Texas History Day

National History Day, Inc.
Web Site Category
Category Rules
2006-2007

Please note: The interpretive Web site category is limited to individual Web sites only.

Judging Individual Interpretive Web sites:

The web sites will be judged in a similar fashion to the National History Day paper category, allowing the judges the opportunity to review the entry prior to the contest day. Four CD-Rs with the student's web site will be submitted along with four copies of the process paper, the annotated bibliography, and hard copy print-outs of the web site by the entry date. Judges will individually or in groups evaluate the web sites prior to the contest date. They will, when possible, interview the student at the contest and view the web site at the competition if technology is available, or use the web site print-out to discuss their evaluation with the student competitors.
(Please note: Only finalists are interviewed at the state contest.)

Web Sites
Web sites are the most interactive of all NHD categories. Therefore, a web site should reflect the student's ability to use web site design software and computer technology to communicate the topic's significance in history. The historical quality, analysis, and interpretation of the topic must be clear and evident to the viewer through the content and navigational structure of the site. In designing the entry, the student should include elements that actively engage the audience in learning about the topic. These elements do not have to be technologically complex, but they should let the audience participate in exploring the topic, rather than passively viewing information. The presentation should include primary materials, but must also be an original production. To produce a web site, the student must have access to appropriate software and equipment and be able to operate it.

Part II, Contest Rule Book Applies to all Categories

Part III, Specific Web Site Category Rules

Rule 1: Size Requirements
Web site entries may contain no more than 1,200 visible, student-composed words. Citations, code used to build the site, and alternate text tags on images do not count toward the word limit. Therefore, the word limit does not include words found in materials used for illustration such as documents, artifacts or graphs not created by the students, or to quotations from primary sources such as oral history interviews, letters, or diaries, photos of artifacts with writing, or other illustrative materials that are used as an integral part of the web site. Brief citations crediting the sources of illustrations or quotations included on the web sites do count toward the 1,200-word limit. The entire site, including all multimedia, may use up to 100MB of file space.

Rule 2: Navigation
One page of the web site must serve as the "home page." This page must be saved in the root directory of the CD-R (not in any folder) with the name "index." The home page must include the student's name, the entry title, age division, and a main menu that directs viewers to the various sections of the site. All pages must be interconnected with hypertext links. Automatic redirects are not permitted.

Rule 3: Multimedia
A single multimedia clip may not last more than 45 seconds and may not include student-composed narration. If an entry uses any form of multimedia requiring a plug-in (for example, Flash, QuickTime or Real Player), the student must provide on the same page a link to an Internet site where the plug-in is available as a free, secure, and legal download. Judges will make every effort to view all multimedia content, but files that cannot be viewed cannot be evaluated as part of the entry.

Rule 4: Entry Production
All entries must be original productions. The student may use professional photographs, graphics, video, recorded music, etc. within the site. Such items must be integrated into the web site, and proper credit must be given within the site, as well as in the annotated bibliography. The student must operate all software and equipment in the development of the web site.

PLEASE NOTE: Using objects created by others specifically for use in the student's entry violates this rule, but using graphics, multimedia clips, etc. that already exist is acceptable.

Rule 5: Citations
Citations—footnotes, endnotes or internal documentation—are required. Citations are used to credit the sources of specific ideas, as well as direct quotations. Refer to "Rules for all Categories," Part II, Rules 15-17 in the current Contest Rule Book for citation and style information.

Rule 6: Stable Content
The content and appearance of a page may not change when the page is refreshed in the browser. Random text or image generators are not allowed.

Rule 7: Viewing Files
The pages that comprise the site must be viewable in a recent version of Microsoft Internet Explorer. Entries may not link to live or external sites, except to direct viewers to plug-ins.

Rule 8: File Safety
Entries that contain potentially harmful file contamination (e.g. a virus) are subject to disqualification.

Rule 9: Submitting Entry for Judging
The student will submit the project on CD-R for advance viewing by judges. CD-Rs must be labeled with only the student's name, division, and entry title; decorations or illustrations are not appropriate. CD-Rs must be accompanied by four hard copies of the student's process paper, annotated bibliography, and print-outs of the site.

For more information, please contact Kate O'Donnell by e-mail or telephone at (940) 369-5200.