Links, citations, and other references: policy needed?

We have some inconsistencies with the ways that we refer to external resources in this curriculum, and I would like to consider a more systematic approach. We currently have an issue requesting an annotated bibliography (#1137) as well as issues suggesting links or resources (#1222 , #556). This is a broader issue to address a comprehensive strategy for referencing.

In reviewing the curriculum for update, I have noted that certain areas are densely populated with external links, while these are relatively sparse elsewhere. We also have a (little used) [Reference](https://carpentries.github.io/instructor-training/reference.html) page. The books and papers cited there are not directly linked to or from relevant points in our curriculum. Each entry also includes a hyperlink either to a WorldCat entry, a pdf stored in our repository, or a doi or journal site.

Hyperlinks to external websites create a unique maintenance challenge in that we do not have control over content that may change. The status quo, in which web links proceed directly from our lesson text while other reference types do not, prioritizes attention to web content over the arguably more robust/peer reviewed material in References.

My inclination is to reduce the total number of direct hyperlinks from our text. We (maintainers) have briefly discussed potentially directing all links *first* to a bibliography/references page in the future, where those seeking more context can find everything (websites as well as books and papers) in one place. This endnote-style approach may be irritating, however, and presents its own maintenance challenges.

I have a sense that there are a few folks in our community (hello, librarians!) who have far more experience thinking about these things. And anyone may have an opinion on the number of in-text links and whether they continue to lead directly to external sources (or anything else for that matter!). Please comment if you have relevant thoughts to share!

Start by reviewing the curriculum, the existing Reference page, and related issues #1137, #1222, and #556. Read the discussion for perspectives on direct links, bibliographies, and maintenance. Done means the community has agreed on a systematic referencing policy and identified the documentation changes needed to apply it.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.