Archives

Using web archives responsibly in your research

Public web archives let you freeze a page as it looked at a specific moment. Used well, they make claims verifiable later.

Requesting a capture

Many archive services let you submit a page for capture. Doing this when you review an Omega Market source creates an independent record.

Reading capture dates

Every archived copy has a timestamp. Always note it; an archived page shows what was published then, not now.

Limits of archives

Some pages block archiving or load content dynamically, so captures can be incomplete. Check that the important text actually appears in the capture.

Citing archives

When referencing an archived page, include both the original address and the capture date.