http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/home.html
The project I explored was the Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project. Created by Benjamin Ray at the University of Virginia, this online archive contains court records, record books, and other documents that chronicle the cases and occurrences during the Salem Witch Trials. The site also has maps of the Salem Village. The website provides text analysis of the records as well as data visualization, primarily in the form of the maps. The primary purpose of this site is to aggregate large amounts of information on the Salem Witch Trials and make them readily accessible.
The documents are from a variety of museums, libraries and archives. Some notable sources include the Boston Public Library Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts as well as the Judicial Archives in Boston. The website utilizes a total of seven sources to collect all of the relevant information. Since there are a myriad of sources, this website is able to provide a very comprehensive catalog of the events of the Salem Witch Trial.
The creators digitized the documents and uploaded them on the website. They scanned images of each page of books and documents and provided links to them on the site. Some of the pages of the book appear only as images, while others have a more interactive aspect allowing the user to navigate the pages like a book. In my opinion, the most useful element of the website is the transcription of case files. The creators of the digital project transcribed case files of individuals involved in the Salem Witch Trials and included links to the original manuscripts. The site also contains biographies of notable individuals of the time period.
Finally, the presentation of the information encourages the user to look through all of the documents and resources. The website distinguishes the information by its type, books and letters, documents, maps, and people. This categorization allows for easy navigation and successful research. The website also contains maps of the Salem Village and allows the user to zoom in and locate the houses of many residents. The zoom navigation is not very sophisticated; however, it does provide an aspect of interaction with the map. Also, users are able to user can compare the court record transcription to the original manuscripts and note any differences or similarities.
Overall, the presentation of the information is very simple and not extremely advanced. However, it is successful in aggregating large amounts data and providing users with a platform to learn about the Salem Witch Trials. I would improve the user interface so that the website would cater to a larger audience. Currently, I think the users are mostly scholars who have the patience and interest in looking through the website, even if it is not very visually pleasing. To improve this project, the creators can alter the interface so that commonplace individuals who have a little curiosity about the Salem Witch Trials would feel inclined to explore the website.