Tracing the online development of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces through the UK web archive

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article discusses the method and results of research using web archives to explore the development of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Armed Forces websites. The methodology shows how an initial corpus was created and analysed to establish the purpose of the MoD and Armed Forces websites. Visual hierarchy design, thematic content analysis, and an understanding of website design were used to contextualise online content. Recruitment content is shown to have been a chief concern of the Armed Forces websites throughout the period, particularly for the British Army. Changes in recruitment terminology and the increased employment of interactive content are examined. It is argued that the greater use of content such as videos was not the result of a change in approach towards recruitment but an adoption of the increased capabilities of websites. The importance of the MoD and Armed Forces websites as a means of influencing public opinion is established and the Army's development of its website as a communication channel is explored. Link analysis was used to investigate the central position of the MoD campaign Supporting Britain's Reservists and their Employers in the visualisation of the .mod.uk domain and the Territorial Army's attempts to recruit personnel for the Army Medical Service.