The following are some general, basic criteria to consider when evaluating resources:
Accuracy
Does the information presented seem accurate?
Are the facts verifiable?
Authority
Who is the author?
What expertise does he or she have on this topic?
Who sponsors the site?
Objectivity
What is the stated purpose of the site?
Examine the "About..." or "Mission" links on a web page.
What position or opinion is presented and does it seem biased?
What kind of sites does this one link to?
Currency
On what date was the page created?
Do you need more current information?
Do links on the site still work?
Use
Would you quote information from this site in a college research paper?
History Channel OnlineThis site, made available by A&E Television Networks/The History Channel,
provides access to articles on historical topics, explores History Channel shows providing videos and full episodes, images, speeches and more.
History Matters: Making Sense of Evidence (Primary Sources)This section of the History Matters website "...helps students and teachers make effective use of primary sources. 'Making Sense of Documents' provide strategies for analyzing online primary materials, with interactive exercises and a guide to traditional and online sources. 'Scholars in Action' segments show how scholars puzzle out the meaning of different kinds of primary sources, allowing you to try to make sense of a document yourself then providing audio clips in which leading scholars interpret the document and discuss strategies for overall analysis." (site)
Internet History Sourcebook ProjectHosted on the Web by Fordham University, this project which contains "collections of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts," is great for finding primary historical resources. The three primary historical sourcebooks cover Ancient, Medieval, and Modern History. Additional historical sourcebooks are organized by theme. In addition to full-text historical documents, one can find links to secondary articles, reviews, discussions, and more.
world history & western civilization
Ancient World History (BBC)Exploring Ancient World Cultures is an online resource created to provide introductory information about the Near East, India, China, Greece, Rome, Islam, and Medieval Europe. They include selected translations of ancient works like the Bible, Bhagavad Gita, and the Qur'an. The EAWC also indexes other ancient history sites.
Best of History WebsitesCreated by EdTechTeacher Inc, this portal contains a vast collection of history websites. A little cumbersome to search (but well-worth the effort!), it contains lists and lists of sites pertaining to European History, Renaissance, Middle Ages, Medieval, Ancient Greece, Rome, and so very much more.
Below, are two sections we separated from the portal for your ease in searching specific areas:
Finding World HistoryThis website breaks down topics in World History by Region and Time Period. Selecting a region or time period will list results about specific sub-topics and areas. If you are looking for sources related to specific part of history, check out this site.
Internet Ancient History SourcebookHosted by Fordham University, the Internet Ancient History Sourcebook contains full text of translated ancient works from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israel, Greece, Rome, and others. They provide resources on studying Ancient History in addition to primary sources from that time. They also include guides to various time periods, themes, and subjects that fall into Ancient History.
Internet Medieval SourcebookFrom Fordham University, this site is part of the Internet History Sourcebooks Project. It is a "collection of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts presented cleanly (without advertising or excessive layout) for educational use." (site) This section focuses on medieval history.
The LabyrinthHosted by Georgetown University, the Labyrinth provides resources organized by category and type of materials related to Medieval history.
Livius.orgLivius is a website on ancient history written and maintained since 1996 by the Dutch historian Jona Lendering.
Perseus Digital LibraryAn evolving digital library sponsored by Tufts University, Department of Classics. Provides a broad range of text materials and images. Collections include sources or the study of Greek, Latin, Islamic, and American cultures, the English Renaissance, the history of London, and the history of Science.
World Digital LibraryFrom the Library of Congress, this site contains images of primary sources from around the world. Browsable and searchable.
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