History websites are often created to serve different purposes. Some just are there for the advertising revenue, like the History Channel; some are incredibly scholarly like the Valley of the Shadow. Whatever the purpose is, examining and understanding the various layers and facets of a website is essential when using them for actual research. Because certain websites are crafted for certain audiences, they often lack the breadth of information or the academic credibility that research calls for. This is not to say that a history website is instantly discredited if it is not erudite enough; it is simply saying that different sites have different uses.
So, taking all of that into account, the website I chose to evaluate is called “Digital History” and its address is www.digitalhistory.uh.edu. This website is a collaborative effort primarily between the University of Houston and a few historical institutes.
First of all, glancing at the home page, one gets the impression that the site is not for the most academic scholars. The home page is filled with pictures and nicely toned colors that give that convey the fact that the site may be more for students. Judging by the fact that it is actually conceived and run by a University, that notion becomes more plausible.
The pictures that compose the main frame of the home page are all actually links. For the most part, the links direct you to a series of readings about a particular event or time period in American history. However, there are a couple links that send the viewer to more interesting pages. For example, when the timeline link is clicked, it brings you to an interactive map of the United States, and dragging a cursor along a timeline brings up small colored dots on the map that represent a particular event.
Perhaps the most interesting link is the picture that says multimedia on it. The page that it directs to contains a series of links to interactive and multimedia resources. For example, there is a flash movie that gives an overview of American History. Perhaps the most intriguing and fun for the user is the currently in construction “Time Machine.” When this link is clicked, it takes you to a television that you turn on with the cursor and can then choose what time to go back to. The T.V. apparently will then show pictures or a movie depending on the time you go to. This feature is unlike any other that we have looked at in class or that I have examined while picking a site to evaluate. Its uniqueness and usability set it apart from other multimedia features that other sites may have.
The actual content of the site is more intellectual than I originally anticipated based on the content of the home page and multimedia section. Not to say that the information on the site is meant for the American Historical Review, but it is certainly above the heads of most middle schoolers and younger aged high schoolers. In addition to advanced writings, the primary documents provided include historical newspapers and audio and video of speeches. There is even a message on the reference page stating that all of the articles are endorsed by professional historians, which lends credibility to the site.
Digital History offers a great learning tool for high school students. Its content is advanced enough to give it integrity and authority yet is not scholarly to the point that the common history students would be overwhelmed exploring the site. Its use of multimedia resources, user-friendliness and vast reference section make it a very useful research tool and a respectable history website.
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