Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

1. The URL Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

Let’s take a look at the URL, or web address, from the webpage we just looked at: Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

Let’s take a look at the URL, or web address, from the webpage we just looked at: All Web pages use something called HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Thus, most URL’s begin with “ You can get to some websites while skipping this part, but not always. Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

Let’s take a look at the URL, or web address, from the webpage we just looked at: “The server name identifies the computer on which the resource is found. (Computers that store and "serve up" Web pages are called remote servers.) This part of the URL commonly identifies which company, agency or organization may be either directly responsible for the information, or is simply providing the computer space where the information is stored. Web server names often begin with the letters www, but not always.” "Understanding a URL." Understanding a URL. College of San Mateo Library, n.d. Web. 23 July Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

Let’s take a look at the URL, or web address, from the webpage we just looked at: “The most common domain names are: *.com which identifies company or commercial sites *.org for non-profit organization sites *.edu for educational sites (most commonly four-year universities) *.gov for government sites *.net for Internet service providers or other types of networks” " Understanding a URL." Understanding a URL. College of San Mateo Library, n.d. Web. 23 July Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

Let’s take a look at the URL, or web address, from the webpage we just looked at: The resource ID is the name of a resource or page that is a part of the larger website. If you want to get back to the main website, you can often eliminate this part of the URL. Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

2. The Banner Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

The banner usually identifies the website, often with a logo, and is regularly found atop each page of a website. The BCPS website has a feature within the banner that is common on many website banners: a search box. Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

3. Menu Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

A menu is an organized area with links or buttons that lead you parts of a website. Sometimes these links will lead to pull-down menus with further options. The design, layout and location of these menus will vary by website. On our BCPS website, there are menus at the top, side, and bottom of page. Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

4. Content Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

The main part of a webpage will feature content, which may include text, photos, video or audio clips. Our example webpage has all of the first three. If there is a listed author for the content, look for the author’s name, or byline, near the beginning or end of the text. Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

5. Footer Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

A footer is often found at the bottom of a webpage. It usually contains copyright information, and often contains additional information in evaluating a source. Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

6. Author/publisher information Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014

Author/Publisher information may be found under a menu item called “Contact Us,” “About Us,” or near the bottom of the page. This information can be helpful as you’re assembling a bibliography, or when you’re searching for contacts for more information as you research. This information can also be useful as you’re determining the reliability or accuracy of your information. Baltimore County Public Schools ©2014