February 15, 2016 (Vol. 36, No. 4)
URL:
http://www.nist.gov
Rating:
Strong Points: Information on a wide range of topics
Weak Points: Amount of content is disorienting without navigational aids
Summary:
One doesn’t necessarily think to go digging around the U.S. Department of Commerce to find science resources, but it turns out that one of the agencies of the Department of Commerce—the National Institute of Standards and Technology—offers a number of useful scientific resources available on the agency’s website. The NIST one of the oldest physical science laboratories in the nation, but its areas of research include a wide range of subjects including bioscience and health, environment/climate, nanotechnology, and electronics/telecommunications. There is a great deal of information included on this site, and it can be somewhat disorienting if visitors don’t know exactly what they’re looking for. Each subject page contains descriptions of current programs and projects, recent publications, and a news and events feature. One particularly useful aspect of the website is the “NIST Most Popular” box that appears on the homepage, pointing visitors directly to useful resources.
