User:LaurentianRichard/sandbox

Overview of Topic Selection
After reviewing the requirements for this assignment I have chosen three different topics that relate to Canada's history. This topic area was chosen because I have an educational background and personal interest in Canadian historical people and places. There were many people and places to choose from but I have outlined below three subjects that are of interest to me. My initial idea was to select three Canadian Prime Ministers from different eras but I only chose one so I could broaden my online search using Wikipedia, Canadian Encyclopedia and Encyclopedia Britannica Academic online.

Subject 1: Lester B Pearson
Lester B Pearson was the first choice because of the amount of significant work and activities he did before, during and after his time as Prime Minister of Canada. A general serach of his name in the Wikipedia search engine brought up a list of articles to view but the article I have cited outlines in great detail his rise to political power, committment to social justice and provides an overall nice summary of his place in Canada's history. There any many citations in the text and references listed that provided confidence in the written work. Canadian Encyclopedia also provided a detailed account of Pearson's life but the format was different in some ways and I had to scroll thru a few listings to get to the relevant page. Encyclopedia Britannica online had a much more concise text about Pearson but that would be expected since it was an American source.

Subject 2: Louis Riel
My second subject was Louis Riel. He was a controversal figure in Canadian history and I thought he would be a good subject to research. Wikipedia has done an extensive review of his life and the impact he had on a segment of society. The Canadian Encyclopedia also provided great detail and included a video commentary. Once again Encyclopedia Britannica was much more concise with a Canadian subject but there were references listed that could link the reader to similar pages on the subject.

Subject 3: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
For a third subject I chose the historical city of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Since Charlottetown is considered the birthplace of Confederation I looked for what type of material was available. Wikipedia and Canadian Encyclopedia both had sections devoted to Charlottetown's past and present life but Encylopedia Brittanica was more dedicated towards the tourist aspect and historical buildings.

Summary
After conducting this research there are some points to be made regarding the format and content of the the material in each source. Overall I found the Wikipedia articles were very informative. The format was broken down into topic areas and if someone was to research a particular part of the subject the information would be fairly easy to find. The citations and references listed were extensive and the referring links followed the subject to other articles or sites of similiar interest. The use of graphics and quick facts along the side of the page allowed the reader to have an different perspective of the subject. Canadian Encyclopedia was similar in content but the layout was different as it was more streamlined with fewer graphics and more links to other sites and it felt more like what you would find in a hardcopy encyclopedia. Encyclopedia Britannica online version, as expected, did not have as much information about any of these subjects since it is an American based publisher. The descriptions were brief but if the intended user of this source was a non-Canadian then there would enough information to learn about the subject and there were enough links and suggested readings that the individual could learn more. It would just take more time to do so. Overall I found that all three sources would be a good starting point for someone who is interested in these areas as they are all informative to various degrees and formatted in a user friendly way.

COMPARING ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRIES, PART 2 : CHARLOTTETOWN
Charlottetown Prince Edward Island (PEI) is considered to be the the birthplace of Canadian Confederation. This small east coast city has a diverse historical, cultural and developmental background. After reviewing two diiferent sources, Wikipedia and The Canadian Encyclopedia, one can see how the city can be portrayed in different manners. Each source has its own unique layout of information, content and appeal which makes this comparison study interesting to research and write about.

The Individual Summaries
In Wikipedia the Charlottetown entry is very extensive. There are twelve main headings and some of the main headings have their own subject subheadings. The information covered in the text includes a general description of what is significant about Charlottetown and its place in Canadian history. The article later explains how Charlottetown was developed politically, socially, culturally and how it promotes itself as a major city in Eastern Canada. At the end of the article there is a list of famous people who come from Charlottetown such as authors, poets and professional athletes. The information regarding all these subjects is formatted in a user friendly way. If someone needed a reference about Charlottetown then Wikipedia would be a good source to do so. In The Canadian Encyclopedia the Charlottetown entry is also detailed but in a concise manner. There are not as many headings as there are only nine of them. The content ranges from a statistical breakdown of population demographics to a brief description of the city's history, culture, urban life, government and political significance to PEI. At the end of the article there is a selection of websites that offer the reader a chance to learn more about Charlottetown. In addition to the other websites there are detailed pictures and guides throughout the article and that provides a visual representation of Charlottetown.

Comparing and Contrasting
After reviewing Wikipedia and The Canadian Encyclopedia there are some similarities within the content of both entries. Both articles start by reviewing the historical significance of the city to Canada and the influences of the English and French that helped shape its identity. As one proceeds thru the entries both of the articles make use of demographic charts to illustrate the population growth over time. The articles also pay attention to the cultural, economic and social development of the city over time. The articles then summarize these factors and identify where Charlottetown is today. Although there are similarities between these two sources, there are also some differences with the content. Overall the Wikipedia entry offers more information than The Canadian Encyclopedia An example of this is the history of the city. Wikipedia offers an extensive historical overview of the city that total four pages while The Canadian Encyclopedia offers less than a page (when printed). The main difference is how detailed Wikipedia is regarding the early development of the city. The entry uses subheadings to separate time periods and explain the significance of that period. An example of this is the role of religion and commercial development from 1886-1950. Another difference is the use of demographics and the description of the neighbourhoods that make up Charlottetown. Wikipedia offers a more thorough breakdown of the population base by using a collection of charts to identify ethnicities while The Canadian Encyclopedia offers a simple breakdown of the population over time. Another noticeable difference between these two sources is the availability of related links on The Canadian Encyclopedia at the end of the article. This section does offer the reader an opportunity to visit sites that relate directly to Charlottetown such as the city's direct website. Wikipedia does not offer this but it does offer an extensive list of notable people from the city. Overall both sites offer similar information but Wikipedia offers more details in its sections.

Examining References, Contributions and Additional Reading
The use of a reference list can be found at the bottom of the Wikipedia article. After looking at the list one can see that there was some care taken in documenting the claims. The list includes the use of government publications from Statistic Canada and the provincial government to support the work. An example of this is the use of the last census of 2011. There is a biography and portrait listed too by established authors. The municipal website is also currently maintained. Overall the references listed for Wikipedia are creditable and the updates to the article are current too.

In The Canadian Encyclopedia there are no references listed but there are links to external sites such as the municipal website, regional archives, the Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce and National Historic sites. When any one of these links is accessed it brings up current and relevant information about Charlottetown and the area. The suggested reading that is found also provdes some good background but the most current published book was from the year 2000 while the most dated was 1923. It has to be taken into account that this subject is specific to the East Coast so there are limitations about the availability of writers from this region.

Assessment
After reviewing both articles one can see how each article can be of benefit to someone who wants to know more about Charlottetown. The Wikipedia entry does offer more information. The headings and subheadings make for an easier read than the one`s found in The Canadian Encyclopedia. They are also more informative if someone is looking for details about people, events or statistics. An example of this is the breakdown of information relating to media, sports, education systems and religion. These topics have little or no exposure in the other entry. The references are also readily available should there be additional questions. If someone was writing a report and needed information about Charlottetown then Wikipedia would be the better choice. The Canadian Encyclopedia does offer the advanatge of being more concise while staying informative. If someone was looking for a quick answer to a general question than this source would be a good choice. The pictures and graphics are simple which makes for a good read and there is a map available to download as well. The breakdown of each individual section is equal so there is less chance to lose focus on the subject. One additional point to be made is the use of advertisers on the sides of the page. They can be a distraction but it is understandable why they are there since it is a privately owned site. Every article is subject to scrutiny to identify any errors and omissions. In the Wikipedia article there is a note about a missing citation regarding the economy while The Canadian Encyclopedia makes very little mention of the early settlements and battles between British, French and later American forces over the area. These omissions do not make the articles less creditable however if someone were to cite these articles for research purposes, on these topics, then not all the evidence would not be there. Overall I found both of these entries very useful. If I was looking for a detailed answer than I would definitely consult Wikipedia as this source has more information available about the city. The ability to add on to the site is also good as regional writers might want to expand upon the knowledge of the subject.

Additional Reading
Archives Council of Prince Edward Island. n.p, 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. Canadian Confederation. Library and Archives Canada, 02 May 2005. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. City of Charlottetown. n.p, 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. CharlottetownPEI.com. Village Lynx Media, 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. The Government of Prince Edward Island : Community Photos. n.p, 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. The Guardian. 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. Historic Places Prince Edward Island. Canada`s Historical Places, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. Holland College. n.p, 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. Badertscher, Eric. “Charlottetown.” Canada`s Heritage: Prince Edward Island (2009): 1-3. Canadian Reference Centre. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. “Charlottetown Conference.” Canada and The World Backgrounder 68.2 (2002):7. Canadian Reference Centre. Web. 11 Nov. 2012.