Each tab on the navigation plane has a different colour to show a change in page/ topic. For example, any of the pages on the drop-down menu for the tab “Trans-Atlantic” has a teal header, while the tabs “Intra-American” and “People of the Atlantic Slave Trade” are purple and green respectively.
Strengths: The design of the website is modern and visibly appealing. The layout also allows for easy viewing of information.
Weaknesses: In my opinion, I did not find any weaknesses.
Content
Content in the context of a website refers to the general information that a website provides. The Slave Voyages website has a variety of multi-media content that includes videos, images, documents, and databases.
Its special features include interactive 3D videos of slaving vessels, estimates for the transatlantic slave trade with corresponding timelines, timelapse of the routes of slave ships and maps depicting places and routes of the slave trade. The website also has databases for the Transatlantic and Intra-America slave trades. The database for the people of the slave trade consists of information from 3 databases. One is called The African Origins database that has information including “personal details of 95,153 Africans taken from slave ships mostly captured by anti-slave trade patrols or from African trading sites between 1808-1862”.1 The second, named The Oceans of Kinfolk database, is inclusive of “the personal details of 63,562 people transported to New Orleans, and in many cases records on the people who transported, bought, and sold them there”.1 The third database includes information relating to enslavers. An interesting aspect of these databases is that for the recorded names of those that were enslaved, there was a button that the user could press to hear the pronunciation of it.
In addition to these databases, the website has essays written from scholars from the various universities that contribute to the website relative to the databases. These essays provide a more in-depth explanation of the databases and the history of the slave trades. The SlaveVoyages website also have blog posts for users to interact with. The website also provides external links so that users can access more resources related to the slave trade. To help facilitate the spread of the website’s information to schools, the SlaveVoyages website has created lesson plans that are available for use by teachers in middle and high school level classes. The website additionally has a gallery consisting of images of enslaved persons, maps, vessels and as well as images of various documents.
Strengths: All the website’s content comes from various universities and institutions around the world, making the content quite reputable. The use of multi-media aids in the retention of information, helps to encourage interest in topics and demonstrates the significance of concepts, as more research is complied, there will hopefully be more multi-media added to the website.3
Weaknesses: There could be more videos incorporated.
Navigation
The SlaveVoyages website is extremely user friendly, and the layout allows for users to find easily and quickly what they are looking for. Tabs for the main topics are in the navigation bar located at the top of the website. Each tab for the different pages has a drop-down menu that further allows for easy flow from page to page. Each webpage has a side bar that also helps for ease of navigation. Users have the option of selecting from 3 language options to navigate the site: English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Strengths: The navigation is simple and easy to use. There were no hidden links or hidden menus, and everything was simply a click away. All links both internal and external worked.
Weaknesses: There were no weaknesses noted.
When I first got this this assignment, I opened many websites and just skimmed through them to see which would be the best and this one caught my attention. Created by Professor James N. Gregory, this site is supported and funded by the Digital Humanities grants from the Walter J. Simpson Center for the Humanities, a Washington State Labor Research grant from the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, and the History Department Hanauer Fund, all at the University of Washington. Its purpose is to map out American social movements since the 19th century and is constantly updated each month with added sources and data.
The target audience for this website to me is a mixture of both a scholarly audience and a general one. Scholarly because there are not pictures plastered all over to become a distraction for people that are doing serious research. The pictures shown on the homepage are maps that relate to each different social movement period and they are a way to help the readers better understand the areas they happened in. By clicking on each picture, you are taken to another page with more information as there is only a paragraph written on each part and the link provides a greater description. A general audience is also catered for because the information given is simple for regular people just doing basic research to understand.
The sidebar provides hyperlinks on additional movements like those that happened between the 1870s and 1930s, Women’s Movements and Asian American Movements. None of these links are broken and all lead to a different set of useful information. The black background with red wording lets the links stand out but the colour scheme is kind of an eyesore. For the rest of the page, the colour scheme works with the white background and black lettering. This is a standard scheme for majority of websites, so it is easier for anyone to become familiar with it and it also helps the pictures to blend in with the rest of the page. The content does meet its purpose of mapping out the social movements across America. Each link on the website leads to a greater description of a particular movement and this provides the reader with a greater understanding of what went on during those times. The links are also very easy to navigate through.
The organization of the website also helps as they place the movements on the home page in chronological order with the maps next to each one, giving a proper timeline of the events. Also, the links on the sidebar are placed with headings for each major movement. For example, the first heading is “1870s-1930s” and below that are all the movements for that specify timeframe. This makes it easier for readers to find what they need if they are looking for something in particular, instead of searching aimlessly through a bunch of information. The font size used is 14, big enough for you to not have to strain your eyes allowing the information to look clearer but not a size where it becomes hard to read.
Like anything in life, there are strengths and weaknesses. One of the strengths of this website is that the content is exceptional. You can get a proper set of information about all the movements and each piece is backed by multiple sources. The maps are a good touch as some people need visual aid to better understand and it also adds a different dimension to the page. The constantly updated information can be seen as both a strength and weakness. A strength because they are providing truer information but a weakness as someone who does not revisit the site can have the wrong views of what they previously researched.
In conclusion, I believe that this site is extremely useful if you are doing serious research or just trying to learn new things. Personally, I don’t think I will ever revisit this site because I have no interest in American social movements but because of my major which is International Relations, you never know. If I do have to do research on a movement, this site would be the first I use because I know that I’ll get everything I need.
Objectives of the site
• Overall, the main objective of this site is to provide readers with the brief history of the steel pan, an instrument originated in Trinidad in the 1930s.
• The purpose of this website is to convey meaningful information to readers so as to stimulate interest and enthusiasm for the history of the steel pan.
• Further, this site seeks to provide some background information on how the steel pan came into being , how it was made, famous steel pan players , its significance to Trinidadian culture and its impact on the world at large.
Audience/ Content
The target audience for this website is the general population. As this website seeks to provide a brief history of the steel pan , it is not necessary to define a particular demographic However, a high percentage of individuals expected to engage with this website may include those who are culturally curious, educated, social media enthusiasts, BBC followers, music lovers or simply individuals interested in world events. The website does not contain useful information such as statistics, policies, reports, or case studies for it to be considered scholarly. Additionally, no editing information or references are provided which questions the credibility and makes it difficult for individuals who would want to pursue further research. However, as the purpose of the website is to provide a brief history of the steel pan, individuals without prior knowledge can gain some insight but this would just serve as the basis as this information is quite limited.
Design; colour scheme, organization, font size and use, textual layout.
The header which is often the first things visitors see when they enter the site did contain the brands logo, however the black and white logo with the red portion underneath sets a very dull tone for the top section of the website. Definitely, the arrangement of the visual elements of the website is poor. The image below the header which is essential in creating a good first impression is actually blurry. This might deter some users from exploring the site. The video and last image on the page is not aligned well with the text and the watermark on the last photo can really serve to distract the readers. The text size could be bigger and more consistent as concise and should’ve been justified. The website footer contained the basis contact information which users can utilize to reach out to BBC which is essential for website success. The sidebars for this website were particularly unsatisfactory. For instance, although BBC is a broadcasting corporation, reading about the history of steel pan in Trinidad and having to look at suggestions about the protest in China , war in Russia and Anglo Indians was very distractive. The website layout in general is a one-page website where all the information is on one long scrolling page. This makes it easier for reading as what they are looking for is in one place.
Navigation; easy flow from one dimension to another, ease of accessibility, working hyperlinks.
The website was quite easy to navigate , there was easy from one dimension to another. Additionally, in the footer of the page outlines the websites Accessibility policy , 100% subtitles for vides, 20% of content offer audio description, and 5% sign language. This shows that the web accessibility is somewhat fair as most individuals can perceive , understand, navigate, interact, and contribute to the web. The hyperlinks on the right of the page were working.
Strengths
• The website served the purpose which was to introduce readers to the history of the steel pan.
• The video with an award-winning music arranger Michelle Huggins Watts definitely enhanced the website as visitors could watch the steel pan being played in its birthplace.
• The website provided some quotations from a Trinidadian pan-man and woman.
• The background and general information were sufficient in proving a brief introduction to the history of the steel pan.
• The imagery was relevant and well suited for the website.
Weaknesses
• There was no editorial information on the website. The editor information is usually at the top section or bottom of the webpage, but this was absent. There were also no references listed. Although BBC is a fairly reputable website, persons who are interested in further research would have to utilize an alternative website. The lack of references and editor information would also lead to questions surrounding the integrity or credibility of the website.
• The layout content of the website was a bit bland. The text was small, and it was unaligned. Also instead of paragraphs, the editor has just inserted one sentence after another on a separate line. This is quite confusing.
• Additionally, the sidebar has some hyperlinks which are totally unrelated to the subject matter at hand. For instance, topics such as Russia, China and Anglo Indians are situated on the right hand of the screen as suggestions for users. However, suggestions should’ve been more related to the topic for e.g. , Trinidad news or news about musical instruments are more appropriate to have on the sidebar.
• Also, these suggestions were too large, and it was quite difficult to concentrate on the article at hand as the text was misaligned and to the left and needed justifying whilst on the right the suggestions were huge with imagery distracting readers.
• The images on the website are fitting but are not of the best quality. Utilizing good quality graphics is a good way to make the website more appealing. Visuals are used to determine whether website visitors will view the text in proximity to the image. The images were not of the best quality and also were not aligned with the text. Better formatting is necessary.
• Additionally, the watermark image at the end of the article served as a distraction to visitors viewing the image and although used as a tool for protection could be seen as a tool for promotion as well.
References for your discussion
No references or editorial information was present on the website for this article.
Recommendations
• Providing editorial information and references would enhance the website.
• For website structure, aligning the images with the text would enhance the accessibility of the site.
• Using high quality images would enhance the website.
• Making the website more web accessible so that persons with disabilities could use them including those with auditory, speech, visual, physical, cognitive, neurological , would provide a more inclusive environment and the website reach would expand.
• Increasing the text font and grouping the sentences to form paragraphs would make the article more concise and easier to read.
• The sidebar suggestions were too large, decreasing the size of the images and the title so as not take away from the article at hand would be beneficial.
• Additionally, suggestions more in alignment with Trinidad, instruments might be a better fit.
Objective: The website examines our past, explains our present, and imagines our future.
Audience: Anybody, regardless of technical expertise, would find this website appealing because it is straightforward and highly efficient. It is geared towards the student however any age group can find the website helpful.
Content: Anybody, regardless of technical expertise, would find this website appealing because it is straightforward and highly efficient. It is geared towards the student however any age group can find the website helpful.
Design: Although the two-colour scheme is relevant, it includes blue hues and the use of turquoise someplaceis s a wonderful idea. All of the links are positioned properly on the right, making it simple to browse. The site has a sense of fullness and wholeness since the design is similar throughout.
Navigation: The design of this website is straightforward but efficient. It appeals to the average individual. Someone with no technological expertise would easily understand this site’s clear design and stunning appearance. Users may feel at ease with the arrangement since it is so well-done and attractive.
The Digital Archives website of UNESCO portrayed its invaluable documentary heritage by offering to users the ability to readily search and discover records within its digital catalog. The collections tell the story of the ideas and actions, the programs and projects, and the efforts undertaken to fulfill the mission of UNESCO. The organization promoted knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding and more perfect knowledge of each other’s lives.
I looked into the history of football on “footballhistory.org” for this assignment because it was in my interest to critique a common website regarding the history of football and due to my undenying passion for the sport as well. However, after an extensive review on this website, I was able to observe five key factors that determine whether the website was acceptable and up to mark or substandard and inadequate. These five characteristics are what make a good historic website stand out among the others, appealing visual design, high-quality content, intuitive navigation, credible information and mobile compatibility,
The web design is the core of a webpage. People would find it difficult to engage in one’s website if it doesn’t look professional and organized. It’s critical to keep an eye on the future rather than on previous web trends. A good website has a modern, timeless look that is simple to use. Moreover, regarding the website’s visual design, it didn’t present a first-time appeal as I expected as a football fan, mainly due to the lack of colour and imagery on the homepage.
When it comes to high-quality content, you can forget about search engine optimization if your website doesn’t have any high-quality content. Finding the information that people require is the main objective of that content. The more time customers spend on the website getting the information they need, the better. Furthermore, effective content might attract people who might not have chosen to view the website otherwise. Although, in relation to this website and as a knowledgeable footballer, this site was loaded with sufficient information regarding every club and their past histories but unfortunately lacked information regarding each footballer. Overall the information provided was sufficient for any person in search of football content.
Another aspect of an exceptional website is having intuitive navigation. Visitors should not be able to get lost on the website. It should be as easy and straightforward to navigate as feasible. As website users browse the site’s content, the finest navigation will offer suggestions. The site was very straightforward and easy to navigate as the headings regarding each aspect of football history were clearly visible and categorized in an orderly fashion.
Furthermore, the greatest method to demonstrate that a historic website is legitimate is to offer accurate or credible information. It’s important to provide contact information, especially if the site also operates a physical store where consumers should be aware of the contact information. It is also beneficial to make sure the site has a presence on social media and its grammar is fluent and consistent. The site nonetheless, had no grammatical errors as the information provided was well presented, readable, and accurate, and also provided contact information regarding their site via email.
Lastly, one of the most crucial conditions a site must fulfill if they desire a successful website is having a website that is compatible with smartphone users. Although graphic design and printing services may not yet be abandoned, there’s no denying that we live in a very digital era. After testing and researching this website via my smartphone, it was just like using my laptop providing access to the same information on my phone.
In conclusion, the site had many strengths that an acceptable and top-tier historic website needs, however, it lacked the visual design that many other historic sites may have an upper hand in.
Moreover, every historic website must ensure that all of these elements are present on their website if they want to succeed in attracting and gaining more consumers.
Westin. (2020, March 16). Different Types Of Identities – Self Concept And Self Identity And Social Identity – MCAT Content. jackwestin.com. https://doi.org/Different Types Of Identities – Self Concept And Self Identity And Social Identity – MCAT Content
The objective of the website entitled “Ameena Gafoor Institute” is to educate the readers on the global impacts of indentureship and to provide a digital platform with reference materials for research due to insufficient online academic resources available. This website is geared toward students, researchers and individuals with an interest in the history and impacts of East- Indian indentureship globally.
Overall, there is a sense of visual balance between the placement of the text and illustrations. The various arrangement of the illustrations, texts and media on the webpages was easy to follow due to the use of sufficient negative spaces between them. The text is simple and legible with an appropriate font size that is easy for the average reader to understand.
The visual hierarchy in website design is evident and the headers are relevant to the proceeding content. The colour scheme includes shades of black, reddish brown and white. The reddish brown implies a sense of organic culture indicating the nature of work done by the indentured labourers (agriculture, farming, and soil) while the black and white gives a sense of nostalgia. The colour palette is creatively utilized without causing any distraction from the black and white photographs exhibited and is consistently maintained throughout the entire website.
Some labels are inappropriately placed with a mint green highlight on portions of the illustrations as seen on the “Home” and “Indentureship” webpages. The mint green highlight provides less contrast against the images as the colour is too close to the background colour of some of the images, giving them a blending appearance. A creative recommendation would be to include a reddish-brown highlight with white text for the labels as shown in the “Who We Are” text box on the home page.
The photo gallery under the “Resources” tab had a well-organised layout with regards to the placement and labels of the photographs. In contrast to the previous tabs, this section gives historical details such as the location and year in which the photographs were taken. There was also evidence of references attached to the photographs in this section. Further down the webpage there are numerous historical photographs with visibly hyperlinked labels that are directly linked to their sources, making it faster to access.
However, there are no academic in-text citations throughout the paragraphs and as well as no academic referencing for the photographs and illustrations used throughout the writing. Nonetheless, at the end of each webpage the sources of the photographs and illustrations are acknowledged such as the National Archives UK and SMU Libraries Digital Collections at the bottom of the webpage on the tab labelled “Indentureship”. The bibliography webpage is unique such that the resources are categorized by a hyperlinked photograph. While the presentation and style of categorizing is creative, it does not give proper instructions of how to navigate the webpage to access the list of resources.
With regards to the content, the information provided is relevant as it gives details of background information and visual depiction of the East Indian indentured labourers that settled in different locations around the world. The oral history project was presented using audio-visual media and was insightful due to the different views of the presenters on the topic of indentureship which include members of the East Indian diaspora globally and academic researchers. A selection of historical photographs was provided with hyperlinks to their respective sources in the “Public Articles” webpage under the “Resources” section. Although the “Public Articles” webpage provided a comprehensive list of resources, the resources are not categorized and organized in a specified order.
References
Cohen, Daniel J, and Roy Rosenzweig. “Designing for the History Web.” Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://chnm.gmu.edu/digitalhistory/designing/5.php.html.
“Critiquing Websites: Internet Sources for Research Help Guide.” Critiquing Websites – Internet Sources for Research Help Guide – Learning Resources Division at University of the District of Columbia. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://udc.libguides.com/c.php?g=670878&p=4722296.
The website ‘The Marginalian’ features a blog post titled “Digital Humanities: 7 Important Digitization Projects,” authored by Maria Popova. The website provides information on important digitization projects in the field of digital humanities. “Digital Humanities: 7 Important Digitization Projects” provides a thorough introduction to seven significant digitization projects in a blog that covers topics about the intersection of technology and the humanities. The objectives of the site, the audience that the site is addressed to, the content and information given on the site, ‘the design principles forming the site and the navigation of the website with respect to the hyperlinks and ease of movement throughout the different parts of the website shall be discussed and examined.
Foremostly, the objective of the article “Digital Humanities: 7 Important Digitization Projects” is to inform the reader of significant digitization projects in the humanities and to highlight their focus and goals. The author achieves this by providing concise overviews of each project and hyperlinks to their official websites, allowing the reader to explore each project in greater depth. The article’s objective is to provide a general introduction to each project, rather than an in-depth analysis. The author’s goal is to introduce the reader to these projects and inspire them to learn more. As the author notes, “This list is by no means comprehensive, but it does offer a taste of the wide variety of projects that are being undertaken in the digital humanities” (The Marginalian). Overall, the objective of the Marginalian blog and the article “Digital Humanities: 7 Important Digitization Projects” is to foster discussion and promote interest in the intersection of technology and humanities.
Even so, the article is not targeted towards a specific group, but rather a general audience interested in technology and the humanities. The author assumes no prior knowledge of digitization projects or the digital humanities, making the content accessible to a wide range of readers. The article is written in a straightforward and concise manner, making it easy for the general reader to understand the topics. The author also provides hyperlinks to the official websites of each project, allowing the reader to explore the projects in greater depth. The article’s audience is further supported by the author’s statement: “If you’re interested in learning more about the intersection of technology and humanities, these projects are a great place to start” (The Marginalian). The article does not use specialized terminology or jargon, making it easy for the general reader to follow along. The author’s writing style is engaging and accessible, making the content appealing to a broad audience.
Interestingly, the website has a minimalist design with a black and white colour scheme, and some black and yellow graphic templates in a clear organizational structure. The font size and textual layout are easy to read and complement the design of the website. The black and white colour scheme is consistent throughout the website, which helps to create a cohesive look and feel. The text is primarily black, and the background is white, which makes the text easy to read. The hyperlinks on the website are in a brownish red with some that are italic, bold and both italic and bold; which contrasts well with the black and white colour scheme and draws the user’s attention to them. The layout of the website is simple and easy to navigate. The blog post is the main feature of the page and is located front and centre. The title of the blog post is in bold black letters, which immediately draws the user’s attention. The author’s name and date of publication are located underneath the title, which provides the user with important information about the post.
The blog post is divided into sections, which are clearly labelled with subheadings. This makes it easy for the user to find specific information within the post. The font used on the website is a standard sans-serif font, which is easy to read. The font size is large enough to be easily legible but not so large as to be overwhelming. The use of white space is also well-balanced, which helps to draw the user’s attention to the text. Essentially, the design of the website ‘The Marginalian’ is simple, minimalist, and easy to navigate. The black and white with yellow text (frames for the black and white fonts) and black side (text boxes) colour scheme is consistent and complements the design of the website. The font size and textual layout are easy to read and well-balanced. The use of subheadings and white space makes it easy for the user to find specific information within the blog post. Overall, the design of the website is effective in creating a user-friendly experience for the reader.
In its composed nature, the website is designed to be a resource for scholars, researchers, and students interested in digital humanities, as well as anyone who is curious about the impact of digitization on the preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage. The navigation of the website is user-friendly and easy to use. The homepage provides a clear introduction to the topic of digitization, with links to the individual digitization projects. Each of the seven digitization projects is presented in a separate blog post, which can be accessed from the homepage by clicking on the project title. The blog posts provide detailed information on each project, including its scope, significance, and impact on the field of digital humanities. In terms of hyperlinks, the website provides links to external resources and further reading, allowing users to explore the topic of digitization in greater depth. For example, in the blog post on the “Digital Public Library of America,” the author provides links to related projects and resources, such as the Europeana project and the HathiTrust Digital Library.
The design of the website is simple and clean, with a white background and black text. The font size is easy to read, and the textual layout is well-organized and visually appealing. Each blog post includes images and multimedia elements to enhance the presentation of the digitization projects. For example, in the blog post on the “Digital Archive of Japan’s 2011 Disasters,” the author includes images of the disaster and its aftermath, as well as a video that explains the purpose and significance of the project. Basically, the website “The Marginalian” provides a valuable resource for anyone interested in the field of digital humanities and the impact of digitization on cultural heritage. The website’s user-friendly navigation, informative content, and well-designed layout make it a valuable tool for scholars, researchers, and students. The website’s design, including the use of multimedia elements and external links, enhances the user experience and allows for further exploration of the topic.
The site has a standard menu bar located at the top of the homepage, with links to different sections of the site, including “Home,” “About,” “Digital Humanities,” “Projects,” and “Contact.” Each link has a hover effect that gives visual feedback to the user. Moreover, the website’s footer contains links to a few donation methods such as cash and bitcoin with the slogan, ‘donating is loving’(The Marginalian) and hyperlinks that lead to the page where donations can be made. The website also provides internal hyperlinks within the content of each article, which enables users to navigate to other pages within the website quickly. However, one minor issue with the website’s navigation is the lack of a search bar. This can be challenging for users looking for specific information, especially when the website contains a lot of content. Having a search bar would help users quickly and efficiently locate the information they are seeking. Altogether, “The Marginalian” website’s navigation is straightforward and user-friendly. The site’s menu bar, internal hyperlinks, and social media links all make it easy for users to move around the site. Nonetheless, adding a search bar to the website would be a valuable improvement to further enhance the user experience.
Altogether, “Digital Humanities: 7 Important Digitization Projects” is a well-written and informative article for a general audience. The website’s design is simple and functional, making it easy for the reader to navigate the article and access the hyperlinks to each digitization project. However, the article could benefit from more in-depth analysis of each project’s significance and impact. The Marginalian blog provides a valuable platform for discussions on the intersection of technology and humanities, and this article is an excellent example of the kind of content it provides.
SlaveVoyages.org was made to explore the origins and forced relocation
of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic World and as clearly stated as the header
on its home page. This data website is a compilation of the records of the slave
trade throughout the Western world, the largest known slave trade in history.
It is a digital recording of where they were taken, how many died, what vessel they were on, identities and nationalities
of the perpetrators. The website has been functioning for 10 years, acquiring data for 40 years over 5 continents to ensure accuracy for over 36 000 slave trades and over
92000 Africans who made these voyages.
This database can be used to analyze data
and obtain estimates about the slave trades. There is also access to records of the slave trade that occur within the Western World (intra-slave voyages). There is also an introductory video informing users about the site, telling them what can be accessed through the site with small on-screen tutorials on how to gain access to the information.
This site is a historical researcher or scholar Mecca for the Western Slave Trade. This site is for anyone who requires
knowledge or research on Slave voyages to the New World. The site contains 3 databases; Trans-Atlantic, Intra-American and People of the Atlantic Slave
Trade. Each of these databases has a Methodology to help users understand the database. Users also have access to
features such as; Maps, showing the routes of the trade, essays about each database and a site blog, categorized by Institution and Author (if necessary), 3D
digital renditions of slave ships along with timelines and time lapses showing estimated slaves and movements across the Atlantic. tThe site also contains a Gallery with illustrations or photography related to the voyages or trades.
The design of the site left nothing to be desired. The backdrop of the homepage was a moving illustration of slave housing, slave ships and documentation relating to the voyages, it was captivating enough to catch your attention but not take away from the objectives of the site. There is a drop-down sidebar on the right-hand corner, listing out the Main Menu of the site where each category has a drop-down menu to guide you through the category. This site is also available in 3 languages. When going into any of the categories in the Main Menu users get a sidebar to make navigating between sub-categories easier, especially within the enslaved people databases. There’s also a place for users to edit and report issues. It must be noted that even though there is no search bar on the site it can be argued that the easy navigation of the site renders it mute.
In conclusion, slavevoyages.org is a well-thought-through site which was executed magnificently. This site should be the road map used for web creators, it entails all the components of a great website.
documentation relating to the voyages, it was captivating enough to catch your attention but not take away from the objectives of the site. There is a drop-down sidebar on the right-hand corner, listing out the Main Menu of the site where each category has a drop-down menu to guide you through the category. This site is also available in 3 languages. When going into any of the categories in the Main Menu users get a sidebar to make navigating between sub-categories easier, especially within the enslaved people databases. There’s also a place for users to edit and report issues. It must be noted that even though there is no search bar on the site it can be argued that the easy navigation of the site renders it mute.
In conclusion, slavevoyages.org is a well-thought-through site which was executed magnificently. This site should be the road map used for web creators, it entails all the components of a great website.
SlaveVoyages.org was made to explore the origins and forced relocation of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic World and as clearly stated in the header on its home page. This data website is a compilation of the records of the slave trade throughout the Western world, the largest known slave trade in history. It is a digital recording of where they were taken, how many died, what vessel they were on, identities and nationalities of the perpetrators. The website has been functioning for 10 years, acquiring data for 40 years over 5 continents to ensure accuracy for over 36 000 slave trades and over 92000 Africans who made these voyages. This database can be used to analyze data
and obtain estimates about the slave trades. There is also access to records of the slave trade that occur within the Western World (intra-slave voyages). There is also an introductory video informing users about the site, telling them what can be accessed through the site with small on-screen tutorials on how to gain access to the information.
This site is a historical researcher or scholar Mecca for the Western Slave Trade. This site is for anyone who requires
knowledge or research on Slave voyages to the New World. The site contains 3 databases; Trans-Atlantic, Intra-American and People of the Atlantic Slave
Trade. Each of these databases has a Methodology to help users understand the database. Users also have access to features such as; Maps, showing the routes of the trade, essays about each database and a site blog, categorized by Institution and Author (if necessary), 3D
digital renditions of slave ships along with timelines and time lapses showing estimated slaves and movements across the Atlantic. The site also contains a Gallery with illustrations or photography related to the voyages or trades.
The design of the site left nothing to be desired. The backdrop of the homepage was a moving illustration of slave housing, slave ships and documentation relating to the voyages, it was captivating enough to catch your attention but not take away from the objectives of the site. There is a drop-down sidebar on the right-hand corner, listing out the Main Menu of the site where each category has a drop-down menu to guide you through the category. This site is also available in 3 languages. When going into any of the categories in the Main Menu users get a sidebar to make navigating between sub-categories easier, especially within the enslaved people databases. There’s also a place for users to edit and report issues. It must be noted that even though there is no search bar on the site it can be argued that the easy navigation of the site renders it mute.
In conclusion, slavevoyages.org is a well-thought-through site which was executed magnificently. This site should be the road map used for web creators, it entails all the components of a great website.
Review 1
Title : Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive
The objective of this site is to give a documentary and information on the Salem witch trials. At first look of the site, it doesn’t seem very clear nor creative. The colours used are very dull and not attractive. The site is targeting a general audience who is interested in the Salem witch trails, also for non-commercial educational purposes because they have all of the court records and evidence like a general documentary. The font size is small and hard to read but none of them seem to be clashing with the background colours as black was used for mostly all the fonts. The site in general is very hard to understand in my opinion because everything is all over the place and not clear. Everything seems to flow decently and there is easy access to everything as you can easily click to access everything as you read along. It would have been better and flow better if everything was more pleasing to the eyes and easier to read. Overall, there is a lot of useful information on this site. Its just not presented the best. Images were used well in the “Important Persons in the Salem Court Records” section as lots of illustrations were displayed. https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/home.html
Review 1- Abrief History of the Steelpan https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18903131
About- the history site demonstates and illustrates a precise history of the steel pan, in this website the author talks about how the steelpan was made with regards to the specific metals that it consist of. The metal object over a period of time was tuned in which every note or section had its own unique sound, creating melody. The steelpan was also originated right in trinidad by one of our very own.
Audience- in this website the audience that is being targeted is a general audience, on the website there are limited photos and videos that depicts from attracting the reader; such as there are three photos and only one video being displayed. In the one video it was indeed interesting and informative, reason being Michelle huggins-Watts demonstrates her love for the steelpan and also gives other the opportunity as well to learn the instrument and its sounds.
Context – the context layout of this website meets its objective towards the audience but it still feels as though infornation was insufficient although it stated that it was just a brief history of the steelpan. For example the year in which the steelpan became the national instrument of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was not mentioned as regards to another website “ The website Culture Mix, Carnival music and Arts” https://culturemixarts.co.uk/education/resources/history-of-steel-pan/. In this website it specifies that the steelpan evolved in playing any type of style of music and also began working with other instruments to create harmonizing melody, also another main aspect not mention was that which descendents of people was the steelpan originated from. Unlike the website referenced it specifically states that the steelpan evolved out of earlier musical practices of Trinidad’s Aafrican descendents. In another website referenced as “ The Steelpan History and Development” https://www.steelpan-steeldrums-information.com/steel-pan-history.html it gives atleast four steelpan innovators who have made significant contributions to the development of the steelpan as compared to this website being reviewed there was no mention of this.
Design –in this website the colour scheme is a general grey colour which can infact compliment the colour of the steelpan. Although a brighter colour would attract the audience and reader I believe that the grey scale of the pictures best suits the layout of the page and combines everything as one. The font size in this website is relatively good, the background colour compliments the sixe text and also the colour of the text. It is very easy and manageable to read without any hesitation neither is there any distractions. One thing that stood out was that there was not any ‘about page’ in this website to allow the reader to know exactly what the page is about. The contact information was seen at the bottom of the page where it usually is placed and recognizeable.
Navigation- in navigating and being able to easily access the page, it was not quite well put together; the majority of the information on this site was quotings and sayings from pan personnels rather than the author interpreting the information in their own words to their best ability.
Objectives: The slave voyages site has deeply expressed that its objective was to demonstrate the collaboration of a multi-disciplinary team of historians, librarians, computer programmers, and scholars for a three-year period with slave trade scholars from colleges in Europe, Africa, South America, and North America to portray the trans-Atlantic and intra-American slave trade. It is an endeavor that gathers and makes public data on the world’s major slave transactions.
Audience: After reviewing this site, it is clear that there is no targeted audience but for the general public to gain insight into the western slave trade, but it would not be inaccurate to assume that the majority of the viewers are from an academic background in regards to the three major databases being displayed, which are the Trans-Atlantic, Intra-American, and People of the Atlantic slave trade.
Design: The webpage design took a modern turn. It allows an easier flow of the page and its content. It also breaks up the information into bite-sized pieces, allowing users to search and locate exactly which topics they want to focus on. The background imagery is not distracting but engages in a subtle change in contrast to the information being displayed. They also offer the option to contribute, view pictures, download, and view essays on specific topics. At the bottom of the page, it gives a list of school logos, demonstrating the academic background that instills a sense of confidence and trust in the reliability of information.
Content: The content of this webpage leaves you with the impression that there is everything you need to know on this site. It goes in depth on each database, with subheadings in each topic. It starts off with an introduction, then engulfs you in a journey, describing each event in full detail. It breaks up each topic into a paragraph of subheadings, making it digestible and allowing comprehension of the data. This is done for each database, granting a refreshed approach to raw data that is usually dull. This site also provides links to external resources that would be reliable and give insights from different perspectives.
The goal of this website is to depict American history up to the twenty-first century using various mapping techniques that display data on a map of the United States of America. However, this is not the description on the website. It was obtained by thoroughly inspecting the entire website. The short paragraph on the home page simply states “a historical atlas of the United States for the twenty-first century. It combines cutting-edge research with innovative interactive mapping techniques.” This is insufficient information and does not clearly describe the website’s goal. The wording is not precise enough which can lead to misinterpretation. For example the phrase “for the twenty-first century” implies that the website will only be covering events that occurred within that era. However,the website includes events prior to this time period.
The about section of the site mainly focuses on the creators of the site and crediting the supporting university. The website does not include a page describing its objectives.
Audience
The website’s only information about its intended audience is “designed to appeal to anyone with an interest in American history or a love of maps.” While this statement broadly describes the target audience, the words used should be more specific. For instance, including a specific list of users such as history students, teachers, history buffs, and so on.
Content
The website’s content is very detailed and makes extensive use of maps. It includes ten maps that are linked to various historical events that can be depicted on a map of the United States. Each historical event is first written with historical context, followed by the map on a separate page. Each map is unique, reflecting the use of various mapping methodologies. The map pages are very detailed, with explanations of what is displayed, additional historical information, sources, and, in some cases, a contact section.
Because American History is so vast, there is plenty of room to expand on the information provided on this website. However, there was an extreme attention to detail for the topics covered, and the use of images and maps made for an interesting way of grouping and displaying the historical information.
Design
The title and a brief description are displayed at the top of the website, along with a large black and white image. This first image is appropriate because black and white images are associated with history. The title is written in a grayish blue font. Scrolling down the page reveals a white background with mostly black text.
The historical event hyperlinks are displayed with an image of the corresponding map, as well as the title and years the events occurred. The homepage also includes sections for about the project, dedication, and contact us. Each section is easily identified by the use of titles with larger text and a different coloured background.
Navigation
There is no navigation bar on this website. Except for the maps, the homepage contains all sections. The maps are linked in two-by-two rows. All hyperlinks function properly and direct the user to the appropriate page. Once on the page, the user is shown either the map right away or a brief history that leads to the map via “next” buttons.
When viewing the map, some pages include a top navigation bar that allows you to navigate through all of the maps. This navigation bar, however, is not present on all map pages. This forces the user to use their browser to return to the previous page. To return to the homepage, the user may have to navigate backwards several times in their browser. The map pertaining to the Executive Boards, for example, is somewhat of a dead end. To return to the home page, the user must navigate back through their browser. The map for The Overland Trails, on the other hand, does not have this problem because it includes the navigation bar at the top of the page.
References
“A Companion to Digital Humanities.” Companions.digitalhumanities.org, companions.digitalhumanities.org/DH/.
“Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web.” Chnm.gmu.edu, chnm.gmu.edu/digitalhistory/index.html.
Digital History at UWI 
Review 1
Salem Witch Trial: Documentary Archive and Transcription Project
Created and maintained by Project Director Benjamin Ray, Technical Development Scholars’ Lab, and The University of Virginia
https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/home.html
Reviewed by Georgianna Cooke, February 2023
The Salem Witch Trial: Documentary Archive and Transcription Project website consists of an electronic collection of primary source materials relating to the 1692 Salem witch trials, as well as a new transcription of the court records. The Documentary Archive is being developed under the supervision of University of Virginia Professor Benjamin C. Ray. Professor Bernard Rosenthal of the University of Binghamton oversees the Transcription project and was working with a team of scholars on a new transcription of the original court records, titled Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt, which will be published by Cambridge University Press. This information could be found under Project Information in the Introduction.
Academics such as historians, teachers, students, and other scholars are likely to visit the website because it was designed for educational purposes; therefore, serious scholars and researchers are the likely target audience.
The information on the site appeared to be quite comprehensive, containing everything that the site claimed in the Introduction. Despite the fact that this site was extremely rich in information about the Salem witch trials, with numerous links to information about the trials as well as links to books about the trials and corrections to previous transcriptions, there was no search feature where users could easily find what they were looking for by keying in a word or phrase.
Furthermore, when the links to the books were clicked, some of them took the user to a table of contents, while others took them to clickable images of the book’s pages, but the navigation was a bit tedious for all of them because the user had to constantly select the back arrow to return to the beginning rather than having arrows by each page selected that would give the option of going back to the previous page or going forward to the next page. Although there was one book link, Narratives of the Witchcraft Cases, 1648 – 1706, that took you to the University of Virginia Library website, where the layout was easier to navigate and access the different sections of the book, there was no feature that would allow the user to return to the original Salem Witch Trial website.
Digital historians typically spend more time on infrastructure, digitization, and design than they do on actually reaching a desired audience and getting them excited about their site, or improving the site over time to best serve users and track how well their goals are being met, but building an audience for the site serves the most fundamental democratic and intellectual goals that historians share (Cohen & Rosenzweig, 2005).
The website’s homepage features ten main topic headings, four of which are clickable images and six of which are textual links. There were also twenty-six subheadings with textual links. The homepage would have been more consistent if all of the main headings had been clickable images, or if the headings had been used as textual links at either the top of the page similar to that of the Archive and other pages, or to the left of the screen, making site navigation not only more visible, but also easier for the user to find what they were looking for from the homepage. Furthermore, because the website’s interface does not utilise the entire screen, the font used was small and everything appeared clustered together, which may not be appealing to users.
The authenticity of the site was enhanced by actual imagery of some documents and the use of primary sources, such as the original court documents and the documents in the Archival Collections; however, imagery of the transcribed personal letters found under Documents & Transcriptions and the maps found under Historical Maps would have supplemented the credibility and provided the user with additional insight into the history of the documents. Furthermore, the transcription of the personal letters was difficult to read and comprehend, whereas an image of the original letter, as well as the transcription and either a translation or summary into Standard English, would have aided some scholars, such as students, who were now researching and learning. Users of the site, however, would not be put off by the transcriptions because this was the focus of the website and was to be expected.
In conclusion, this site is a very comprehensive digital history project, and as mentioned in their Introduction, additional work was being done to correct the transcriptions of some of the original court records. To stand out in this digital era, the site’s appearance need to be more consistent and appealing, and a search feature would be extremely beneficial to scholars who usually do a lot of research with deadlines to meet which may be able to save them valuable time when researching a topic of this kind. This feature would have made effective use of the technology where print and film could not.
References:
Cox, Lindsay Kolowich. “12 Critical Elements Every Website Homepage Must Have [Infographic].” HubSpot Blog. HubSpot, April 1, 2022. https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31097/12-critical-elements-every-homepage-must-have-infographic.aspx.
Cohen, Daniel J, and Roy Rosenzweig. “Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web.” Digital History | Building an Audience, 2005. https://chnm.gmu.edu/digitalhistory/audience/index.php.html.
REVIEW 1
Title: A Brief history of the Steel Pan
Website-Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18903131
Description:
The website https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc , is one which has been created and is termed by its creators as being a “ world leading public service broadcaster”. The main purpose of the website is to create content which can be easily accessed by persons throughout the world that is both entertaining but also formal and educational. The page chosen for review, https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18903131 , has the title “ A brief history of the steel pan “ and the title quite easily identifies the contents of the webpage. The webpage begins by highlighting exactly what the “steel pan” and it then goes onto displaying the details about the very nature and steelpan and how it came to be so significant in Caribbean history today.
Objective:
The objective of the website is to describe and explain the history of the steel pan, its relevance and how it came to be the power master it is today in not only Trinidadian culture, but in the Caribbean as a whole.
Audience:
The audience of the website would be a plethora of persons, but given the nature of the content of the website, it feels as though it is aims at more general audience over a scholarly audience. A specific group of persons to which this website audience may target can be students or individuals who are interested in learning a more summarized and less elaborated version of the history of steel pan.
Content:
The content of the website chosen attempted to identify exactly what is and how the steel pan came about, illustrating the transitions from the use of car parts, paint pots and oil drums to more tuned metallic objects. The website also aims to provide some background history as to why steel pan originated in Trinidad and has become such a staple in the Caribbean in the first place all the while highlighting Trinidadian culture by stating a piece of historical writing about the “panorama” festivities that usually occur in Trinidad. The content of the website essentially ends off with a image and video describing tuned steel pans and a demonstration of its use. Evaluating the website and its content, the information given, in terms of the expected audience, is both sufficient and appropriate and hence meets its objectives, for the aspects of the website as it lays out the history, adds picture and video samples of the instrument as well as it highlights strengths of the steel pan, enabling any common user to understand why it is such a national phenomenon, as well as it allows for a more holistic understanding of its importance, but it also does not go very in depth in terms of its history, its uses and other factors, so it does appeal to a more general crowd, however , for scholarly purposes, information would be lacking therefore. The contents of the website itself does demonstrate some level of comprehensiveness as its information can be said to be “straight to the point”. The purpose of the website has been achieved and therefore the goals and objectives, which were to pass on some information about the history of the steel pan, has also been demonstrated.
Design:
The designs of the website can be separated into its constituent color schemes, organization, font size and textual layouts. To begin, the color schemes of the website are a combination of mainly white (throughout the content page ) as well as red ,white and black for the navigation bar and black for the header of the website. The website begins with a title with a font size of 24 and the content which follows are in the font “Calibri ( body)”. The content has a line spacing of 1.0 and a paragraph spacing of 1.5. The organization of the website is one which consists of a singular webpage containing navigation bars, a header, pictures, and paragraphs of information of the topic at hand, alongside a footer which contains links or hyperlinks to access information about the website itself that is not already contained on the webpage being reviewed.
Review of the website itself:
Though bbc.com boasts to be a website which is not only factual, but is world-wide driven, the information presented on this webpage, alongside the way in which it was highlighted was one of a more questionable nature as , not only was there information lacking, but the consistency of the contents of the page and the general page layout itself was very minimal and somewhat boring, which can potentially cause any user to become less interested in the “ facts” being addressed. According to https://activehistory.ca/2014/10/best-practices-for-writing-history-on-the-web/ , “With the abundance of digitized historical primary sources now available online, historians can link directly to the sources rather than just simply providing breadcrumbs in their footnotes” there were no hyperlinks Present in the footer of this webpage, alongside any other part of the page that enabled or allowed for further expression and demonstration of the media being forecasted. The website also did not quote any pieces of fact or linked to any repositories of information that are considered as “primary information”. Though the website would have added a picture and a video to further illustrate its content, it was still considerably lacking as there also could’ve been a hyperlink which takes the user to another page that would’ve shown its use in Trinidad. The navigation of the page, though simple, was a bit too simplistic for such a profound piece of history which every Trinidadian shares, as there could have been more illustration and designs to this section of the website. The visual appeal was all too simple and very common; hence, visual improvements could be made in terms of how interactive the interface is with the user. All in all, though the content was precise, there is no telling whether or not the information presented was factual as well as, the webpage itself is too bland.
Name: Shemiah Superville
Website Review 1: Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive.
Link: https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/home.html
Objectives:
When viewing and reading through the Salem Witch Trial’s website the objective of this website from the it’s footnotes states, “The material presented in the Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive is provided freely for non-commercial educational purposes.” This is done through the exhibition of documents such as court records, record books, past personal letters, historical maps and many other significant records that document and piece together the events that happened throughout the Salem Witch Trials. I believe that they met their website objective of educating people non-commercially is achieved as there is no sign of advertisements throughout the website and its various pages. This is done through displaying of information onto the website in their database gathered throughout many years without any kind of paywall or fee to access these documents.
Audience:
The intended audience of the website would be anyone that is interested in educating themselves with primary source documents from actual Salem trials. Though from its website organization, it would seem that a more academia-based audience would actually access and be attracted because of its content more than its appearance.
Content:
The Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive is a very valuable source of documentation of persons who are interested in studying the trails that occurred in 1692. The website which is curated by the University of Virginia provides a vast collection of firsthand primary source documents as mentioned above such as court records, letters, maps, images and dairy entries.
Upon viewing the website, the homepage is simply organized and easy to navigate with links to various sections such as a search for the database of primary sources, a section about the accused and afflicted, and a section about the historical context of the trials. Additionally, this website provides a bibliography of secondary sources, a glossary of terms related to the trials and links that are relevant to the trials which provide more sources to the trials.
One of the most key features of the website is the searchable database of primary source documents, which gives users access to search for specific people, events or keywords that relate to the trials. The database includes transcripts of court records, letters, maps, images and dairy entries as previously mentioned which can provide more information about the trials and the persons involved at the time. The website also includes biographical information about the people involved in the trials, including the accused, the accusers, and the judges. It also offers resources for educators, such as lesson plans and classroom activities, which can be used to teach about the witch trials.
In conclusion, the content that is displayed on the website is thorough, verified and well researched and allows accessibility to scholars, students, teachers and generally anyone who is interested in further delving into the history of the Salem Witch Trials. It is important to note that the website maintained often with regular updates and improvements which makes the site even more reliable and up to date. The site offers a wealth of information that is both informative and engaging, making it a useful tool for to learn more about this fascinating and often misunderstood period of American history.
Design:
The website’s color scheme is predominantly white, with blue and red accents, which adds visual interest and helps to highlight important information. The typography is clear and easy to read, which is particularly important when dealing with primary source materials and historical documents.
One of the strengths of the website’s design is the way in which it presents the primary source documents related to the Salem trials. The materials, such as court records and maps, are well-organized and easy to access, and the images are of high quality, allowing users to zoom in and examine details closely.
Overall, the design of the website is effective and functional, and it serves its purpose of providing users with access to historical information and resources related to the Salem witch trials. The website’s simplicity and clarity make it a valuable resource for researchers, educators, and anyone interested in learning more about this significant period of American history.
Though the design is generally navigable and simple to digest there are some ways that it can be improved. The website could benefit from more visually engaging elements to better engage users. While the website’s layout is clear and easy to navigate, the lack of more dynamic or interactive design elements may make it less engaging for some users.
The website’s search function could be improved. Although the website has a search bar, the results may not always be relevant or comprehensive, which could possibly make it harder for users to traverse.
The website’s mobile responsiveness could be improved. While the website is functional on mobile devices, the design may not be optimized for smaller screens, which can make it difficult to read or navigate.
Review 1
Name: Arianna Ramoutar
Title: The brief history of the internet
Website link: https://www.internetsociety.org/internet/history-internet/brief-history-internet/
Objective:
The objective of this website is to provide a concise and accessible overview of the origins of the internet, as well as, to highlight the important milestones and innovations that have contributed to the internet’s growth and impact on society to present day. The Internet Society works to ensure that the internet remains an open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy platform for innovation and social progress.
Audience:
The targeted audience for this website is anyone who is interested in learning about the history and transformation of the internet as it provides a comprehensive but concise overview of the key milestones and events in the development of the internet, which can be useful for general public of all ages.
Content:
The content on this website provides a brief history of the internet from the 1960s to the present day. The website is run and maintained by the Internet Society which is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting the growth and use of the internet for the benefit of all people around the world. It provides a timeline of important events in the history of the internet, including but not limited to, the creation of TCP/IP, the launch of the World Wide Web, and the growth of the internet up till present day. The website also includes information on the individuals and organizations that played key roles in the development of the internet. Additionally, it highlights the importance of the internet as a tool for communication, collaboration and connecting with one another. The content of the website is organized in a manner of sections that and events in the evolution of the internet. The sections are as follows: an introduction which explains the internet’s impact on the world, followed by a description of the early developments that led to the creation of the internet, then the actual key events that led to the creation of the internet, including the development of the ARPANET and the TCP/IP protocols, after came the description for the development of the World Wide Web and its impact on the growth of the internet and lastly it discussed the current state of the internet, including its impact on society and its future potential. To add, the website also includes additional resources, such as links to related articles and books, that provide more in-depth information on the history and development of the internet.
Design:
The website has a user-friendly design that is easy to navigate. The design is focused on showcasing the content in a clear and concise manner which makes finding content easier to access. The website has a white background with black text and as you scroll downwards, the background colour changes for each section. This makes the website visually appealing which keeps the reader interested. The font is a simple, sans-serif typeface that is also easy to read. Additionally, it has a top navigation bar that provides links to other sections of the Internet Society website, as well as a search bar for finding specific content on the website. The website also includes a sidebar on the right-hand side of the page, which provides links to related articles and resources as well as the organization’s social media channels.
Review 1
Title: SlaveVoyages
Link: Slave Voyages
The Slave Voyages website is the result of several databases relating to the Trans-Atlantic and Intra-American slave trades. It relies on the information from scholars who have been conducting independent and collaborative research for several decades, relying on information from archives and libraries from all over the western world.
Objectives
The main object of slavevoyages.org is to provide the wider public with access to databases tied to the slave trade. SlaveVoyages boasts of being “a collaborative digital initiative that compiles and makes publicly accessible records of the largest slave trades in history”1(website). Individuals can search the website’s records to learn about the origins, forced migrations, and trafficking of Africans in the Americas. The databases allow for people to investigate information on the various events that would occur during the voyages, what locations they were taken and more.
According to the website, SlaveVoyages was developed over the course of three years. It took a multifaceted team of academics with specialties spanning the areas of history, computer programming, web design, cartography as well as individuals such as curriculum specialists, librarians. Additionally, consultations with scholars from universities in places such as Africa, North and South America, and Europe who specialize in the slave trade were used as well.
Yes, the website meets the main objective they have established as they have expansive databases that are accessible to those interested in gaining knowledge on the slave trade. Furthermore, because Slave Voyages is an ongoing project, they are regularly adding to their resources and databases, which translates into more information for their audiences.
Strengths: Meets its objective and it is a continuously growing source of information.
Weaknesses: I could not find any weaknesses with respect to Objectives.
Audience
It is clear to see that the website caters to several different audiences. Anyone from the general public and scholars could be users of this website. The website has a compilation of information from academics from various universities. The site explains that it is “the product of three years of development by a multi-disciplinary team of historians, librarians, curriculum specialists, cartographers, computer programmers, and web designers, in consultation with scholars of the slave trade from universities in Europe, Africa, South America, and North America.”1 There is also a section with lesson plans which further expands the audience to both teachers and their students at the middle and high school levels.
Strengths: Reliable academic information curated for all audiences. Due to the interdisciplinary contributions, there can be several perspectives on the topic of slavery, slave trade, etc.
Weaknesses: More interactive aspects (such as multi-media) to make the material even more interesting.
Design
The SlaveVoyages website can be described as having a modern and up-to-date web design. It has an aesthetically pleasing homepage. The website’s homepage uses interesting historical images pertaining to the slave trade as a slideshow, but it is done in a way that does not distract the reader from the writing that is overlayed on it. Although the homepage is different from the themes of the other tabs/pages (the top of the homepage being black and white), they are also aesthically pleasing.
The overall font used is very easy to read as it is not a complicated font, is also not too small, and there is a clear contrast between the font and the website’s background. The colour scheme of the overall website is easy on the eyes and is not jarring or confusing. Colours such as blues and greens are said to stimulate feelings of peace, calm, and security and are the colours that are used throughout the site in different tabs/webpages.2
The layout of the website is simple and easy to navigate. Each tab on the navigation plane has a different colour to show a change in page/ topic. For example, any of the pages on the drop-down menu for the tab “Trans-Atlantic” has a teal header, while the tabs “Intra-American” and “People of the Atlantic Slave Trade” are purple and green respectively.
Strengths: The design of the website is modern and visibly appealing. The layout also allows for easy viewing of information.
Weaknesses: In my opinion, I did not find any weaknesses.
Content
Content in the context of a website refers to the general information that a website provides. The Slave Voyages website has a variety of multi-media content that includes videos, images, documents, and databases.
Its special features include interactive 3D videos of slaving vessels, estimates for the transatlantic slave trade with corresponding timelines, timelapse of the routes of slave ships and maps depicting places and routes of the slave trade. The website also has databases for the Transatlantic and Intra-America slave trades. The database for the people of the slave trade consists of information from 3 databases. One is called The African Origins database that has information including “personal details of 95,153 Africans taken from slave ships mostly captured by anti-slave trade patrols or from African trading sites between 1808-1862”.1 The second, named The Oceans of Kinfolk database, is inclusive of “the personal details of 63,562 people transported to New Orleans, and in many cases records on the people who transported, bought, and sold them there”.1 The third database includes information relating to enslavers. An interesting aspect of these databases is that for the recorded names of those that were enslaved, there was a button that the user could press to hear the pronunciation of it.
In addition to these databases, the website has essays written from scholars from the various universities that contribute to the website relative to the databases. These essays provide a more in-depth explanation of the databases and the history of the slave trades. The SlaveVoyages website also have blog posts for users to interact with. The website also provides external links so that users can access more resources related to the slave trade. To help facilitate the spread of the website’s information to schools, the SlaveVoyages website has created lesson plans that are available for use by teachers in middle and high school level classes. The website additionally has a gallery consisting of images of enslaved persons, maps, vessels and as well as images of various documents.
Strengths: All the website’s content comes from various universities and institutions around the world, making the content quite reputable. The use of multi-media aids in the retention of information, helps to encourage interest in topics and demonstrates the significance of concepts, as more research is complied, there will hopefully be more multi-media added to the website.3
Weaknesses: There could be more videos incorporated.
Navigation
The SlaveVoyages website is extremely user friendly, and the layout allows for users to find easily and quickly what they are looking for. Tabs for the main topics are in the navigation bar located at the top of the website. Each tab for the different pages has a drop-down menu that further allows for easy flow from page to page. Each webpage has a side bar that also helps for ease of navigation. Users have the option of selecting from 3 language options to navigate the site: English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Strengths: The navigation is simple and easy to use. There were no hidden links or hidden menus, and everything was simply a click away. All links both internal and external worked.
Weaknesses: There were no weaknesses noted.
1. “Explore the Origins and Forced Relocations of Enslaved Africans across the Atlantic World,” Slave Voyages, accessed February 18, 2023, https://www.slavevoyages.org/.
2. “The Psychology of Colour,” Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.), accessed February 18, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/science/color/The-psychology-of-colour.
3. Using media to enhance teaching and learning, February 11, 2023, https://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/media/index.html.
Review 1
Title: Mapping American Social Movements
Website link: https://depts.washington.edu/moves/index.shtml
When I first got this this assignment, I opened many websites and just skimmed through them to see which would be the best and this one caught my attention. Created by Professor James N. Gregory, this site is supported and funded by the Digital Humanities grants from the Walter J. Simpson Center for the Humanities, a Washington State Labor Research grant from the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, and the History Department Hanauer Fund, all at the University of Washington. Its purpose is to map out American social movements since the 19th century and is constantly updated each month with added sources and data.
The target audience for this website to me is a mixture of both a scholarly audience and a general one. Scholarly because there are not pictures plastered all over to become a distraction for people that are doing serious research. The pictures shown on the homepage are maps that relate to each different social movement period and they are a way to help the readers better understand the areas they happened in. By clicking on each picture, you are taken to another page with more information as there is only a paragraph written on each part and the link provides a greater description. A general audience is also catered for because the information given is simple for regular people just doing basic research to understand.
The sidebar provides hyperlinks on additional movements like those that happened between the 1870s and 1930s, Women’s Movements and Asian American Movements. None of these links are broken and all lead to a different set of useful information. The black background with red wording lets the links stand out but the colour scheme is kind of an eyesore. For the rest of the page, the colour scheme works with the white background and black lettering. This is a standard scheme for majority of websites, so it is easier for anyone to become familiar with it and it also helps the pictures to blend in with the rest of the page. The content does meet its purpose of mapping out the social movements across America. Each link on the website leads to a greater description of a particular movement and this provides the reader with a greater understanding of what went on during those times. The links are also very easy to navigate through.
The organization of the website also helps as they place the movements on the home page in chronological order with the maps next to each one, giving a proper timeline of the events. Also, the links on the sidebar are placed with headings for each major movement. For example, the first heading is “1870s-1930s” and below that are all the movements for that specify timeframe. This makes it easier for readers to find what they need if they are looking for something in particular, instead of searching aimlessly through a bunch of information. The font size used is 14, big enough for you to not have to strain your eyes allowing the information to look clearer but not a size where it becomes hard to read.
Like anything in life, there are strengths and weaknesses. One of the strengths of this website is that the content is exceptional. You can get a proper set of information about all the movements and each piece is backed by multiple sources. The maps are a good touch as some people need visual aid to better understand and it also adds a different dimension to the page. The constantly updated information can be seen as both a strength and weakness. A strength because they are providing truer information but a weakness as someone who does not revisit the site can have the wrong views of what they previously researched.
In conclusion, I believe that this site is extremely useful if you are doing serious research or just trying to learn new things. Personally, I don’t think I will ever revisit this site because I have no interest in American social movements but because of my major which is International Relations, you never know. If I do have to do research on a movement, this site would be the first I use because I know that I’ll get everything I need.
REVIEW 1
Title; A brief history of the steel pan
Link; https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18903131
Objectives of the site
• Overall, the main objective of this site is to provide readers with the brief history of the steel pan, an instrument originated in Trinidad in the 1930s.
• The purpose of this website is to convey meaningful information to readers so as to stimulate interest and enthusiasm for the history of the steel pan.
• Further, this site seeks to provide some background information on how the steel pan came into being , how it was made, famous steel pan players , its significance to Trinidadian culture and its impact on the world at large.
Audience/ Content
The target audience for this website is the general population. As this website seeks to provide a brief history of the steel pan , it is not necessary to define a particular demographic However, a high percentage of individuals expected to engage with this website may include those who are culturally curious, educated, social media enthusiasts, BBC followers, music lovers or simply individuals interested in world events. The website does not contain useful information such as statistics, policies, reports, or case studies for it to be considered scholarly. Additionally, no editing information or references are provided which questions the credibility and makes it difficult for individuals who would want to pursue further research. However, as the purpose of the website is to provide a brief history of the steel pan, individuals without prior knowledge can gain some insight but this would just serve as the basis as this information is quite limited.
Design; colour scheme, organization, font size and use, textual layout.
The header which is often the first things visitors see when they enter the site did contain the brands logo, however the black and white logo with the red portion underneath sets a very dull tone for the top section of the website. Definitely, the arrangement of the visual elements of the website is poor. The image below the header which is essential in creating a good first impression is actually blurry. This might deter some users from exploring the site. The video and last image on the page is not aligned well with the text and the watermark on the last photo can really serve to distract the readers. The text size could be bigger and more consistent as concise and should’ve been justified. The website footer contained the basis contact information which users can utilize to reach out to BBC which is essential for website success. The sidebars for this website were particularly unsatisfactory. For instance, although BBC is a broadcasting corporation, reading about the history of steel pan in Trinidad and having to look at suggestions about the protest in China , war in Russia and Anglo Indians was very distractive. The website layout in general is a one-page website where all the information is on one long scrolling page. This makes it easier for reading as what they are looking for is in one place.
Navigation; easy flow from one dimension to another, ease of accessibility, working hyperlinks.
The website was quite easy to navigate , there was easy from one dimension to another. Additionally, in the footer of the page outlines the websites Accessibility policy , 100% subtitles for vides, 20% of content offer audio description, and 5% sign language. This shows that the web accessibility is somewhat fair as most individuals can perceive , understand, navigate, interact, and contribute to the web. The hyperlinks on the right of the page were working.
Strengths
• The website served the purpose which was to introduce readers to the history of the steel pan.
• The video with an award-winning music arranger Michelle Huggins Watts definitely enhanced the website as visitors could watch the steel pan being played in its birthplace.
• The website provided some quotations from a Trinidadian pan-man and woman.
• The background and general information were sufficient in proving a brief introduction to the history of the steel pan.
• The imagery was relevant and well suited for the website.
Weaknesses
• There was no editorial information on the website. The editor information is usually at the top section or bottom of the webpage, but this was absent. There were also no references listed. Although BBC is a fairly reputable website, persons who are interested in further research would have to utilize an alternative website. The lack of references and editor information would also lead to questions surrounding the integrity or credibility of the website.
• The layout content of the website was a bit bland. The text was small, and it was unaligned. Also instead of paragraphs, the editor has just inserted one sentence after another on a separate line. This is quite confusing.
• Additionally, the sidebar has some hyperlinks which are totally unrelated to the subject matter at hand. For instance, topics such as Russia, China and Anglo Indians are situated on the right hand of the screen as suggestions for users. However, suggestions should’ve been more related to the topic for e.g. , Trinidad news or news about musical instruments are more appropriate to have on the sidebar.
• Also, these suggestions were too large, and it was quite difficult to concentrate on the article at hand as the text was misaligned and to the left and needed justifying whilst on the right the suggestions were huge with imagery distracting readers.
• The images on the website are fitting but are not of the best quality. Utilizing good quality graphics is a good way to make the website more appealing. Visuals are used to determine whether website visitors will view the text in proximity to the image. The images were not of the best quality and also were not aligned with the text. Better formatting is necessary.
• Additionally, the watermark image at the end of the article served as a distraction to visitors viewing the image and although used as a tool for protection could be seen as a tool for promotion as well.
References for your discussion
No references or editorial information was present on the website for this article.
Recommendations
• Providing editorial information and references would enhance the website.
• For website structure, aligning the images with the text would enhance the accessibility of the site.
• Using high quality images would enhance the website.
• Making the website more web accessible so that persons with disabilities could use them including those with auditory, speech, visual, physical, cognitive, neurological , would provide a more inclusive environment and the website reach would expand.
• Increasing the text font and grouping the sentences to form paragraphs would make the article more concise and easier to read.
• The sidebar suggestions were too large, decreasing the size of the images and the title so as not take away from the article at hand would be beneficial.
• Additionally, suggestions more in alignment with Trinidad, instruments might be a better fit.
Website Review
Website link: https://bhp-public.oerproject.com/
Objective: The website examines our past, explains our present, and imagines our future.
Audience: Anybody, regardless of technical expertise, would find this website appealing because it is straightforward and highly efficient. It is geared towards the student however any age group can find the website helpful.
Content: Anybody, regardless of technical expertise, would find this website appealing because it is straightforward and highly efficient. It is geared towards the student however any age group can find the website helpful.
Design: Although the two-colour scheme is relevant, it includes blue hues and the use of turquoise someplaceis s a wonderful idea. All of the links are positioned properly on the right, making it simple to browse. The site has a sense of fullness and wholeness since the design is similar throughout.
Navigation: The design of this website is straightforward but efficient. It appeals to the average individual. Someone with no technological expertise would easily understand this site’s clear design and stunning appearance. Users may feel at ease with the arrangement since it is so well-done and attractive.
Shakira Mohan
The Digital Archives website of UNESCO portrayed its invaluable documentary heritage by offering to users the ability to readily search and discover records within its digital catalog. The collections tell the story of the ideas and actions, the programs and projects, and the efforts undertaken to fulfill the mission of UNESCO. The organization promoted knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding and more perfect knowledge of each other’s lives.
Shawn Tavares
I looked into the history of football on “footballhistory.org” for this assignment because it was in my interest to critique a common website regarding the history of football and due to my undenying passion for the sport as well. However, after an extensive review on this website, I was able to observe five key factors that determine whether the website was acceptable and up to mark or substandard and inadequate. These five characteristics are what make a good historic website stand out among the others, appealing visual design, high-quality content, intuitive navigation, credible information and mobile compatibility,
The web design is the core of a webpage. People would find it difficult to engage in one’s website if it doesn’t look professional and organized. It’s critical to keep an eye on the future rather than on previous web trends. A good website has a modern, timeless look that is simple to use. Moreover, regarding the website’s visual design, it didn’t present a first-time appeal as I expected as a football fan, mainly due to the lack of colour and imagery on the homepage.
When it comes to high-quality content, you can forget about search engine optimization if your website doesn’t have any high-quality content. Finding the information that people require is the main objective of that content. The more time customers spend on the website getting the information they need, the better. Furthermore, effective content might attract people who might not have chosen to view the website otherwise. Although, in relation to this website and as a knowledgeable footballer, this site was loaded with sufficient information regarding every club and their past histories but unfortunately lacked information regarding each footballer. Overall the information provided was sufficient for any person in search of football content.
Another aspect of an exceptional website is having intuitive navigation. Visitors should not be able to get lost on the website. It should be as easy and straightforward to navigate as feasible. As website users browse the site’s content, the finest navigation will offer suggestions. The site was very straightforward and easy to navigate as the headings regarding each aspect of football history were clearly visible and categorized in an orderly fashion.
Furthermore, the greatest method to demonstrate that a historic website is legitimate is to offer accurate or credible information. It’s important to provide contact information, especially if the site also operates a physical store where consumers should be aware of the contact information. It is also beneficial to make sure the site has a presence on social media and its grammar is fluent and consistent. The site nonetheless, had no grammatical errors as the information provided was well presented, readable, and accurate, and also provided contact information regarding their site via email.
Lastly, one of the most crucial conditions a site must fulfill if they desire a successful website is having a website that is compatible with smartphone users. Although graphic design and printing services may not yet be abandoned, there’s no denying that we live in a very digital era. After testing and researching this website via my smartphone, it was just like using my laptop providing access to the same information on my phone.
In conclusion, the site had many strengths that an acceptable and top-tier historic website needs, however, it lacked the visual design that many other historic sites may have an upper hand in.
Moreover, every historic website must ensure that all of these elements are present on their website if they want to succeed in attracting and gaining more consumers.
WORKS CITED
Legendary football players through history. (n.d.). Legendary Football Players Through History. https://www.footballhistory.org/player/index.html
Westin. (2020, March 16). Different Types Of Identities – Self Concept And Self Identity And Social Identity – MCAT Content. jackwestin.com. https://doi.org/Different Types Of Identities – Self Concept And Self Identity And Social Identity – MCAT Content
Review 1 – Satrohan Rajkumar
Website Title: Ameena Gafoor Institute
Link: https://ameenagafoorinstitute.org/
The objective of the website entitled “Ameena Gafoor Institute” is to educate the readers on the global impacts of indentureship and to provide a digital platform with reference materials for research due to insufficient online academic resources available. This website is geared toward students, researchers and individuals with an interest in the history and impacts of East- Indian indentureship globally.
Overall, there is a sense of visual balance between the placement of the text and illustrations. The various arrangement of the illustrations, texts and media on the webpages was easy to follow due to the use of sufficient negative spaces between them. The text is simple and legible with an appropriate font size that is easy for the average reader to understand.
The visual hierarchy in website design is evident and the headers are relevant to the proceeding content. The colour scheme includes shades of black, reddish brown and white. The reddish brown implies a sense of organic culture indicating the nature of work done by the indentured labourers (agriculture, farming, and soil) while the black and white gives a sense of nostalgia. The colour palette is creatively utilized without causing any distraction from the black and white photographs exhibited and is consistently maintained throughout the entire website.
Some labels are inappropriately placed with a mint green highlight on portions of the illustrations as seen on the “Home” and “Indentureship” webpages. The mint green highlight provides less contrast against the images as the colour is too close to the background colour of some of the images, giving them a blending appearance. A creative recommendation would be to include a reddish-brown highlight with white text for the labels as shown in the “Who We Are” text box on the home page.
The photo gallery under the “Resources” tab had a well-organised layout with regards to the placement and labels of the photographs. In contrast to the previous tabs, this section gives historical details such as the location and year in which the photographs were taken. There was also evidence of references attached to the photographs in this section. Further down the webpage there are numerous historical photographs with visibly hyperlinked labels that are directly linked to their sources, making it faster to access.
However, there are no academic in-text citations throughout the paragraphs and as well as no academic referencing for the photographs and illustrations used throughout the writing. Nonetheless, at the end of each webpage the sources of the photographs and illustrations are acknowledged such as the National Archives UK and SMU Libraries Digital Collections at the bottom of the webpage on the tab labelled “Indentureship”. The bibliography webpage is unique such that the resources are categorized by a hyperlinked photograph. While the presentation and style of categorizing is creative, it does not give proper instructions of how to navigate the webpage to access the list of resources.
With regards to the content, the information provided is relevant as it gives details of background information and visual depiction of the East Indian indentured labourers that settled in different locations around the world. The oral history project was presented using audio-visual media and was insightful due to the different views of the presenters on the topic of indentureship which include members of the East Indian diaspora globally and academic researchers. A selection of historical photographs was provided with hyperlinks to their respective sources in the “Public Articles” webpage under the “Resources” section. Although the “Public Articles” webpage provided a comprehensive list of resources, the resources are not categorized and organized in a specified order.
References
Cohen, Daniel J, and Roy Rosenzweig. “Designing for the History Web.” Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://chnm.gmu.edu/digitalhistory/designing/5.php.html.
“Critiquing Websites: Internet Sources for Research Help Guide.” Critiquing Websites – Internet Sources for Research Help Guide – Learning Resources Division at University of the District of Columbia. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://udc.libguides.com/c.php?g=670878&p=4722296.
“Visual Hierarchy in Website Design.” Oxford Digital, November 19, 2022. https://oxforddigital.co.uk/a-really-simple-guide-to-visual-hierarchy-in-web-design/.
Name: Keon Doman
Assignment: Review 1
Lecturer: Mrs. Debbie McCollin
The website ‘The Marginalian’ features a blog post titled “Digital Humanities: 7 Important Digitization Projects,” authored by Maria Popova. The website provides information on important digitization projects in the field of digital humanities. “Digital Humanities: 7 Important Digitization Projects” provides a thorough introduction to seven significant digitization projects in a blog that covers topics about the intersection of technology and the humanities. The objectives of the site, the audience that the site is addressed to, the content and information given on the site, ‘the design principles forming the site and the navigation of the website with respect to the hyperlinks and ease of movement throughout the different parts of the website shall be discussed and examined.
Foremostly, the objective of the article “Digital Humanities: 7 Important Digitization Projects” is to inform the reader of significant digitization projects in the humanities and to highlight their focus and goals. The author achieves this by providing concise overviews of each project and hyperlinks to their official websites, allowing the reader to explore each project in greater depth. The article’s objective is to provide a general introduction to each project, rather than an in-depth analysis. The author’s goal is to introduce the reader to these projects and inspire them to learn more. As the author notes, “This list is by no means comprehensive, but it does offer a taste of the wide variety of projects that are being undertaken in the digital humanities” (The Marginalian). Overall, the objective of the Marginalian blog and the article “Digital Humanities: 7 Important Digitization Projects” is to foster discussion and promote interest in the intersection of technology and humanities.
Even so, the article is not targeted towards a specific group, but rather a general audience interested in technology and the humanities. The author assumes no prior knowledge of digitization projects or the digital humanities, making the content accessible to a wide range of readers. The article is written in a straightforward and concise manner, making it easy for the general reader to understand the topics. The author also provides hyperlinks to the official websites of each project, allowing the reader to explore the projects in greater depth. The article’s audience is further supported by the author’s statement: “If you’re interested in learning more about the intersection of technology and humanities, these projects are a great place to start” (The Marginalian). The article does not use specialized terminology or jargon, making it easy for the general reader to follow along. The author’s writing style is engaging and accessible, making the content appealing to a broad audience.
Interestingly, the website has a minimalist design with a black and white colour scheme, and some black and yellow graphic templates in a clear organizational structure. The font size and textual layout are easy to read and complement the design of the website. The black and white colour scheme is consistent throughout the website, which helps to create a cohesive look and feel. The text is primarily black, and the background is white, which makes the text easy to read. The hyperlinks on the website are in a brownish red with some that are italic, bold and both italic and bold; which contrasts well with the black and white colour scheme and draws the user’s attention to them. The layout of the website is simple and easy to navigate. The blog post is the main feature of the page and is located front and centre. The title of the blog post is in bold black letters, which immediately draws the user’s attention. The author’s name and date of publication are located underneath the title, which provides the user with important information about the post.
The blog post is divided into sections, which are clearly labelled with subheadings. This makes it easy for the user to find specific information within the post. The font used on the website is a standard sans-serif font, which is easy to read. The font size is large enough to be easily legible but not so large as to be overwhelming. The use of white space is also well-balanced, which helps to draw the user’s attention to the text. Essentially, the design of the website ‘The Marginalian’ is simple, minimalist, and easy to navigate. The black and white with yellow text (frames for the black and white fonts) and black side (text boxes) colour scheme is consistent and complements the design of the website. The font size and textual layout are easy to read and well-balanced. The use of subheadings and white space makes it easy for the user to find specific information within the blog post. Overall, the design of the website is effective in creating a user-friendly experience for the reader.
In its composed nature, the website is designed to be a resource for scholars, researchers, and students interested in digital humanities, as well as anyone who is curious about the impact of digitization on the preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage. The navigation of the website is user-friendly and easy to use. The homepage provides a clear introduction to the topic of digitization, with links to the individual digitization projects. Each of the seven digitization projects is presented in a separate blog post, which can be accessed from the homepage by clicking on the project title. The blog posts provide detailed information on each project, including its scope, significance, and impact on the field of digital humanities. In terms of hyperlinks, the website provides links to external resources and further reading, allowing users to explore the topic of digitization in greater depth. For example, in the blog post on the “Digital Public Library of America,” the author provides links to related projects and resources, such as the Europeana project and the HathiTrust Digital Library.
The design of the website is simple and clean, with a white background and black text. The font size is easy to read, and the textual layout is well-organized and visually appealing. Each blog post includes images and multimedia elements to enhance the presentation of the digitization projects. For example, in the blog post on the “Digital Archive of Japan’s 2011 Disasters,” the author includes images of the disaster and its aftermath, as well as a video that explains the purpose and significance of the project. Basically, the website “The Marginalian” provides a valuable resource for anyone interested in the field of digital humanities and the impact of digitization on cultural heritage. The website’s user-friendly navigation, informative content, and well-designed layout make it a valuable tool for scholars, researchers, and students. The website’s design, including the use of multimedia elements and external links, enhances the user experience and allows for further exploration of the topic.
The site has a standard menu bar located at the top of the homepage, with links to different sections of the site, including “Home,” “About,” “Digital Humanities,” “Projects,” and “Contact.” Each link has a hover effect that gives visual feedback to the user. Moreover, the website’s footer contains links to a few donation methods such as cash and bitcoin with the slogan, ‘donating is loving’(The Marginalian) and hyperlinks that lead to the page where donations can be made. The website also provides internal hyperlinks within the content of each article, which enables users to navigate to other pages within the website quickly. However, one minor issue with the website’s navigation is the lack of a search bar. This can be challenging for users looking for specific information, especially when the website contains a lot of content. Having a search bar would help users quickly and efficiently locate the information they are seeking. Altogether, “The Marginalian” website’s navigation is straightforward and user-friendly. The site’s menu bar, internal hyperlinks, and social media links all make it easy for users to move around the site. Nonetheless, adding a search bar to the website would be a valuable improvement to further enhance the user experience.
Altogether, “Digital Humanities: 7 Important Digitization Projects” is a well-written and informative article for a general audience. The website’s design is simple and functional, making it easy for the reader to navigate the article and access the hyperlinks to each digitization project. However, the article could benefit from more in-depth analysis of each project’s significance and impact. The Marginalian blog provides a valuable platform for discussions on the intersection of technology and humanities, and this article is an excellent example of the kind of content it provides.
Bibliography
The Marginalian. “Digital Humanities: 7 Important Digitization Projects.” Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.themarginalian.org/2011/08/12/digital-humanities-7-important-digitization-projects/.
Review 1- https://www.slavevoyages.org/
SlaveVoyages.org was made to explore the origins and forced relocation
of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic World and as clearly stated as the header
on its home page. This data website is a compilation of the records of the slave
trade throughout the Western world, the largest known slave trade in history.
It is a digital recording of where they were taken, how many died, what vessel they were on, identities and nationalities
of the perpetrators. The website has been functioning for 10 years, acquiring data for 40 years over 5 continents to ensure accuracy for over 36 000 slave trades and over
92000 Africans who made these voyages.
This database can be used to analyze data
and obtain estimates about the slave trades. There is also access to records of the slave trade that occur within the Western World (intra-slave voyages). There is also an introductory video informing users about the site, telling them what can be accessed through the site with small on-screen tutorials on how to gain access to the information.
This site is a historical researcher or scholar Mecca for the Western Slave Trade. This site is for anyone who requires
knowledge or research on Slave voyages to the New World. The site contains 3 databases; Trans-Atlantic, Intra-American and People of the Atlantic Slave
Trade. Each of these databases has a Methodology to help users understand the database. Users also have access to
features such as; Maps, showing the routes of the trade, essays about each database and a site blog, categorized by Institution and Author (if necessary), 3D
digital renditions of slave ships along with timelines and time lapses showing estimated slaves and movements across the Atlantic. tThe site also contains a Gallery with illustrations or photography related to the voyages or trades.
The design of the site left nothing to be desired. The backdrop of the homepage was a moving illustration of slave housing, slave ships and documentation relating to the voyages, it was captivating enough to catch your attention but not take away from the objectives of the site. There is a drop-down sidebar on the right-hand corner, listing out the Main Menu of the site where each category has a drop-down menu to guide you through the category. This site is also available in 3 languages. When going into any of the categories in the Main Menu users get a sidebar to make navigating between sub-categories easier, especially within the enslaved people databases. There’s also a place for users to edit and report issues. It must be noted that even though there is no search bar on the site it can be argued that the easy navigation of the site renders it mute.
In conclusion, slavevoyages.org is a well-thought-through site which was executed magnificently. This site should be the road map used for web creators, it entails all the components of a great website.
documentation relating to the voyages, it was captivating enough to catch your attention but not take away from the objectives of the site. There is a drop-down sidebar on the right-hand corner, listing out the Main Menu of the site where each category has a drop-down menu to guide you through the category. This site is also available in 3 languages. When going into any of the categories in the Main Menu users get a sidebar to make navigating between sub-categories easier, especially within the enslaved people databases. There’s also a place for users to edit and report issues. It must be noted that even though there is no search bar on the site it can be argued that the easy navigation of the site renders it mute.
In conclusion, slavevoyages.org is a well-thought-through site which was executed magnificently. This site should be the road map used for web creators, it entails all the components of a great website.
WordPress.com / Gravatar.com credentials can
Review 1- https://www.slavevoyages.org/
SlaveVoyages.org was made to explore the origins and forced relocation of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic World and as clearly stated in the header on its home page. This data website is a compilation of the records of the slave trade throughout the Western world, the largest known slave trade in history. It is a digital recording of where they were taken, how many died, what vessel they were on, identities and nationalities of the perpetrators. The website has been functioning for 10 years, acquiring data for 40 years over 5 continents to ensure accuracy for over 36 000 slave trades and over 92000 Africans who made these voyages. This database can be used to analyze data
and obtain estimates about the slave trades. There is also access to records of the slave trade that occur within the Western World (intra-slave voyages). There is also an introductory video informing users about the site, telling them what can be accessed through the site with small on-screen tutorials on how to gain access to the information.
This site is a historical researcher or scholar Mecca for the Western Slave Trade. This site is for anyone who requires
knowledge or research on Slave voyages to the New World. The site contains 3 databases; Trans-Atlantic, Intra-American and People of the Atlantic Slave
Trade. Each of these databases has a Methodology to help users understand the database. Users also have access to features such as; Maps, showing the routes of the trade, essays about each database and a site blog, categorized by Institution and Author (if necessary), 3D
digital renditions of slave ships along with timelines and time lapses showing estimated slaves and movements across the Atlantic. The site also contains a Gallery with illustrations or photography related to the voyages or trades.
The design of the site left nothing to be desired. The backdrop of the homepage was a moving illustration of slave housing, slave ships and documentation relating to the voyages, it was captivating enough to catch your attention but not take away from the objectives of the site. There is a drop-down sidebar on the right-hand corner, listing out the Main Menu of the site where each category has a drop-down menu to guide you through the category. This site is also available in 3 languages. When going into any of the categories in the Main Menu users get a sidebar to make navigating between sub-categories easier, especially within the enslaved people databases. There’s also a place for users to edit and report issues. It must be noted that even though there is no search bar on the site it can be argued that the easy navigation of the site renders it mute.
In conclusion, slavevoyages.org is a well-thought-through site which was executed magnificently. This site should be the road map used for web creators, it entails all the components of a great website.
Review 1
Title : Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive
The objective of this site is to give a documentary and information on the Salem witch trials. At first look of the site, it doesn’t seem very clear nor creative. The colours used are very dull and not attractive. The site is targeting a general audience who is interested in the Salem witch trails, also for non-commercial educational purposes because they have all of the court records and evidence like a general documentary. The font size is small and hard to read but none of them seem to be clashing with the background colours as black was used for mostly all the fonts. The site in general is very hard to understand in my opinion because everything is all over the place and not clear. Everything seems to flow decently and there is easy access to everything as you can easily click to access everything as you read along. It would have been better and flow better if everything was more pleasing to the eyes and easier to read. Overall, there is a lot of useful information on this site. Its just not presented the best. Images were used well in the “Important Persons in the Salem Court Records” section as lots of illustrations were displayed.
https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/home.html
Review 1- Abrief History of the Steelpan
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18903131
About- the history site demonstates and illustrates a precise history of the steel pan, in this website the author talks about how the steelpan was made with regards to the specific metals that it consist of. The metal object over a period of time was tuned in which every note or section had its own unique sound, creating melody. The steelpan was also originated right in trinidad by one of our very own.
Audience- in this website the audience that is being targeted is a general audience, on the website there are limited photos and videos that depicts from attracting the reader; such as there are three photos and only one video being displayed. In the one video it was indeed interesting and informative, reason being Michelle huggins-Watts demonstrates her love for the steelpan and also gives other the opportunity as well to learn the instrument and its sounds.
Context – the context layout of this website meets its objective towards the audience but it still feels as though infornation was insufficient although it stated that it was just a brief history of the steelpan. For example the year in which the steelpan became the national instrument of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was not mentioned as regards to another website “ The website Culture Mix, Carnival music and Arts” https://culturemixarts.co.uk/education/resources/history-of-steel-pan/. In this website it specifies that the steelpan evolved in playing any type of style of music and also began working with other instruments to create harmonizing melody, also another main aspect not mention was that which descendents of people was the steelpan originated from. Unlike the website referenced it specifically states that the steelpan evolved out of earlier musical practices of Trinidad’s Aafrican descendents. In another website referenced as “ The Steelpan History and Development” https://www.steelpan-steeldrums-information.com/steel-pan-history.html it gives atleast four steelpan innovators who have made significant contributions to the development of the steelpan as compared to this website being reviewed there was no mention of this.
Design –in this website the colour scheme is a general grey colour which can infact compliment the colour of the steelpan. Although a brighter colour would attract the audience and reader I believe that the grey scale of the pictures best suits the layout of the page and combines everything as one. The font size in this website is relatively good, the background colour compliments the sixe text and also the colour of the text. It is very easy and manageable to read without any hesitation neither is there any distractions. One thing that stood out was that there was not any ‘about page’ in this website to allow the reader to know exactly what the page is about. The contact information was seen at the bottom of the page where it usually is placed and recognizeable.
Navigation- in navigating and being able to easily access the page, it was not quite well put together; the majority of the information on this site was quotings and sayings from pan personnels rather than the author interpreting the information in their own words to their best ability.
Review 1
Slave Voyages
https://www.slavevoyages.org/
Objectives: The slave voyages site has deeply expressed that its objective was to demonstrate the collaboration of a multi-disciplinary team of historians, librarians, computer programmers, and scholars for a three-year period with slave trade scholars from colleges in Europe, Africa, South America, and North America to portray the trans-Atlantic and intra-American slave trade. It is an endeavor that gathers and makes public data on the world’s major slave transactions.
Audience: After reviewing this site, it is clear that there is no targeted audience but for the general public to gain insight into the western slave trade, but it would not be inaccurate to assume that the majority of the viewers are from an academic background in regards to the three major databases being displayed, which are the Trans-Atlantic, Intra-American, and People of the Atlantic slave trade.
Design: The webpage design took a modern turn. It allows an easier flow of the page and its content. It also breaks up the information into bite-sized pieces, allowing users to search and locate exactly which topics they want to focus on. The background imagery is not distracting but engages in a subtle change in contrast to the information being displayed. They also offer the option to contribute, view pictures, download, and view essays on specific topics. At the bottom of the page, it gives a list of school logos, demonstrating the academic background that instills a sense of confidence and trust in the reliability of information.
Content: The content of this webpage leaves you with the impression that there is everything you need to know on this site. It goes in depth on each database, with subheadings in each topic. It starts off with an introduction, then engulfs you in a journey, describing each event in full detail. It breaks up each topic into a paragraph of subheadings, making it digestible and allowing comprehension of the data. This is done for each database, granting a refreshed approach to raw data that is usually dull. This site also provides links to external resources that would be reliable and give insights from different perspectives.
Darriah Thompson
Web Review 1
Title – American Panorama
Historical Website – https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/
Objectives
The goal of this website is to depict American history up to the twenty-first century using various mapping techniques that display data on a map of the United States of America. However, this is not the description on the website. It was obtained by thoroughly inspecting the entire website. The short paragraph on the home page simply states “a historical atlas of the United States for the twenty-first century. It combines cutting-edge research with innovative interactive mapping techniques.” This is insufficient information and does not clearly describe the website’s goal. The wording is not precise enough which can lead to misinterpretation. For example the phrase “for the twenty-first century” implies that the website will only be covering events that occurred within that era. However,the website includes events prior to this time period.
The about section of the site mainly focuses on the creators of the site and crediting the supporting university. The website does not include a page describing its objectives.
Audience
The website’s only information about its intended audience is “designed to appeal to anyone with an interest in American history or a love of maps.” While this statement broadly describes the target audience, the words used should be more specific. For instance, including a specific list of users such as history students, teachers, history buffs, and so on.
Content
The website’s content is very detailed and makes extensive use of maps. It includes ten maps that are linked to various historical events that can be depicted on a map of the United States. Each historical event is first written with historical context, followed by the map on a separate page. Each map is unique, reflecting the use of various mapping methodologies. The map pages are very detailed, with explanations of what is displayed, additional historical information, sources, and, in some cases, a contact section.
Because American History is so vast, there is plenty of room to expand on the information provided on this website. However, there was an extreme attention to detail for the topics covered, and the use of images and maps made for an interesting way of grouping and displaying the historical information.
Design
The title and a brief description are displayed at the top of the website, along with a large black and white image. This first image is appropriate because black and white images are associated with history. The title is written in a grayish blue font. Scrolling down the page reveals a white background with mostly black text.
The historical event hyperlinks are displayed with an image of the corresponding map, as well as the title and years the events occurred. The homepage also includes sections for about the project, dedication, and contact us. Each section is easily identified by the use of titles with larger text and a different coloured background.
Navigation
There is no navigation bar on this website. Except for the maps, the homepage contains all sections. The maps are linked in two-by-two rows. All hyperlinks function properly and direct the user to the appropriate page. Once on the page, the user is shown either the map right away or a brief history that leads to the map via “next” buttons.
When viewing the map, some pages include a top navigation bar that allows you to navigate through all of the maps. This navigation bar, however, is not present on all map pages. This forces the user to use their browser to return to the previous page. To return to the homepage, the user may have to navigate backwards several times in their browser. The map pertaining to the Executive Boards, for example, is somewhat of a dead end. To return to the home page, the user must navigate back through their browser. The map for The Overland Trails, on the other hand, does not have this problem because it includes the navigation bar at the top of the page.
References
“A Companion to Digital Humanities.” Companions.digitalhumanities.org, companions.digitalhumanities.org/DH/.
“Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web.” Chnm.gmu.edu, chnm.gmu.edu/digitalhistory/index.html.
American Panorama. (n.d.). Dsl.richmond.edu. https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/