The Official Website of the Nobel Foundation [online resource]
Available at: http://www.nobel.se/
Rating: oooo
Reference type: Biographical
Authority: The Nobel Prize is an established authority on quality work in many areas of study. This web site is run by the Nobel Foundation itself and is therefore presumed to have the most current and accurate information about winners of this prize.
Audience Relation: The Nobel Prize is one of the markers of history that tell what is important and in people's mind in a given year. Science fiction writers often use this as a point of divergence for alternate fiction stories. Also, this is a good way for science novices to get more information about the really important figures in all the major branches of study.
Scope: This web site is an all encompassing information source about the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Foundation. Not only does it include a complete database of the winners with many methods of access, but it also includes information on the prize amounts, the awarding institutions, Alfred Nobel himself, and the way in which the ceremony is run. The site's copyright is 1999, and prizes for all years up to 1998 are included.
Content Evaluation: This is one of those deceptively simple-looking web sites from the front page, but the contents are very deep within. One of the site's strong features is ease of navigation. This site's pages are quick to load and rarely take up more than a screenful or two, with the exception of the individual biographies which are quite long and in depth. Each page offers only a handful of choices which allows the user to quickly evaluate them and move onward. Thus, the user is able to very quickly cut through to the specific information needed. Additionally, the biography database information is searchable, accessed by pull-down menus, and indexed by prize type (peace, literature, etc.).
The range of information at this site could not be more complete. Each prize winner has a complete biography with a picture (if available). The biographies address both the work which earned the prize as well as touching on other important achievements. Even individual presentation speeches are included for all the winners.
This page would be useful to a science fiction writer who needed to know anything about the Nobel Foundation or it's Prize winners.
Availability: http://www.nobel.se/
