Website evaluation - Hebrew Poetry Research Paper

Website evaluation - Hebrew Poetry - Research Paper Example A. Authority/Source: The domain of the website is ".org", suggesting that the site belongs to an organization, most probably a non-profit organization. The "About" page (http://medievalhebrewpoetry.org/index.html) of the site clearly states its purpose, intended audience and author. According to the description, the site aims at providing information on Hebrew poems and poets to scholars, general readers, librarians, teachers and poetry lovers. However, it is further stated that the site is mainly aimed for general readers and poetry lovers only. The website also provides information about its creator and editor on the "About the Editor of This Site" page (http://medievalhebrewpoetry.org/abouttheauthor.html). The author's professional, publishing and teaching experiences are clearly stated (http://medievalhebrewpoetry.org/resume.html). It is apparent that the information on the site is authentic as its author and editor (Henry Rasof) has several publications to his credit. The site a lso acknowledges the contributors and publishers who granted permission for use of copyrighted information from journals, books, and other publications. The website also provides the author's email address, which can be used for verifying the site's credibility. The site was initially developed as a project for the author's MA degree; however, the author hopes to expand it further. The site also provides the address of the author for sending feedback ... Z. Idelsohn (http://medievalhebrewpoetry.org/idelsohnchapterfinal.html). Most other articles and poetry have been excerpted from similar publications. Most of the articles have appropriate footnotes and are backed by complete bibliographies for verification of factual information. The information provided thus seems credible. While excerpts of copyrighted information are accompanied with details of the original authors, the sites own articles are also accompanied with sufficient information on the author and his/her credentials. The site uses minimal graphical representations, which if shown, are appropriately labeled. However, their sources are not cited. For instance, a map of "Andalucia: Center of Islamic presence in Spain during the time of the medieval Jewish poets" shown on the site's home page (http://medievalhebrewpoetry.org/index.html) has an appropriate and detailed legend, but its source is not cited. C. Currency: Original articles by the author of the website do not state the date of creation. Therefore, it is difficult to determine when the article was actually written. For instance, the article "Abraham Ibn Ezra and the Metaphors of Imagination" (http://medievalhebrewpoetry.org/abrahamibnezrabiointro.html), originally written by Henry Rasof, the site's author and editor, does not state when the article was created. Since the information is related to historical and literary aspects of Hebrew poetry, the date of creation does not necessarily matter. There is no indication that the site is constantly updated or edited. According to information provided by the site, its articles were last updated on 7th June, 2008, indicating that the site is outdated. The site provides links to external sources and websites. All the links are