Exercise 1

Teachinghistory.org
I looked up Teachinghistory.org because I helped to work on the website and was interested to see if the information matched.

Domain ID:D94380008-LROR
Domain Name:TEACHINGHISTORY.ORG
Created On:27-Jan-2003 02:18:16 UTC
Last Updated On:12-Jan-2013 11:27:09 UTC
Expiration Date:27-Jan-2014 02:18:16 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Domain.com, LLC (R1915-LROR)
Status:OK
Registrant ID:DOT-P78NVARPQGK6
Registrant Name:N/A
Registrant Organization:Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Registrant Street1:4400 University Dr.
Registrant Street2:MSN 1E7
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Fairfax
Registrant State/Province:Virginia
Registrant Postal Code:22030
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.7039939277
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:+1.7039934585
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:@gmu.edu

Exercise 2

I looked up “Litvaks” on Wikipedia because I am currently doing research on the subject and would be able to have a better judgement on the article than another topic.

“Litvaks” is the name given to the Jews of Lithuania. Vilnius, the capital, was once referred to as the Jerusalem of the North; however, this ended during WWII as over 90% of the Litvak population was destroyed.

Searching “Litvaks” on Wikipedia redirected me to the page, “Lithuanian Jews.” The article was created in 2005 and is not very lengthy. Aside from the introduction, there are only 7 sections of texts with about 1 paragraph each. If you scroll down the page to “See Also,” Wikipedia offers another article, which at first glance appears to contain more information: “History of the Jews in Lithuania.” The “Lithuanian Jews” article offers only 1 reference. Although short, the article cites several reliable sources such as the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Department of State, and published journal articles; however, several of the citation titles would not help you to discover the history of what happened to the Litvaks. 2/5 external links on the page are broken and would not help. What is most helpful is the “Further Reading” section. It provides you with a few recently published books on the Litvaks along with the ISBN number to make searching easier.

Exercise 3

Jane Browning began her research from a blurb on a restaurant menu about the last American pirate. The knowledge comes from a local legend would not be able to be considered reliable on its own. Jane furthers her research about the pirate by speaking to town locals. From this information she narrows down her search to the possible time period in which her pirate lived. Her professor even doubts the reliability of the town locals and suggests that Jane change her topic.

Although town folklore cannot be considered reliable, it did give Jane a good starting point on her research. With each visit she learned more of the legend and could narrow down her search of where to look for sources. She looks through police reports and insurance documents, which would provide her with primary sources during the late 19th century in the Chesapeake. She also visits the National Archives and Library of Congress, which would also provide reliable sources. Browning’s main document is the last will and testament of Edward Owens. A stranger delivers this to her house. Although an interesting find, she should not use the document as proof. She has no idea where it comes from and whether it is truly Owens’ will and testament or someone playing a joke on her.