Bennett Aikin

September 9, 2002

English 3014

Website Evaluation

This evaluation is of a site called The Camelot Project at the University of Rochester: Arthurian Texts, Images, Bibliographies, and Basic Information. The URL is www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/cphome.stm. Alan Lupack, the curator of the Robbins Library at the University of Rochester, maintains the site. I have based my evaluation on the criteria of who created the site and who it is intended for, what the sources are for the information given, what types of links it includes, and the user-friendliness of the site.

On the home page of The Camelot Project there is a statement about the purpose of the site and an extensive list of the names and positions of those involved in its creation. This immediately adds validity to the site. The domain is .edu, so it is created by an educational source. [It =>The site’s purpose] is to assist students in research on [rephrase: King Arthur history and texts]. They have included copyright information, dates of creation and update, as well as the names of everyone involved. This makes it clear that the creators are willing to take responsibility for what they created and are confident in the information that they have posted.

Next I looked at the sources they used and their documentation. I followed several links to different topics within the site to see how they documented their information. Each topic included a list of links to medieval texts on the subject, modern texts on the subject, relevant images on the subject, as well as a bibliography of sources that the author used for the text on that page. The creators of this site have taken great care to include as much relevant information as possible. They have made sure that original sources are easily accessible to users who want to continue research on their subject. In addition to these links to texts and images, the site also includes links to other University of Rochester projects, other related scholarly projects, and other Arthur/Camelot biographical sites. This sight is very thorough and makes sure to include as much relevant information as possible. The opening page also notes that the sight is always “under construction” and that new links are being added all the time. Based on the update date of July 11, 2002 and the creation date of 1995, it is evident that this sight does get visited often by the creators and updated. I would rate this site’s sources and links to be excellent and well maintained.

Finally I looked at the user-friendliness of the site. From the main page of the site there is the option of searching by subject, author, or artist. This makes it very easy to either search for a text on your topic or to find a specific text needed for research. Each page also includes links back to the search pages and to the main page. Once you have started your search it is also very easy to understand the results. Everything is clearly labeled and alphabetized. One problem I had with other sites I visited was that if you did not already have a basic understanding of the medieval period and the Old English language, it was hard to understand if you were looking at valuable information to your topic. On this site it is always clear what it is you are reading about and what links will take you to more information. This site can be used by anyone who needs to research King Arthur, whether they have any background knowledge or not.

Overall I rate this site excellent. It has mass amounts of links and information on King Arthur and the texts he is represented in. The information is all well documented and cited, so the validity is never in question. All information can be backed up and checked on. Also, it was easy to use. This is an essential quality I look for, as I do not have good computer skills. More sites like this one would make it much easier for students to do their research and not feel intimidated by the content and complexity of the site. The creators at University of Rochester should be very proud of a well thought out and informative site.