1. A computer-implemented method for providing reference information for an object, comprising: receiving a request from an author to insert a reference to a fragment object into a shell document; generating, based on the request, response data including a reference to the fragment object and a first property reflecting contextual information associated with the fragment object; modifying the shell document by inserting the response data into the shell document; and rendering the modified shell document including the response data such that the response data conveys a user-ascertainable characteristic of the fragment object based on the first property.