The first website I reviewed was the Smithsonian Archives of American Art’s online archive of interviews with various artists. The purpose of this website is to keep in a single place the transcripts of these interviews. It is hosted by the Smithsonian Institution, which carries with it a certain level of credibility. I did not have much knowledge about these artists before visiting this website. This website looks to be created for individuals doing research on specific artists. The site contains primary sources as well as links to other collections. The website is objective because it only gives the transcripts and doesn’t show preferences to certain subjects. I found the site pretty easy to navigate because it listed all of the artists in alphabetical order with noticeable links. I thought that the easy-to-read transcripts were valuable, but more biographical information about each artist would be helpful.
The second website I reviewed was An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia. The website serves as an online complement to a traveling exhibit by the Virginia Historical Society about the Civil War in Virginia. The site was also created by the Virginia Historical Society with help from different individuals. I consider the site to be credible because it is hosted by a state historical society. I knew some about the Civil War before visiting the site because my dad does a lot of research about it, but the site went into more detail than I had previously known. The website seems to be directed towards an audience with little to no knowledge about the Civil War, but could also be interesting to historians or those with more knowledge. The site contains written information as well as pictures and links to other websites. The site stays relatively objective, although it may view Virginia’s role in the war as more important than some might think. I thought the pictures were important as they broke up the text well. I found the site easy to navigate because of the noticeable headings and links.
