Ricky Morris
History 343

 

Center for Defense Information

www.cdi.org

Questions to ask

  1. What is the scope of the site.
    2.

    What is included as well as what is not included

    This site includes darn near everything you need to know about our nation’s defense. It includes thoughts from Russia and Asia as well as President Bush’s new agenda.

    Are links provided to other sites? (and if so are they useful?)

    Yes, many links are provided and are very useful.

    How is the site organized? How many "levels of navigation" does it have?

    This site has over thirty levels of navigation.

    How easy/difficult is the site to navigate?

    The site is very clear cut, flashy, and easy to navigate.
  2. Who are the sites authors? (person, institution)
    3.

    Can you tell who the author(s) is (are)?

    Yes, each document within the site has its featured experts listed.

    Do they list their credentials? Educational backgrounds?

    Yes

    Are they experienced in their fields?

    Yes they are listed as experts.

    Are the authors cited by others?

    No.

    What is the site's institutional affiliation?

    This site is affiliated with the people and receives no funding from the military.
  3. What category does the site fit in (what type of information are you

getting from that site)?

Research organization as well as Secondary Sources

 

4. What is its focus: American, non-Western, etc., time-period or general

This site’s primary focus is American but, secondary would be world.

5. Rate the information contained in the site:

Are the facts and information presented accurate?

Yes, very accurate.

How is the information documented?

This site is documented by experts on various subjects in the field.

Is the information current?

Yes.

Is the information biased?

Maybe a little toward American views.

Are criteria listed for including information?

Must be current.

Does the site appear to be well researched?

This site is very well researched and the research team is identified. This show extreme confidence in their abilities and opinions.

How does the information compare with other sources that are available on the topic? This site is quite superior to many in which I have seen and I’m sure it would rank very high in comparison to any sources containing similar information.

  1. Rate the site:

    2. Is the information or site stable through time?

    Yes

    When was the information last updated?

    At least once per week.

    Does the site list any awards that they have received?

    No.
  2. How does this site relate to the course you are currently taking?  How

    3. Helpful/not helpful is it? Would you recommend it to other students?

    This site relates very well to my present course. It would provide a superior tool in research and I would recommend it to any student.
  3. Write a brief narrative summary of the site.  What courses and kinds of

research would this site be most useful for?

This site contains anything and everything you need to know about the United States and its attitudes towards its defense. It lists relationships between the U.S. and almost any country you can think of. This site would be useful to any student in almost any history class. It could be used for research on papers or just as a source of information about your nation’s position in the world.