A good web site shares much in common with a good research project. Most importantly, it develops an argument — a way of understanding (a point of view on) a particular problem, and particular sources, that is compelling and enlightening. A good argument introduces a topic in a manner that emphasizes its importance and relevance (why should we care about something?), draws together what other people have said about that topic, and, most importantly, presents primary material that creatively supports and augments the argument. Finally, a good argument always leaves ‘em thinking; it suggests and even provokes further investigation.
That said, there are some key differences between the kinds of arguments you may already have produced on paper and what you can do on the web. First, your argument need not unfold in strictly linear fashion. While you do have to pay careful attention to directing your reader/”visitor” through your site, you can also enhance your site by anticipating, even encouraging, more “lateral,” or “eccentric” uses of your material. Second, the web allows you to juxtapose different materials in provocative ways: images, texts, sounds, video or film can be made to “speak” to one another. Finally, layout, or production, can play an important role in building your argument. How you arrange each page; how you link one page to another, can serve as one more rhetorical tool.
All of this means you need to follow some guidelines as you plan, research, write, and build your final project. Keep these in mind at every stage of your work.
Some Sample Student Web Projects: |
Some Exemplary Web Sites: |