User:RockabillyLibrary/sandbox

Articles

 * Ella Fitzgerald []
 * Guatemalan Civil War []
 * George Orwell []
 * John Green []

Articles

 * Ella Fitzgerald
 * Guatemalan Civil War
 * George Orwell
 * John Green

Research thoughts
My research started as random searches through Wikipedia articles. This method was long and often lead me to unreliable articles. I realized that I needed to search topics that genuinely interested me, rather than hoping to stumble upon them. To do this I needed to do some thinking. I thought about what people I admire, which lead me to articles on Ella Fitzgerald, George Orwell, and John Green. I chose these influential people because they are active participants in society, whether it be through creating non-profit organizations, writing novels or a combination of the two. Ella, George, and John are unique because they are radical thinkers that have reshaped the world. This lead me to think about my own involvement. I immediately thought of my recent trip to a Guatemalan orphanage. I wanted to focus on a specific part of their history so when I found an article on the Guatemalan Civil War, it was a perfect match.

Finding corresponding articles proved more challenging than first expected. I found that Encyclopedia.com to have more information about my topics than other encyclopedia websites. This website also provided more information than the original Wikipedia articles, especially when it came to Guatemalan history. Wikipedia had a more specific article however, encyclopedia.com provided a more in depth look into the entire history of the country. Both encyclopedia websites were informative and well written. Personally I think Wikipedia is easier to navigate and has a wider range of article topics but Encyclopedia.com has larger and more thorough articles. Throughout the research process I realized how valuable Wikipedia is as a starting base.

Wikipedia Summary:
The Wikipedia article starts with a general description and the main facts of The Guatemalan Civil War. The article explains how The Guatemalan Civil War officially started in 1960 and persisted until 1996, with the main conflict between government and rebel groups. However, there was decades of political unrest prior to the official start and continued afterwards. Wikipedia then goes into a more detailed account of the wars events through a chronological timeline. Commencing with the Guatemalan governments involvement in counterinsurgency that provoked civilian protest in the 1960s. The government’s response to unrest was “white terror”; mass killings and disappearances of protestors and communist sympathizers estimated to be 15, 000 Guatemalans. The timetable continues with depiction after depiction of similar military regimes leading to equally high civilian deaths. The most prominent of which occurred during Lucas Garcia’s presidency. It wasn’t until 1983 that a democratic party was elected in Guatemala. Although this new form of democracy did not end the military control, it opened possible peace talks with opposing leaders. Guatemala’s government soon partnered with the United Nations resulting in a peace agreement. The article concludes with the aftermath of The Guatemalan Civil War with death statistics, estimated to be between 140,000 – 200,000 people, and Human rights violations.

Encyclopedia.com Summary
The Encyclopedia.com article provides an in depth view of every aspect of Guatemala. However, only the sections pertaining to government, political parties, judicial system, and history touch on the Civil War. In the history section it briefly describes major events, including political parties in charge and outcomes. It confirms the chain of militant dictatorships that ruled Guatemala, but also highlights the involvement of guerilla warfare and its effect on history. Under the political parties section is a thorough explanation of each party, who and what it represented, and what significant changes it brought to Guatemala during its power. The judicial system section is an example of the laws put in place because of the Civil War. The war inspired the building of legitimate court systems separate of government control, and the enactment of laws similar to habeas corpus.

Comparison
The Guatemalan Civil war is a highly controversial topic with many conspiracies and opposing facts. Both the Wikipedia and Encyclopedia.com articles present this information in a non-bias perspective. They base the timeline on factual events consistent in both articles.

Wikipedia is focused only on events concerning the Civil war. Wikipedia provides detailed accounts of the events leading to, during, and after the war. It tells how and why events occurred. Although the neutrality of the article has been disputed, the controversy is not obvious while reading. It is only after reading the article in Encyclopedia.com that the absence of events involving guerilla is noticed. Encyclopedia.com is more general. The article covers many aspects of Guatemala, including its economy, history, culture, and laws. Only specific headings deal with the Civil War, leaving it vague. However it does provide a concise time line to validate the Wikipedia article. After reading both articles it is easy to see that they were written for different purposes. Wikipedia compels sympathetic readers with a specific interest in the Guatemalan Civil War. While Encyclopedia.com is more general, covering many aspects of Guatemala. Both articles are efficient in the re-telling of Guatemalan history and the impact of the Civil War.

References, Contributors, and other reading
Both Wikipedia and Encyclopedia.com have cited reliable sources. Some of their references include university publishing’s, reports from news articles such as The Times and BBC, as well as government policies. There works have a mix of ages ranging from the 1980’s to 2014. This proves the articles used a diversity of information and evolved through time.

Encyclopedia.com has far fewer references than Wikipedia and has no extra reading list. This is odd because it has more dates and broader range of topics. Wikipedia has a wide selection of both references and added reading, along with links related to Wikipedia.

The history of the Wikipedia page has an interesting history. When the article first started a user name “The Best There Is ‘Snikt!” made the majority of the contributions. However, the users page has currently been blocked. Since then the contributors vary in authority and interest. Only a few users make large changes to content, most make small grammar and spelling corrections. It is very difficult to find contributors of Encyclopedia.com. There is no relevant information regarding who wrote the article.

Assessment
With a topic as large and controversial as civil war both articles maintain a neutral stand point. They provide a wide range of references leading to a well-rounded article. Although both articles serve different purposes, they both provide accurate and well written information on the Guatemalan Civil War. Wikipedia’s article was more specific to my research topic and therefore provided more detail. The article also took a different approach to how it told history. Instead of providing only dates and facts, it described the how and why of the events. This makes it easier for the reader to understand the reality of the situation. The topic is obviously controversial on Wikipedia, it even gives a warning at the top of the page that the article may present bias. However, after reading the article there was no glaringly obvious bias compared to the gravity of the topic. I believe that it is natural for some bias to be present while writing about wars. The winner of wars often depict their version of history.

If a completely neutral article is to be found, Encyclopedia.com is as close as it gets. This article depicts only the dates and facts of the Guatemalan Civil War and provides extensive information on every aspect of Guatemala. Both articles appear to be of good quality and are valuable starting points for the research process.

Additional Resources
Eckhardt, Ivan. "The Guatemalan Civil War: The Bipolarisation Of An Internal Conflict." Perspectives: Central European Review Of International Affairs 25.(2005): 23-42. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

"Ghosts Of Civil War: Guatemalan Ex-Dictator Rios Montt On Trial For Genocide." International Business Times - US ed 2013: General OneFile. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

Gould, Kevin A., and Alicia Ivonne Estrada. "Framing Disappearance: H.I.J.@.S., Public Art And The Making Of Historical Memory Of The Guatemalan Civil War." ACME: An International E-Journal For Critical Geographies 13.1 (2014): 100-134. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

"Guatemala's former leader found guilty of genocide; Former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt has been found guilty of genocide and war crimes in a landmark ruling stemming from massacres of indigenous people in his country's long civil war." The Telegraph Online 2013: InfoTrac Newsstand. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

Guatemalans In U.S. Face Deportation Threat. n.p.: National Public Radio, 2007. Literature Resource Center. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

Harms, Patricia. "Stumbling Our Way To The Mark: Guatemalan Mennonites In The Era Of Ríos Montt, 1980-1984." Journal Of Mennonite Studies 32.(2014): 115-138. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

Konefal, Betsy. "Subverting Authenticity: Reinas Indigenas And The Guatemalan State, 1978." Hispanic American Historical Review 89.1 (2009): 41-72. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

"Missing Guatemalans not forgotten; 45,000 disappeared during 36-year civil war, but the government refuses to investigate." The Record (Kitchener, Ontario) 2013: InfoTrac Newsstand. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

Victim of Guatemalan civil war massacre wins asylum in U.S." Daily the Pak Banker (Lahore, Pakistan) 2012: InfoTrac Newsstand. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

Weston, Gavin. "Escaping The Fire: How An Ixil Mayan Pastor Led His People Out Of The Holocaust During The Guatemalan Civil War." Journal Of Latin American Studies 3 (2013): Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.