Toward an ecology of hypertext annotation

Abstract

Annotation is a key way in which hypertexts grow and increase in value. This paper first characterizes annotation according to a set of dimensions to situate a long-term study of a community of annotators. Then, using the results of the study, the paper explores the implications of annotative practice for hypertext concepts and for the development of an ecology of hypertext annotation, in which consensus creates a reading structure from an authorial structure.