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Search by subject name, identify the result type and origin, and follow a reference to a document you can cite.
Example: why the Statue of Liberty is green
Why is the Statue of Liberty green?
This example uses a subject search, a publisher document, and a historical image record. The search identifies the monument. The NPS document explains its copper exterior; the image record supplies historical context.
The National Park Service’s Statue of Liberty facts identify copper as the exterior material and describe its oxidation. Read the publisher document rather than rely on a result snippet. The direct NPS links in this guide identify external publisher pages, not retained Counterpedia copies.
Find the statue and its sources
- Open Search and enter Statue of Liberty.
- Read the result type before opening a match. A subject or entity provides a starting point; a source reference identifies a particular publisher or document; an image, observation or retained record may have a different origin and evidentiary status.
- Choose the entry that identifies the monument on Liberty Island, rather than an incidental mention or photograph title. Open its related material and look for a connection to copper, Liberty Island, its construction or an original document.
- Open the NPS explanation and read the passage on copper oxidation and the green patina.
- Record the subject reference, document title, publisher, URL, and any stated date or edition. Use those details in your citation.
Result: a source-attributed explanation of the green patina and a citation to the NPS document used.
| Keep from the visit | Our example |
|---|---|
| Starting question | Why is the Statue of Liberty green? |
| Subject | Statue of Liberty, the monument on Liberty Island |
| Original explanation | NPS Statue of Liberty FAQs |
| Complementary source | NPS facts and material description |
| Next connection | Copper, Liberty Island, the statue’s construction or historical photographs |
| Return reference | The exact article or object address you actually opened |
Compare the explanatory and photographic sources
Open the early photograph record in the Library of Congress. Compare its date, contributor, and subject with the NPS document. The photograph records an appearance; the NPS text explains the material. Record what each source contributes rather than count them as two independent confirmations of the color explanation.
You can continue into the statue’s creator, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the place where it stands, or the chronology of its copper skin. Each step should lead to an identified object or document, not merely another unlabeled line on a graph.
What a match does and doesn’t mean
A search result shows a match within the material being searched; it is not an endorsement. A provider reference is not necessarily a retained document. A Source Record, a retained capture and a completed assessment each have separate identities and conditions. If the source you want is absent from Counterpedia, you can consult the identified original publisher directly without claiming it was found in Counterpedia’s catalogue.
If you see no result, try Liberty Enlightening the World or the specific document title. Missing results describe the selected collection’s coverage; they do not prove the monument or document is absent elsewhere.
Continue
Searching Counterpedia takes this same question through result categories, source paths and recovery techniques. Explore the knowledge universe broadens the journey into connections and historical images. For a statement requiring an assessment, Check information is an optional separate task.