Kristopher Williams

Web Site – Evaluation

Medieval Literature

This critique concerns a web-site devoted to the Electronic Beowulf Project. The URL: http://www.uky.edu/~kiernan/eBeowulf/main.htm leads to the main page of the site that serves as a guide to the project. Though The Electronic Beowulf Project is a CD set that must be purchased to be used, the online guide (which is the site being critiqued) provides many links to sites that would help the novice reader learn more about both the restoration of Beowulf and the work itself. For this reason I think that it would serve as an excellent supplement to our study of the Anglo-Saxon period.

Most of the site is comprised of in-house links, which is a characteristic that helps with the overall structure of the site. Since these links are maintained by the authors of the project one does not have to worry about the problem of dead or changing links. The few outside links are references to sites that are undoubtedly maintained and reputable. These links include a link to the British Library, The Digital Atheneum Project (a site concerned with the digital restoration of old texts), a University of Kentucky site concerned with researching humanities and [the University of Michigan Press] a link the Michigan Press (the publisher of the Electronic Beowulf Project). As far as the site functions as a guide to using the software goes, it seems to be very carefully constructed. The site uses a frame panel on the right of the page, which is always visible and provides a useful link to an index of ‘Help’ topics.

The actual content of the site is very much devoted to persuading the visitor to purchase the 2 CD set. This is an attribute that I didn’t expect to find on an academic site, but I will say the solicitation is done in a much more tasteful manner than many commercial sites. There are no flashing ads or pop-up windows from the various sponsors of the project. Much of the site’s content is devoted to explaining what ongoing processes are being used to restore the original Beowulf manuscript. It is this information that makes the site useful to the medieval scholar. Finally the site is devoted to explaining how to use the software once it has been purchased. As far as the documentation of the material featured on the site, any article that is referencing information that was not generated by the project is featured on the online articles page.

The material on the site seems to be authoritatively presented, but the credentials of those involved with the project and the web-site are not listed anywhere on the site. The only clue provided about who the authors are is the acknowledgments page, which contains the names of all those involved. It’s possible that I was unable to find this information on the site but it seems that it should be listed where it is easily accessible. Having said that, the site is connected to the University of Kentucky and the British Library. Though this does not mean all the material listed is factual, it seems to give credibility to the site.

Overall this site seems to be a great site for any medieval enthusiast or scholar who is interested in the restoration of Beowulf. The material is thoughtfully presented, sorted, grammatically correct, and backed by authority. If I were to grade this site on a scale of 1-10 I would give it a 9.5, penalizing it only for the lack of presenting the credentials of the authors. This site would be an interesting supplement to our study of Anglo-Saxon England and how it is still being preserved today.