Coherence in text and hypertext

The concept of text coherence was developed for linear text, i.e. text of sequentially organized content. The present article addresses to what extent this concept can be applied to hypertext. Following the introduction (section 1), I will define different aspects of text coherence (section 2). I will then explain the importance of the sequential order of text constituents for coherence-building, as explored by empirical studies on text comprehension (section 3). Section 4 discusses how hypertext-specific forms of reading affect the processes of coherence-building and coherence-design. Section 5 explores how the new challenges of hypertext comprehension may be met by hypertext-specific coherence cues. A summary and outlook is included (section 6).