Ricky Morris
History 343

 

Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers

www.csce.org

 

Questions to ask

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

    What is included as well as what is not included?

    The president’s message, a bulletin board, calendar, directory, seminars, chat rooms, newsletters, and much more are included in this site. The site didn’t include very much flashy design.

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

    It offered only one link and that was to the American Society of Civil Engineers.

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

    The site is organized well, but it is very simple and plain. It has 12 levels of navigation

    How easy/difficult is the site to navigate?

    This site is very easy to navigate due to its simplistic nature.
  2. Who are the sites authors? (person, institution)
    3.

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

    No.

    Do they list their credentials? Educational backgrounds?

    No.

    Are they experienced in their fields?

    I’m sure that most authors who do web sites must be technologically advanced and experienced in their field.

    Are the authors cited by others?

    No.

    What is the site's institutional affiliation?

    They belong to a larger group called the American Society of Civil Engineers or

    ASCE.
  3. What category does the site fit in (what type of information are you

getting from that site)?

Meta-Index ("Bibliography")

 

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

This site’s focus is clearly American since it deals with the state of Connecticut and the American Society of Civil Engineers.

5. Rate the information contained in the site:

Are the facts and information presented accurate?

Yes, to the best of my knowledge they are accurate.

How is the information documented?

It is documented through the use of bulletin boards and newsletters.

Is the information current?

It is current but, not updated daily.

Is the information biased?

No, this site has nothing to gain by presenting biased material.

Are criteria listed for including information?

Information must be important to CSCE

Does the site appear to be well researched?

It appears to be well researched but, to a more clear view maybe you could use e-mail.

How does the information compare with other sources that are available on the topic? The information is very good but, information alone cannot make a site.

  1. Rate the site:

    2. Is the information or site stable through time?

    If they would post updates and current notes on the bulletin board it would be.

    When was the information last updated?

    The bulletin board hasn’t been updated since October but, the newsletter was updated in March.

    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 does not relate to the course I’m taking now at all. It would not be very helpful in learning about international governments. However, when learning about Connecticut maybe it would be a little helpful. Overall I would not recommend this site to many students.
  3. Write a brief narrative summary of the site.  What courses and kinds of

research would this site be most useful for?

This site concerns the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers. It would be a useful site when explaining about certain things in state history. It does link to a site concerning the American Society of Civil Engineers and that would probably be more helpful to more students. U.S. History students and courses might find better information for their purposes at this site. This site encourages students to seek roles as civil engineers and that is its main purpose.