Labelling on the web represents the
chunks of information in information environments, where labelling is perhaps the most obvious way to show a site's
organization schemes across multiple systems and contexts. Labelling systems are one of the major components in
information architecture, and one of the first steps of an information architecture project is to identify, organize and label relevant
chunks of information. When creating labels, the goal is to communicate efficiently, and without taking up too much space. Labels should be written in a language that's familiar to the users, and in a way that they will detect new and recognize similar concepts. In an information environment, labels are either textual or iconic.
Textual labels Contextual links are
hyperlinks to information on other pages or another location on the same page, and need to draw meaning from their surrounding text. Labels are often used as headings to present subsequent information and create a hierarchy within contents. A hierarchical relationship between headings is established visually through consistent use of numbering, font size, color and styles, white spaces, indentation, or a combination of these items. When used in a navigation system there is no standard, but common categories might be: • Main, Main Page, Home • Search, Find, Browse, Search/Browse • Site Map, Contents, Table of contents, Index • Contact, Contact Us • Help, FAQ, • News, News and events, News and announcements, Announcements • About, About us, About, Who we are. Index terms are often referred to as keywords, tags, descriptive metadata, taxonomies, controlled vocabularies, and thesauri. Such labelling systems can describe any type of content such as sites, subsites, pages, or content chunks.
Iconic labels Icons can serve as a substitute for text to represent information. Iconic labels are used as navigation systems, especially in mobile apps, where screen space is constrained. == Labelling in science ==