Re: Indexing advice

Subject: Re: Indexing advice
From: Joan Stout <sasjcs -at- UNX -dot- SAS -dot- COM>
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1993 15:07:33 -0500


> Hey folks.

> Yup, it's the clueless one asking for advice from the net.

> I'm looking for good references and advice on writing indexes
> (indexi?). I've never done one, never thought about doing one, and am
> about to start one. I'm using Word for Windows v.2.0c.

Hi, Paula. I'm a technical writer by day and a professional indexer by
night and weekends. 8-) Sometimes the two overlap.

_Indices_ is the traditional Latin form of the plural, but _indexes_
is acceptable and usually preferred.

> I guess a specific question I have is what is the logic behind
> indexing?

The logic - put *very* simply - is that every concept/idea/fact that is
discussed in the book should be accessible to the reader via the index.
I like these ideas from _Introduction to Indexing and Abstracting_:

"A good book index sorts and classifies the contents
of the book into a form that allows immediate access to
specific items a user needs."

"An index to a book is a self-contained information
retrieval system. The information database is between
the covers of the book, and the purpose of the index
is to recall the information with an acceptable level
of precision."

> I mean, if the WinWord manual is to be believed, I should decide
> how many levels I'll have, and then go through the chapters and pick
> out what seems relevant. Somehow, I think this is a tad simplistic,
> but as I said earlier, I'm pretty much clueless.

Your instincts are correct! And you probably shouldn't decide on how
many levels of headings you want until you start deciding what the
headings *are*. For many books, two is enough. I don't decide to use
more levels until I come to a heading that can't be reasonably
presented with two levels.

If you want to discuss the finer points of indexing technique by email,
I'd be happy to do that. I suggest doing some reading and research
before you start indexing your manual (suggestions follow). Also, try
indexing a chapter of a book that you're familiar with. When you're
finished, look at it from the user's perspective and think about what
you'd do differently.

Also, there are problems when writers index their own work (you didn't
say if this is the case). You have to be careful to have the user's
perspective in mind when you index. Writers tend to over-index,
including every tiny bit of information, or to under-index, not taking
into account the various ways that people look for information.

Another problem can be your indexing software. I'm not familiar with
Word for Windows, so I can't really help you with that. But some
software doesn't provide the indexing features you might need. For
instance, some won't allow subheadings, and some won't allow more than
one level of subheadings. After you learn more about indexing, you'll
be able to better evaluate the software for the job you have to do.

I put together the following list for a response to the misc.writing
newsgroup:

The traditional indexer's "bible" is _A Manual of Style_, commonly
known as the Chicago Style Manual or just "Chicago." It has a lot of
helpful information on indexing. However, it is incomplete and some of
it is outdated. They are currently working on a revised edition.

Another reference book with a section on indexing is _Webster's
Standard American Style Manual_. It complements "Chicago."

ANSI also has an indexing standard, and it is also being revised. Most
book indexers don't consider the current edition very helpful. As I
recall, it applies mostly to database indexing and thesauri.

_Indexing and Abstracting in Theory and Practice_ by F. W. Lancaster
(ISBN 0-87845-083-1) is a textbook. It won the 1992 award for best
information science book from the American Society for Information
Science. It's strong on theory, not as strong on practical information.

_Introduction to Indexing and Abstracting_ by Donald and Ana Cleveland
(ISBN 0-87287-677-2) has a lot of good information, including practical
material.

_Indexing from A to Z_ by Hans Wellisch (ISBN 0-8242-0807-2) is my
current favorite. The blurb I have here says it's "an encyclopedic work
covering basic indexing techniques, author-publisher-indexer relations,
business considerations, editing and proofreading, computer-assisted
indexing, and many other topics..." This book has lots of practical,
how-to information, and it's the one I refer to the most. However, like
almost all books on indexing, it's short on information about indexing
technical material.

Information specific to technical material, such as software user guides,
is more difficult to find. I've seen articles in _The Editorial Eye_ and
in the newsletter of the Society for Technical Communication (STC).
Also, check the proceedings of the annual STC conference. They usually
have at least one paper or workshop on indexing.

Consider joining the American Society of Indexers (ASI). They have many
resources for indexers, including a newsletter and a journal. They also
have many local chapters, and the chapters frequently hold workshops
and seminars. For information: ASI Office, Kathy Caldwell, P.O. Box
386, Port Aransas, TX 78373, (512) 749-4052, FAX (512) 749-6334.

To get information on ASI publications, contact the ASI Publications
Sales Office at the same address. Publications include _Freelancers on
Starting and Maintaining an Indexing Business_, _Generic Markup of
Electronic Index Manuscripts_, _A Guide to Indexing Software_,
_Indexing: A Basic Reading List_, Indexing Biographies and Other
Stories of Human Lives_, and _Indexing from A to Z_.

I don't know of any exercise books, except for one that's included with
a correspondence course. The course is Basic Indexing, offered by the
Graduate School of the USDA. The workbook is very good, and I've used
it many times to train indexers. The address is
Graduate School, USDA
Correspondence Programs
South Agriculture Building, Room 1114
14th St. and Independence Ave., S. W.
Washington, D. C. 20250
(202) 447-7123

To subscribe to the listserve indexing group, send a message to
LISTSERV -at- BINGVMB -dot- The body of your message should say
subscribe INDEX-L your name

----------------------------------------------------------------
Since I put this list together, the American Society of Indexers began
offering a book about indexing technical material. My copy hasn't
arrived yet, so I can't comment on it. I don't remember the title, and
my ASI newsletter is at home. If you want more information on this
book, send email.

Good luck with indexing.

> Thanks for the advice, and enjoy the holiday weekend.

> Paula Reynolds
> Technical Writer
> Hi-Speed Checkweigher Co., Inc.
> 5 Barr Road
> Ithaca, NY 14850

Joan

<------------------------------------------------------------------->
| Joan Stout | "I worked as a technical writer...editing |
| Freelance Indexer | manuals...on how to dispose of sewage in |
| Technical Writer | permafrost; we all had to wear white shirts |
| sasjcs -at- unx -dot- sas -dot- com | - that was mandatory - and I was fired at |
| SAS Institute, Inc. | the end of two weeks for spending too much |
| Cary, NC | time staring out the window." (Edward Abbey)|
<------------------------------------------------------------------->


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