Hyperlinks and Hypertext

One of the primary reasons for the Internet was to be able to easily reference research when citing others, with an ability to directly “link” to their work.

Hyperlink

In computing, a hyperlink, or simply a link, is a reference to data that the reader can directly follow either by clicking, tapping, or hovering. A hyperlink points to a whole document or to a specific element within a document.

Hypertext

Hypertext is text with hyperlinks. The text that is linked is called anchor text. A software system that is used for viewing and creating hypertext is a hypertext system, and to create a hyperlink is to hyperlink (or simply to link). A user following hyperlinks is said to navigate or browse the hypertext. ^[1]

Note Link text should be specific about where the user will be going if they click a link. This means that links should not be simple text such as “Click Me!” Instead, good style would dictate that the link text be a description of the site, name, or information that informs the user.

• “Want to learn more? Click here!”
• “See this page about hyperlinks to learn more.”