Indexing

Draft

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Definition

“According to the British indexing standard (BS3700:1988), an index is a systematic arrangement of entries designed to enable users to locate information in a document. The process of creating an index is called indexing, and a person who does it is called an indexer. There are many types of indexes, from cumulative indexes for journals to computer database indexes. (American Society for Indexing, retrieved 10:25, 15 October 2008 (UTC))”

See also: Citation index and Tagging. Both are kinds of indexing. Related conceptual issues are ontology and metadata

Overview

Indexing is an issue that concerns various information and media types. E.g.

• Indexing web sites
• Indexing books
• Indexing on-line documents, such as help files and manuals
• Indexing file contents of your computer.

Software

For indexing books

Good indexes are always made by humans, but software can help.

Commercial

• Macrex Indexing Program (Win). Price unknown.
• Cindex / Indexing Research (Win/Mac). Several versions:- $80 - $725 on oct 2008.
• SKY Software. Student version = $80 - Professional = $535 (oct 2008).

Free

• ???

For your files

• Google Desktop Search

Links

General

• Index term (Wikipedia)
• Controlled Vocabulary (Wikipedia)
• Metadata (Wikipedia).
• Technical Writing (Wikipedia)

Journals

• The International Journal of Indexing

Indexing books

• Society of Indexers. “The Society exists to promote indexing, the quality of indexes and the profession of indexing. Explore this site to find out why indexes are important, what makes a good index and what it takes to become an indexer through the Society's distance learning programme. - retrieved 10:25, 15 October 2008 (UTC)”
  • FAQs about indexes and indexing

• American Society for Indexing
  • Frequently Asked Questions About Indexing

• Index (publishing) (Wikipedia).

Tutorials

• Creating Online Help (Part 2): Strategies and Implementation, Adobe Developer Connection, RoboHelp Article, retrieved 10:25, 15 October 2008 (UTC).

Bibliography

General

• Lancaster, F.W. (2003): "Indexing and abstracting in theory and practise". Third edition. London, facet ISBN 1-85604-482-3. page 6
• Voss, Jakob (2007). "Tagging, Folksonomy & Co - Renaissance of Manual Indexing?". Proceedings of the International Symposium of Information Science: 234–254. [PDF

Indexing books

(copied from wikipedia

• Booth, Pat 2001, Indexing: the manual of good practice (K.G. Saur), ISBN 3-598-11536-9
• Browne, Glenda and Jon Jermey 2007, The Indexing Companion (Cambridge University Press), ISBN 978-0-52168-988-5
• Mulvany, Nancy 2005, Indexing Books, Second Edition (University of Chicago Press) ISBN 0-226-55276-4
• Smith, Sherry and Kari Kells 2005, "Inside Indexing: the Decision-Making Process" (Northwest Indexing Press), ISBN 0-9771035-01
• Stauber, Do Mi 2004, "Facing the Text: Content and Structure in Book Indexing" (Cedar Row Press) ISBN 0-9748345-0-5
• Wellisch, Hans 1995, "Indexing from A to Z", Second Edition (HW Wilson) ISBN 0-8242-0807-2