The Eighth Amendment Referendum 2018

Background

The National Library has been preserving Irish websites in its Selective web archive since 2011. During this time, the NLI has archived many political collections, including all elections and referendums that have been held since 2011.The NLI has also archived selected websites surrounding the abortion debate in Ireland since 2012.

When published, the Eighth Amendment Referendum 2018 collection will be the largest referendum collection in the NLI’s web archive. This referendum collection forms part of a larger collection in the National Library of Ireland which will include published, printed and ephemeral material.

Site selection

Site selection was carried out by Maria Ryan, Web Archivist, in accordance with the National Library’s collection development policy.

Extent

In early 2018, the NLI made an advance commitment to allocate staff resources and half of its total 2018 web archiving budget to collect 100 websites related to the upcoming referendum as part of the selective web archiving programme for 2018.

Scope and content of resulting collection

Site identification & Selection:

 The NLI selective web archive operates on a permissions basis. Each website that is selected for inclusion in the web archive as well as the NLI’s technical partner has to be notified in writing in advance of archiving. It is common that the contact details of a site owner are difficult to locate and much time is spent trying to identify the webmaster or site owner. Every effort is made to locate contact details for sites scoped. This is an ongoing issue for the NLI selective web archive. Where contact details cannot be found, the site is discounted and a substitute is sought.  Site identification and scoping of websites began in January 2018 and continued until the referendum date.

 The web archivist made use of the data compiled by TREF, Transparent Referendum Initiative.  The web archivist also made use of analysis made by the British Library and Justin Littman of George Washington University library on the most popular hashtags used in the Referendum.  Extensive scoping was carried out on social media. One method involved was to search the follower/following lists of the primary Twitter accounts on both sides of the campaign. Any relevant websites/social media accounts were added to the list.  The following categories were devised to ensure a wide range of websites were archived: o Diaspora o Primary Campaign groups o Regional/ Local groups o Medical professionals o Artists o Students o Commentary o Specialist Groups o State Bodies o Political Parties  683 websites, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook sites were identified in the following categories o Pro-Repeal websites o Anti-Repeal websites o Contextual websites  As this exceeded the budget allocated to the collection, a selection of websites was sought to represent the campaigns on both sides of the debate and the context of the referendum.  For the purposes of providing context, relevant independent and regulatory bodies were included in the crawl. The websites of all main political parties were included. Also, online only commentary was also included in the crawls, for example, The Journal and Tuairisic.

Resulting Collection:

 In total 102 websites were archived. This included: o 37 websites Pro & Anti Repeal websites. o 28 commentary, independent bodies, political party websites, etc.  There was one website failure on the Pro-Repeal side. The website had been removed prior to archiving and a redirect put in place.  There was one refusal on the Anti-Repeal side.

Excluded Websites:

 Personal Twitter Accounts: Many individuals and campaigners played a significant role in this referendum. The number of these identified exceeded the resources available to the NLI for this collection. The accounts of Tara Flynn and were included as they had been previously archived.  Facebook- Technical restrictions make it difficult for the web crawler of the NLI’s technical partner to access and archive Facebook accounts.  Politicians- Many politicians played a prominent role in the campaign. The number of these identified exceeded the resources available to the NLI for this collection.  Other websites: These include websites hosted by WordPress. These present technical issues which restrict archiving. Also included are websites which rely heavily on audio & video which cannot be captured.

Any further queries can be directed to the web archivist [email protected]

URL: Live Website: Archived URL: Abortion After Care http://www.abortionaftercare.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.abortionaftercare.ie/ Abortion Never http://abortionnever.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://abortionnever.ie/ Abortion Rights http://www.abortionrightscampaign.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Campaign 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.abortionrightscampaign.ie/

Abortion Rights https://twitter.com/freesafelegal https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Campaign 1444/*/https://twitter.com/freesafelegal Abortion Rights https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKntWy5ntiHf_p34aiz https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Campaign 9GKQ 1444/*/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKntWy5ntiHf_p34ai z9GKQ

About the 8th https://twitter.com/Aboutthe8th https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/Aboutthe8th Alliance for Choice https://twitter.com/All4Choice https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/All4Choice Amnesty International https://www.amnesty.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Ireland 1444/*/https://www.amnesty.ie/ Artists for Repeal https://twitter.com/artistsrepeal8 https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/artistsrepeal8 Assoc for http://aimsireland.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- improvements 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- maternity services 1444/*/http://aimsireland.ie/ Broadsheet http://www.broadsheet.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.broadsheet.ie/ Cats 4 Choice https://twitter.com/cats4choiceirl https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/cats4choiceirl Cherish All the https://cherishthechildren.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Children Equally 1444/*/https://cherishthechildren.ie/ Cora Sherlock https://twitter.com/CoraSherlock?lang=en https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/CoraSherlock?lang=en Crisis Pregnancy http://www.crisispregnancy.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.crisispregnancy.ie/ Doctors For Choice https://twitter.com/Doctors4Choice https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/Doctors4Choice Doctors For Life https://twitter.com/doctors4lifeire https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Ireland 1444/*/https://twitter.com/doctors4lifeire Election Literature https://twitter.com/electionlit?lang=en https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/electionlit?lang=en http://www.everylifecounts.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.everylifecounts.ie/ Every Life Counts https://twitter.com/EveryLifeCount https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Twitter 1444/*/https://twitter.com/EveryLifeCount Farmers For Yes https://twitter.com/FarmersR8th https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/FarmersR8th Fianna Fail https://www.fiannafail.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://www.fiannafail.ie/ https://www.finegael.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://www.finegael.ie/ Gael ar son Rogha https://twitter.com/GaeilArSonRogha https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/GaeilArSonRogha Gianna Care http://giannacare.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://giannacare.ie/ Good Counsel Ireland http://goodcounselnetwork.org https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://goodcounselnetwork.org Home to Vote (Anti) http://hometovote.uk/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://hometovote.uk/ Home to Vote (Pro) https://hometovote.com/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://hometovote.com/ In Her Shoes https://twitter.com/InHerIrishShoes https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/InHerIrishShoes Institute of https://www.rcpi.ie/faculties/obstetricians-and- https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Obstetricians and gynaecologists/repeal-the-eighth-amendment-info-for-the- 1444/*/https://www.rcpi.ie/faculties/obstetricians-and- Gynaecologists public/ gynaecologists/repeal-the-eighth-amendment-info-for-the-public/ Irish Planning https://www.ifpa.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org-1444/*/https://www.ifpa.ie/ Association Irish Post https://www.irishpost.com/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://www.irishpost.com/ Irish Pro Life USA https://twitter.com/IrishProLifeUSA https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/IrishProLifeUSA Joe.ie https://www.joe.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org-1444/*/https://www.joe.ie/ Kerry For Choice https://twitter.com/KerryForChoice https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/KerryForChoice Kerry Life and Family https://twitter.com/KerryForLife https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/KerryForLife Know your Repealers https://twitter.com/YourRepealers https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/YourRepealers Labour https://www.labour.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org-1444/*/https://www.labour.ie/ Lawyers for Choice https://twitter.com/Lawyers4Choice https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/Lawyers4Choice Leanbh Mo Chroí https://lmcsupport.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org-1444/*/https://lmcsupport.ie/ Life Institute http://www.thelifeinstitute.net/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.thelifeinstitute.net/ Life Zone - Pro-Life http://www.prolifeinfo.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Info 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.prolifeinfo.ie/ London Irish Repeal https://twitter.com/LdnIrishARC https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/LdnIrishARC london Irish United https://twitter.com/LdnIrishU4L https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- For Life 1444/*/https://twitter.com/LdnIrishU4L Love Both Project https://loveboth.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org-1444/*/https://loveboth.ie/ Love Both Project https://twitter.com/loveboth8 https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/loveboth8 Love Both Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClrJnGbCqeTf1BcVv3r https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Og0Q/videos 1444/*/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClrJnGbCqeTf1BcVv3 rOg0Q/videos Men4Yes https://twitter.com/Men4Yes https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/Men4Yes Merrion Street https://merrionstreet.ie/en/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://merrionstreet.ie/en/ National Womens http://www.nwci.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Council of Ireland 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.nwci.ie/ Not at home Ireland https://twitter.com/NotAtHomeIre https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/NotAtHomeIre Nurses Together For https://twitter.com/NursesForChoice https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Yes 1444/*/https://twitter.com/NursesForChoice Nurses4LifeIreland https://twitter.com/Nurses4lifeIrl https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/Nurses4lifeIrl One Day More http://onedaymore.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://onedaymore.ie/ Our Future https://twitter.com/OurFutureHQ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/OurFutureHQ People Before Profit http://www.pbp.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.pbp.ie/ People with https://twitter.com/PWDTogether4Yes https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Disabilities Together 1444/*/https://twitter.com/PWDTogether4Yes For Yes Photo Ireland http://2018.photoireland.org/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://2018.photoireland.org/ Precious Life https://twitter.com/PreciousLifeCom https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/PreciousLifeCom https://twitter.com/prolifecampaign https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/prolifecampaign Pro Life Ireland https://www.youtube.com/user/ProLifeIreland https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://www.youtube.com/user/ProLifeIreland Pro Life TCD https://twitter.com/lifefrontsquare https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/lifefrontsquare Pro-life Campaign http://prolifecampaign.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://prolifecampaign.ie/ protectthe8th.ie https://protectthe8th.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://protectthe8th.ie/ Rachels Vine Yard http://www.rachelsvineyard.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Ireland 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.rachelsvineyard.ie/ Radical Queers Resist https://twitter.com/radqueersresist?lang=en https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/radqueersresist?lang=en Rally For Life https://rallyforlife.net/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org-1444/*/https://rallyforlife.net/ Refcom 2018 https://refcom2018.refcom.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://refcom2018.refcom.ie/ Referendum http://www.refcom.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Comission 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.refcom.ie/ Referendum https://twitter.com/RefCom_ie https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Comission on Twitter 1444/*/https://twitter.com/RefCom_ie Renua Ireland https://www.renuaireland.com/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://www.renuaireland.com/ Repeal Eight https://twitter.com/repealeight https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/repealeight Repeal Eight https://www.repealeight.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://www.repealeight.ie/ ROSA Women https://twitter.com/RosaWomen https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/RosaWomen RTE News https://twitter.com/rtenews https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/rtenews Rte.ie https://www.rte.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org-1444/*/https://www.rte.ie/ Save 8 http://www.save8.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.save8.ie/ Save Eighth https://twitter.com/SaveEighth https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Supporters 1444/*/https://twitter.com/SaveEighth Save the 8th https://twitter.com/Savethe8thInfo https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/Savethe8thInfo Save the 8th Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuYBZ7Vo1KOwysEop https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Ue53ow/featured 1444/*/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuYBZ7Vo1KOwysEo pUe53ow/featured Sinn Fein http://www.sinnfein.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.sinnfein.ie/ SIPO http://www.sipo.ie/en/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.sipo.ie/en/ Social Democrats https://socialdemocrats.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://socialdemocrats.ie/ Social Media For Yes https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJk6kLdctO5YXMBjDH https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- rbuzQ/videos 1444/*/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJk6kLdctO5YXMBjD HrbuzQ/videos Tara Flynn https://twitter.com/TaraFlynn?lang=en https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/TaraFlynn?lang=en Terminations for https://twitter.com/tfmrire?lang=en https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Medical Reasons 1444/*/https://twitter.com/tfmrire?lang=en The https://greenparty.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org-1444/*/https://greenparty.ie/ The https://ionainstitute.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org-1444/*/https://ionainstitute.ie/ The Journal http://www.thejournal.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://www.thejournal.ie/ The Liberal http://theliberal.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://theliberal.ie/ The Workers Party http://workersparty.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://workersparty.ie/ This Is My Life http://thisismylife.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://thisismylife.ie/ https://twitter.com/Together4yes https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/Together4yes Together for yes https://togetherforyes.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://togetherforyes.ie/ Together For YesLe https://twitter.com/LeCheileArSonTa https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Cheile ar son Ta 1444/*/https://twitter.com/LeCheileArSonTa Transparent http://tref.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Referendum 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org-1444/*/http://tref.ie/ Tuairisic https://tuairisc.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org-1444/*/https://tuairisc.ie/ Union of students http://usi.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Ireland 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org-1444/*/http://usi.ie/ Waterford Whispers http://waterfordwhispersnews.com https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/http://waterfordwhispersnews.com White Flag Movement https://whiteflagmovement.com/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://whiteflagmovement.com/ Womens Health in https://www.womenshealthireland.ie/ https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- Ireland 1444/*/https://www.womenshealthireland.ie/ https://twitter.com/YouthDefence https://wayback.archive-it.org/org- 1444/*/https://twitter.com/YouthDefence