Undoubtedly, the most surprising thing I have discovered about this project so far is that Google cannot be trusted. As I have learned to use various primary and secondary source databases and compared the results I get from them to the results I am able to get from Google, it has been made abundantly clear that Google cannot offer even a fraction of what the databases can. It is astounding that such a wealth of information is offered on these databases and not on what people consider to be an all-encompassing global search.
I have also been surprised by the depth and variety of sources these databases/ archives can offer. Before starting this project, I had absolutely no grasp on what was out there. I had no idea that it was possible to do something like read newspapers and advertisements from eighteenth century Britain without visiting actual physical archives. Though this was part of the project description, I did not come into the project with any idea of the scope of what is actually offered.
I have also been surprised by the amount a team of three people can accomplish as opposed to just one person working individually, as well as the challenges that come with working in such a group.