Final answer:
URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator, which is an address to a resource on the internet. DOI, meaning Digital Object Identifier, is a unique identifier for a digital object that remains constant even if the URL changes, and should be used for citations if available.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. It is a reference or address to a resource on the internet, providing the means to retrieve it. Think of it like an address to a house, but instead, it's an address to a webpage or a file online. A URL consists of several parts, including the protocol (like HTTP or HTTPS), the domain name, and sometimes, a path to a specific page or file.
Another term you might come across when dealing with online sources is a DOI, which stands for Digital Object Identifier. This is a unique alphanumeric string used to identify a digital object, such as a journal article, and provide a permanent link to it. It's particularly useful because, unlike URLs that may change, a DOI remains the same, ensuring that a source can always be found even if its online location changes. If available, you should use the DOI instead of a URL when citing sources in your work.