Small Research Website Assignment
Due date: Sunday, November 2, 2025 at 11:59 pm
Points value: 150 points
You have learned how to build web pages in this course; now, it’s time to build a functional website.
Assignment Description
Using your academic research experience as well as the HTML/CSS skills you have developed throughout this course, you will build a website exploring a topic related to the internet, web writing, or digital rhetoric. Your task is to conduct research via credible web sources and, based on what you learn, create a website intended to share knowledge about your chosen subject with your classmates.
You cannot cover all areas of your chosen topic, so your website should present the most important materials. Consider the practical information and advice your classmates would be interested in learning as you choose what to include.
As we are learning from our readings this semester, writing in an online, nonlinear environment is an interesting challenge. You do not know what your readers will click on or in what order they will access pages, so separate your material into logical webpages by subtopic. For example, if your topic is PHP, you may have pages about the history of the language, its basic syntax, how to install PHP on your machine, and where to learn more about the language.
When citing credible web-based sources, be sure to paraphrase and summarize the material. Brief, relevant quotations can be included with the appropriate markup (i.e., <blockquote> or <q>), but they should be used sparingly. Provide contextual links to your source material (as opposed to “click here” phrasing).
After you complete your website, I will give your classmates access to your research by sharing it on the course website.
As an example, I have uploaded a project that a previous student created for a similar assignment. Note that the assignment description has changed since this website was built. For example, a page listing citations will not count toward your page requirement.
Requirements for 573
When grading your small research website, I will look for the following:
- Semantic and structurally-sound HTML5 markup that passes validation
- Well-organized and functional CSS3 in an external stylesheet that passes validation
- Content that is written for a particular audience, with a particular focus, and with a particular purpose
- At least four credible sources
- A home page (index.html) and at least four additional pages
- Appropriate navigation to help your audience use your website
- Developed and chunked content on each page (i.e., not an endless scroll of text in a traditional paper format)
- Well-researched, readable, and informative web pages that provide practical and sufficient knowledge for your classmates on your chosen topic
- At least two images located in the images directory of your website with appropriate accessibility features
- A similar appearance in Edge, Firefox, and Chrome
The resulting website should be a product that you would be proud to include in a portfolio.
Requirements for 679
When grading your small research website, I will look for the following:
- Semantic and structurally-sound HTML5 markup that passes validation
- Well-organized and functional CSS3 in an external stylesheet that passes validation
- Content that is written for a particular audience, with a particular focus, and with a particular purpose
- At least six credible sources
- A home page (index.html) and at least five additional pages
- Appropriate navigation to help your audience use your website
- Developed and chunked content on each page (i.e., not an endless scroll of text in a traditional paper format)
- Well-researched, readable, and informative web pages that provide practical and sufficient knowledge for your classmates on your chosen topic
- At least three images located in the images directory of your website and with appropriate accessibility features
- A similar appearance in Edge, Firefox, and Chrome
The resulting website should be a product that you would be proud to include in a portfolio.
Submission Instructions
When you are ready to submit your research website, zip the project folder, name the zipped folder according to my instructions, and upload it to Brightspace.
Tips
- Save and backup your files regularly
- Include a closing tag every time you write an opening tag (even if there is no content between them yet)
- Consider using a page template