Indexing a 212 page tech document using WORD '03?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Peggy Lucero reports: <<I am about to tackle my first indexing 
project.>>

Best of luck, and make sure to have someone (not you) carefully edit 
your index. You'd be amazed at what you'll miss the first time 
around--I sure was! If there's nobody around to help, you should 
instead let the index sit a couple days before editing it yourself. 
That much "distance" will help you spot problems you won't see with the 
index still fresh in your mind.

<<I am reading the chapter in the Sun, Read Me First! book.>>

Good resource, but consider looking at a more comprehensive guide such 
as the Chicago Manual of Style or even a book dedicated to indexing 
that can thus provide more detail than any general-purpose style guide 
can provide. Bonura and Mulvaney are two well-respected authors, and 
their books are usually easily available.

<<Basically, if someone has used WORD '03 and built an index for a 
technical document, can you give me any heads up/lessons learned/stuff 
to avoid?>>

Haven't used 2003, but as of Word 97, the software didn't provide a 
pick list of terms you had already used and doesn't spellcheck the 
terms as you enter them. This means that it's easy to introduce 
inconsistencies and outright errors over the course of a long indexing 
project. There are two solutions, both of which greatly improve 
consistency and comprensiveness:

First, enter all new words alphabetically in a file named "index terms 
already used" or something similar. Enter each new index word in that 
document, check the spelling (select the Word, then Command-Option-L on 
the Mac--thus presumably Control-Alt-L on the PC), then make any 
necessary corrections. If appropriate, add a note to the right of the 
term that says "always add the following synonyms or _see [also]_ 
cross-references when you use this term" and make the same note for 
each of the synonyms and cross-references. You can now copy correctly 
spelled existing index terms into the index dialog for the document 
being indexed. Control/Command-F6 switches between open windows, so you 
can easily bop back and forth between the document and your list of 
keywords, adding new ones not already in the list and copying proven, 
consistent solutions.

Second, generate the index after your first pass through the document 
and scan through it for lookalike words that appear close together in 
the list (e.g., selecting and selection). Decide which of the two is 
correct, then do a global search for the other form and replace it with 
the correct form. (Don't do a global replace; that can introduce 
unintended consequences.) This makes it easier to delete redundant 
terms.

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Geoff Hart   ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca
(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)
www.geoff-hart.com
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