When a reader peruses your essay, he will see underlined phrases or words. Hovering a mouse over these underlined words changes the arrow to a pointer, signifying a clickable link. Embedded in the document, but not visible to the reader, is a string of HTML code that opens the desired page on the Internet when the reader clicks the hyperlink. For example, clicking on the underlined phrase "contact the author" might open a website containing the author's name, address, email and phone number. A hyperlink can also take the reader to another location in the document -- such as to the beginning or end of the essay -- or to a file attached to the essay, such as a Word document or a PowerPoint presentation.
Adding hyperlinks to your essay gives the reader control over whether she wants to continue reading your work or click the links to expand her knowledge of what you're discussing. Rather than adding explanations, details and definitions that not every reader needs, place a hyperlink in your essay. If a reader does not know what a term means, she can click the link to open a website containing a definition. If you mention a geographical location, for example, you might include a hyperlink to an Internet site that shows a map of that region.
The standard format for a hyperlink is to create the link in an underlined, bright blue font that is the same style as the surrounding text. The hyperlink should flow seamlessly in your sentence and avoid abruptly drawing the reader's attention to the link. For example, to embed a hyperlink to a page containing a picture of an African elephant, you can write, "The exhibit containing the African elephant is open on Tuesdays only." The words "African elephant" will contain the hyperlink.
If you are creating the hyperlink using HTML code, insert <a href="url">Link text</a>, replacing "url" with the full Web address of the site to which you're linking (including the "http://www" portion) and replacing "Link text" with the words you want to show up as the clickable link phrase. To insert a hyperlink in a Word document, type the word or phrase you wish to attach to the hyperlink, highlight the words by clicking and dragging your mouse across them, then click "Hyperlink" on the "Insert" tab at the top of the Word document window. Type the entire url in the "Address" box and click "OK." The process is similar for most word-processing programs.