A good website I have keep bookmarked since 1996 is
www.Bessel.org
R:.W:. Bessel's site is excellent starting point for "comparative" research.
Regarding Rituals : Not every Jurisdiction is the same. I've had the privilege to literally 'travel' & be exposed to a lot of different states.
There are different rituals that have appeared on the scene ( good research topic, one that takes a while. Track the top accepted writers of our Ritual from 1717 on. What versions got scratched? Who rewrote & when? Which one is your GL using?
Some states are coded, others not. Some states do not even have an accepted ritual ( e.g. Tenn), although unofficial books are used.
[ @CompanionJoe, don't bite. I've lived for a time on the other end of I-40
]. In my home state, the Razorbacks have 1 ritual kept in the GL safe.
Get your hands on as many Rituals as you can ( if you choose this topic to chase to ground). You may need to correspond w/ other GL Sec's through your Lodge Sec.
Safeguard them.
I can promise you a rich, rewarding, & very enlightening topic if you choose(one that has endless research potential).
Hope you don't mind my 'nerd comments' on these threads.
Last pitch reminder: R:.W:. Paul Bessel's site is probably the best I've seen ( it's pragmatic, backed up with research, charts, graphs, etc ).