User:Chris-3535/sandbox

Introduction
I am a frequent reader of Wikipedia articles so I was very excited for this project, to have a chance to pick some really good articles and compare them to other encyclopaedia articles. I had a bit of a hard time deciding what to pick at first, but eventually I settled on what I think are very good topics.

Research process
I chose Robert Frost because I’ve always loved the poem The Road Not Taken and he was a very interesting man. The Wikipedia talked about everything about his life and his works, with a very sad and interesting part about his family and their early deaths and history with depression. The Columbia Encyclopedia, which I found through Encyclopedia.com had a much more condensed biography, which just a short summary of his life and a small section on some of his works and the themes.

I picked the Western Wall because Jewish culture has always interested me and this is a big part of it. The Wikipedia article had an extensive history on the subject, and a list of views of different religions and parts of the world on the subject. The Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and Northern Africa article, which I found through Encyclopedia.com had a much shorter article, summarizing the history of it.

I picked European otters because I think otters are adorable animals. The article on Wikipedia wasn’t that long. It’s subject included a description, their range and habitat, their diet and conservation. The Encyclopedia of Earth article was of similar length and content to the Wikipedia one.

Croatia I chose because I find foreign countries interesting and that one seemed like a really cool one. The Wikipedia article on the subject is huge. It includes everything from cuisine and athletics to demographics and the economy. The Encyclopaedia of Earth article was also quite long, and again, covered a lot of the same topics at the Wikipedia article.

I picked oak trees because they’re my favourite kind of tree and I love acorns. The Wikipedia article subjects included its ecology, uses and cultural significance, among others. The Encyclopedia of Earth article had a lot of the same but a lot of different subjects had larger sections than in the Wikipedia article. I found the two expanded on different topics relating to oaks.

Conclusion
After looking for topics, I found that Wikipedia has articles on a lot of subjects that other encyclopaedias don't, and I found that interesting. For example, I searched for waterfalls in The Encyclopedia of Earth and found that nothing came up, but there was an article on Croatia which is what lead me to choosing that topic. Overall, I found the research process to be fairly easy and it was pretty simple to find good and interesting articles.

Cited works
"Frost, Robert." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2013. Encyclopedia.com. 30 Sep. 2013

“Robert Frost” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Web. 24 Sep. 2013

Heilman, Samuel C.. "Western Wall." Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. 2004.Encyclopedia.com. 30 Sep. 2013

“Western Wall” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Web. 30 Sep. 2013

Hogan, C Michael. “European Otter” The Encyclopedia of Earth. September 4, 2011. Web. Aug. 17, 2012

“European Otter” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Web. 10 Aug. 2013

Agency, C., & Department, U. “Croatia” CIA World Factbook. The Encyclopedia of Earth. December 19, 2o11. Web. September 4, 2012

“Croatia” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Web. 28 Sep. 2013

Hogan, C Michael. “Oak” The Encyclopedia of Earth, December 22, 2010. Web. Nov. 26, 2012

“Oak” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Web. 20 Sep. 2013

Assignment 2
I enjoyed reading your essay. You have a few spelling mistakes in the section on the Modern Middle East and North Africa article that you might want to correct. (72.136.0.60 (talk) 17:25, 22 November 2013 (UTC))

Wikipedia Article Summary
The Wikipedia article on The Western Wall is very extensive. It should be noted that when I put it in a Word document to read offline, it was 28 pages. Its greatest focus is the entire history of the wall, right from when it was built until the present in great detail. It talks a lot about the meaning of the wall to many different religions and cultures including Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Palestinian, Jordanian and Egyptian. It also goes into the politics surrounding the wall and the different rules regarding its use while it was under British and Jordanian rule.

Enclyclopedia of Modern Middle East and North Africa Article Summary
The Encyclopedia of Modern Middle East and North Africa article is very short. It gives a brief summary of the history of the wall, the Jewish customs surrounding it, including why people refer to it as the Wailing Wall, which is because Jewish people tent to cry as the pray to the wall, the rules during different rulings of the wall and that's about it. It doesn't go into any detail about any of the subjects it talks about, and mainly seems to be there for anyone looking for a quick read through of the history of the subject.

Comparison
There isn’t a whole lot to compare about the two articles as the Wikipedia article is so much more in depth, and the Encyclopedia of Modern Middle East and North Africa article is very short and doesn’t go into barely any detail at all. The Wikipedia one talks a lot about what the wall means to a lot of different cultures and the other only just barely touches on what it means to the Jewish people.

The Wikipedia article covers all aspects of the wall, giving information about everything from its history, to its religious meaning to different religions and cultures, and its political history through the years, including who has ruled the area and how they ran it, and the rules surrounding the wall during those times. The other article touches on those subjects but gives nothing in depth.

The Wikipedia article covers so much that you feel like you’re leaving knowing everything there is to know on the subject, and the Encyclopedia of Modern Middle East and North Africa article is a very short, easy read for if you’re looking to quickly brush up on the subject in a hurry. Also, the Wikipedia one has a lot of places where you can click to read more, and charts so if you’re looking to go even more into detail, you easily can.

Additional Resources
Simone, Ricca. "Heritage, Nationalism and the Shifting Symbolism of the Wailing Wall." Archives de Sciences Sociales des Religions. July 2010. Web. 10 Nov. 2013

Bonn-Muller, Eti. "Dig at the Wailing Wall." Archaeology. September 2009. Web. 10 Nov. 2013

"Western Wall." Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 10 Nov. 2013

Sela, Avraham. "The `Wailing Wall' Riots (1929) as a watershed in the Palestine Conflict." January 1994. Web. 10 Nov. 2013

"A Visit to the Wailing Wall." Biblical Archaeology Review. November 2007. Web. 10 Nov. 2013

Barker, James. "Policing Palestine." History Today. June 2008. Web. 10 Nov. 2013

O'Mahony, Anthony. "Christianity and Jerusalem: Religion, Politics and Theology in the Modern Holy Land." International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church. 2005. Web. 10 Nov. 2013

Laurent, Annie. "The Thrice-Holy City." UNESCO Courier. May 1995. Web. 10 Nov. 2013

Cole, Diane. "A Time Traveller In Jerusalem." Science & Spirit. July 2006. Web. 10 Nov. 2013

Winder, Alex. "The "Western WALL" Riots Of 1929: Religious Boundaries And Communal Violence." Journal of Palestine Studies. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2013