Internet sites for Economic & Social History

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Evaluating Internet Resources

Anybody can publish any type of information on the Web! Always think carefully about using web-based information - for example in an essay or dissertation - unless you believe it is from a quality source of information. Most of the information which is provided in legal articles or bibliographic databases, e.g. Historical Abstracts, is reliable, as it has been though the 'peer-review' system. This means that the article has been reviewed by experts in the subject field before publication in a journal.

Most importantly, it will show you that you should consider the following points:

• Accuracy - is the information correct? Can it be verified from other sources?
• Authority- who is writing it? Is the producing institution reputable?
• Objectivity - what point of view is it promoting? Is it biased in some way?
• Currency - is there a date of publication/updating? Are links updated regularly?
• Coverage - does it cover what you need to know?
• Contact - is there an email or other address for further information?

Useful webskills websites

• Internet Business Manager
• Safari Skills Tutorial (Open University) - use Guest access, see section 5- Evaluating information
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (or why it's a good idea to Evaluate Web sources) - New Mexico State University Library
• The ICYouSee Guide to Critical Thinking About What You See on the Web (Ithaca College Library)
• Five Criteria for Evaluating Web pages (Cornell University Library)
• Thinking Critically about World Wide Web resources (UCLA College Library)

Internet sites for Economic & Social History

Please note: In addition to the sites listed below, you should consult the sites listed for History.  Also, this list represents only a tiny fraction of what is available.  Please feel free to contact me directly for advice on websites for your topic. 

• BOPCRIS (British Official Publications Collaborative Reader Information Service - the BOPCRIS website gives access to the wealth of material contained in British Official Publications, covering the 18th, 19th and 20th century, making it especially important for British Social and Economic History.
• The Charles Booth Online Archive - gives access to archive material from the Booth collections, containing the original records from Booth's survey into life and labour in London, dating from 1886-1903, and Booth family papers from 1799 to 1967.
• EH.Net - gives access to an excellent range of online resources, including bibliographies, book reviews, links to websites etc.
• Glasgow University Archives - the website gives details of the archival collections held at Glasgow University and contact details for getting in touch. The collections are particularly strong in material relating to Glasgow and the West of Scotland; records relating to the University itself; and records of Scottish business in the 19th and 20th centuries, in particular the industries of the West of Scotland eg shipbuilding and shipping, heavy engineering, railways, the drinks industry, banking, insurance, retailing and tourism.
• In the First Person - provides access to a wide range of oral history materials
• LSE Pamphlet Collection (London School of Economics) - an extensive collection of digitised pamphlets, many published in the 19th century or the early part of the 20th century, covering areas like health, housing, poor laws etc.
• ViVa - an ongoing bibliography of articles on women and gender, taken from a range of European and American academic journals.