Indexing terms with acronyms[2]

[Paul Sholar <pks -at- GENSYM -dot- COM>]

Paul MacGyver Carman (Paul -dot- Carman -at- harris -dot- com) wrote:

    For example:

        Simple Network Management Protocol (see SNMP)

        SNMP
          xxxxx
          yyyyy
          zzzzz

                _and_

        View Builder
          xxxxx
          yyyyy
          zzzzz

        VB (see View Builder)

    With our customers, the acronym "SNMP" is used more than the terms
    for which it stands. The term "View Builder," however, is used more
    often than its acronym.



My preferred practice is this:

[...]
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
   xxx
   yyy
   zzz
[...]
SNMP
   See Simple Network Management Protocol
[...]

If an indexed term is truly an acronym, I feel that it is inherently
subordinate (for indexing purposes) to the term that the acronym stands for.

If an indexed term looks like an acronym but isn't, then that term should be
indexed according to your document's conventions, with no need for a separate
"See ..." subentry.


Communicate well and prosper,

   Paul Sholar    ( pks -at- gensym -dot- com )
   Sr. Technical Writer
   Gensym Corporation
   Cambridge, Massachusetts

DISCLAIMER:  Not speaking for Gensym Corporation