WEBGRAPHY: FEATURES, HOW TO MAKE ONE, EXAMPLES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

A webgraphy is a list of websites or web pages where information related to a certain topic can be found. In other words, it is a specific directory of web resources. These resources are named by their electronic address (link, link or URL) which is the location on the Internet where the resource is hosted.

Now, etymologically speaking, the term URL is an acronym, the result of the combination of the English words Uniform Resource Locator (uniform resource locator). It is defined as a combination of sequential characters that are written in the search engine to access, within the Internet, the requested resource.

Webgraphy example

A URL is made up of three parts. The first one is the security protocol (https) under which the search is carried out. Next is the domain that is the server where the requested information is. Finally, there is the path that is the series of files that must be traversed within the server to reach the required information.

On the other hand, the word webgraphy comes from the combination of the English term web (Internet server network) and the Latin suffix spelling (writing). The term is analogous to bibliography, but has characteristics that differentiate them.

For example, a bibliography only references printed resources such as books, magazines, and similar publications.

characteristics

The main characteristic of a webgraphy is its novelty as a reference resource. Because of that, it is difficult to fix a body of normalized traits for her as she is constantly evolving

However, the best way to characterize it is through the analogy with its counterpart, the bibliography. Under this premise the following group of characteristics can be highlighted.

Purpose and availability

The purpose of a bibliography is to register in an organized way all the physical reference material for a given work. Meanwhile, webgraphy has the same purpose but with the difference that the records are exclusively for online resources. Today, the variety of these resources is much more extensive than that of physical resources.

Among these, videos, interactive chats and a wide variety of cybernetic resources can be highlighted - apart from the texts on web pages. Thanks to this great diversity, the purpose is enriched by the interactive possibilities of the registered content.

On the other hand, the webgraphy resources are available immediately. Those of the bibliography, on the contrary, need a time of location prior to the consultation.

Presentation

As explained at the beginning of this section, the webgraphy is of recent creation. Consequently, there is no standard form for its presentation. The opposite happens with the bibliography. This has more than one standardized and universally accepted presentation.

However, there are several forms of presentation that are repeated in the works uploaded on the Internet and that could be considered as evidence of an incipient standardization.

Among them, stands out the custom of placing them at the end of the work (end of the page), numbered and with only the writing of the corresponding URL.

Building

Due to its novelty, the way of structuring webgraphies is not regulated either. However, several structures are observed on the Internet that have already become common in the elaboration of this type of list:

1. Simple construction: in this type of basic structure, the beginning of the record is formed by a brief description of the topic followed by the link (link or URL) of the site where it is located. One or more links can be cited per topic.
2. General Construction: In this webgraphy class, the short description is replaced by a short summary. This can go in one or more paragraphs. There the most important characteristics of the subject or the details of the cited links are described. The quote closes, as in the simple construction, with the link where the reference material is located.
3. Academic construction: this last type of construction of webgraphy is customary in professional and academic fields. It is supported by more formal presentation standards such as those of MLA (Modern Language and Arts), those of the APA (American Psychology Association), or those of Harvard University.

How to make a webgraphy?

Simple construction

In the cases of webgraphs with a simple construction, there are two cases. A first case occurs when the citation is of a single link per subject.

For example: ISO standards. https://www.isotools.org/normas/. As can be seen, the construction is the title of the topic followed by the link from which the information is extracted.

On the other hand, it can also be more than one link per subject. In that case, all that apply are listed, for example: Greenpeace. https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/.

General construction

In this case, it may be accompanied by a text: “… Pope John Paul II was the protagonist of history in 1978 when he was designated the first non-Italian pope in more than 400 years…” https://www.biography.com/ people / john-paul-ii-9355652. As mentioned, the length of the comment depends on the subject and the style of the writer.

Of academic construction

There are several recognized formats for academic construction web citations. All of them represent the attempt to normalize the use of the resource and different formats are handled depending on the resource and the sponsoring institute of the format.

Thus, APA, for example, requires the following format in cases of periodical publications: Author of the article. Publication date. Article title. Name of the online newspaper. Volume (if available). Retrieved from (URL where retrieval was made)

Example: Díaz Carabalí, D. (2018, October 25). Travel Chronicles-Los pastelitos de Belem. Huila newspaper. Taken from

In the cases in which the consulted resource are books, the webgraphy has the following format: Author of the book. (publication date). Title of the book. Retrieved from (URL where retrieval was made).

Example: Lispector, C. (1996, November 17). Selected Chronicles. Retrieved from

Similarly, there are other specific APA formats depending on the type of resource used. Formats for theses, dissertations and documents published on the web can be mentioned. Likewise, blogs, videos and audiovisual documents can be highlighted among a wide variety of online resources.

Difference with bibliography

The most notable difference between webgraphy and bibliography is the type of resources they cite. For the first case, they are all those available on the net.

These are very varied, from publications on the Internet to audiovisual documents, while a bibliography deals only with books and physical (printed) publications.

Another difference is the availability of the resource. In the bibliography you must go to specific sites such as bookstores or libraries to have access. In any case, in terms of time, access is not immediate. On the other hand, in webgraphy, access is achieved immediately

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the bibliography, generally, is based on a structure already defined and that it is universal, formal and standardized. On the other hand, webgraphy is still a novelty to which the community is still getting used to.

More examples

1. Academic construction taken from journalistic sources: Elmendorf, E. (2010). World health. before and now. UN Chronicle. Vol. XLVII No. 2. Retrieved from https://unchronicle.un.org/es/article/la-salud-mundial- before-y-ahora.
2. Academic construction taken from books: Márquez, M. (2002). The cooperation of the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization in Cuba 1989-1996: testimony. Retrieved from
3. Simple Single Link Building: Some Tips on How to Get a Job in Radio Drama.
4. General construction: “… Today there are worldwide movements campaigning for internationally recognized human rights for all…” www.amnesty.org.

References

1. Definitions. (s / f). Definitions for webography. Taken from definitions.net.
2. University of Antioquia. (s / f). What is the URL of a web page? Taken from aprendeenlinea.udea.edu.co.
3. Search networking (s / f). URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Taken from searchnetworking.techtarget.com.
4. Hope Davis, S. (s / f). How to Cite a Webliography. Taken from penandthepad.com.
5. APA format. (s / f). APA Rules and Norms. Taken from formatapa.com.
6. Penn Engineering. (s / f). What is a URL? Taken from cis.upenn.edu.