·http://retractionwatch.com
Launched in 2010 by science writers Ivan Oransky and Adam Marcus, Retraction Watch seeks to make public the "self-correcting" nature of science. The site has been praised for bringing to light many hundreds of retracted papers in a wide variety of fields, some due to fraud, others just to mistakes in experiments or the publishing process. A great place to start is with the latest retractions, listed in chronological order on the homepage. For instance, recent retracted papers at the time of this writing concerned plagiarism in the field of aeronautic dentistry, a paper on wheat straw that seems to have been published (and retracted) more than once, and even a letter to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, written by an impersonator. The site also contains a useful search function for readers who are looking for specific topics, authors, or articles.
·http://botany.org
Founded in 1893, the membership of the Botanical Society of America now includes scientists from around the world. The organization's website includes a number of excellent resources for plant lovers. For instance, selecting the Botany Conference area opens a draw down bar with abstracts from 15 years of presentations, programs, and conference sessions. The News section includes frequently posted articles on everything from conference updates to calls for proposals to announcements for new online tools. In addition, the Resources area includes a host of helpful links and information, including information on parasitic plants, a statement on evolution, and a list of excellent suggested websites.
·http://www.masshist.org/features/massacre
This site from the Massachusetts Historical Society examines multiple perspectives on the Boston Massacre. The confrontation between British Soldiers and mostly unarmed civilians on the evening of March 5th, 1770 left five men dead — and contributed to the resentment that eventually led to the American Revolutionary War. On the site, readers may like to start with the excellent introduction before delving into the historical source material, which is divided into four additional sections: Reactions and Responses, The Massacre Illustrated, The Trials, and Anniversaries. The Reactions and Responses section is perhaps of particular interest, as it offers both original hand written letters and articles, as well as easily readable transcripts. Educators searching for primary materials to liven up lesson plans about the United States’ road to independence will find much of interest on this excellent site.
·http://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/index.html
For readers who are fascinated by genealogy, the National Archives has a page dedicated to helping people find their roots. The easiest place to start is the section entitled "Start Your Family Research." There readers will find instructions about how to start their research, some helpful research tips, guidance on the use of the site's military records, and reference reports on a range of topics, from census to citizenship to federal employees. Also on the homepage, readers will find links to popular topics like land records and immigration, as well as tools for genealogists and genealogy-related articles.
·http://www.themillions.com
The Millions is an online magazine that covers books, art, and culture. Founded in 2003, the site boasts an enormous backlog of essays, reviews, excerpts, lists, and other wonders. While readers can choose to support the Millions with a monthly donation, the content is free, and ads are minimal. Readers could start anywhere on this playful and intriguing site. Recent essays have included a look at gender, books, and children as well as an exploration of the persistence of the physical book in the face of tablets and e-readers. Lists have covered topics like "Hinge of History: Nine Books for the Post-Ferguson Era" and "Five Ways Being a Writer and Professional Skateboarder Are the Same."
·http://www.farmsanctuary.org/
The mission of Farm Sanctuary is "To protect farm animals from cruelty, inspire change in the way society views and treats farm animals, and promote compassionate vegan living." Besides adopting and rescuing animals in three different locations around the country, and advocating for better animal welfare laws, the organization also hosts a site that is packed with information about factory farming and the alternatives. Most of the information can be found under the Learn tab, where readers may scout articles about the factory farming of chickens, pigs, cows, turkeys, sheep, and goats, as well as read about the impact of factory farming on the environment, human health, and rural communities. The Educational Literature section also includes several downloadable pamphlets about alternatives, such as meat-free foods and vegan recipes.
·http://library.marist.edu/archives/regatta/
Recently popularized by Daniel James Brown's bestselling book, Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the Poughkeepsie Regatta was once one of America's most talked about sporting events. This digital collection from the Marist College Library brings the old crew race to life once more. Readers may like to read the brief yet informative history on the landing page before delving into the rest of the site. From there, examine the timeline at the top of the page, where the curator of the site has posted photographs and the finishers for each year of the race, from its inception in 1895 to its final run in 1949. In addition, Programs will link readers to every program from those 54 years; readers may peruse photographs of the athletes, the boats, and the awarded prizes over the decades. The Resources highlighted here are another strength of the site, providing information about rowing from around the web.
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