Of course, there are many reliable sites on the web, and we do not pretend to exclusivity in terms of the authority and reliability of the sites selected for inclusion in the JAHC ring, but will affirm that these sites have been peer-reviewed for these qualities. A web ring obviously offers a number of means for organizing materials. Rings could be subdivided into types of content as well as subject fields. We plan that our initial ring will connect sites in American history, followed by sites useful to students and teachers of European history. Initially, we will not distinguish among sites offering primary documents and those offering secondary or interpretive information.
Similar sites join together into a ring for a variety of reasons.
For some smaller, newer, or lesser-known sites, a ring serves to increase traffic. There would not seem to be any way in which being part of a ring might decrease traffic on an already successful site. They will also be more likely to utilize and to cite material from the site, increasing awareness of it. A well-designed ring site can also be a service to other historians and teachers. A ring can function somewhat like the reserve room in a library, a place where useful materials intended to be used in particular assignments are stored.