CHAPTER FOUR

Indexing fundamentals, identification

purposes, layout in index
 Outline discussion
 Indexing fundamentals;
 Identification purposes,

 Layout in indexing
 Indexing Fundamentals
 Indexing is an art, where the indexer has been trained to reflect
his competence in a textbook by:
 reading the page proofs of the book,
 making a list of headings and subheadings (i.e, terms to
appear in the index) and
 the location of each pertinent reference derived.
 Cont..
 After completing the rough index the indexer:
 edits its structure,
 clarity and consistency,
 formats it to specifications,
 Proof reads it, and
 submits it to the client in hard-copy form, on disk, by
modem, or by email.
 Since the indexer is very late in the production process, there can
be unreasonable time pressure.
 Guideline of indexing fundamentals
Entry headings should be a noun (qualified or not) rather than an

adjective or verb.

Use concrete, specific term in preference to a vague, general one.

How specific an entry should be depends on the subject of the

book:

For example, in a book on library and information services, an entry

‘services’ or ‘library and information services’ would be too long

and broad, there should instead be entries for specific services.

 Cont..
Where there are two or more possible synonyms, use the one the reader

is most likely to look up, and put all the relevant page numbers in that

entry;

Do not put half of them under one synonym and half under another.

If the two words are closely related but not synonyms, put the relevant

references under each, with a cross-reference to the other.

When a word has more than one meaning, there should be a separate

entry for each meaning, with an explanatory phrase to show which

meaning is intended.
 Cont..
 Proper names should be separate entries rather than sub-
entries:

Addis Ababa, 84-9, 97

Addis Ababa, Federal Capital, 164
Addis Ababa, School of Economics and Business Studies,86
not
Addis Ababa, 84-9, 97
Federal capital, 164
School of Economics and Business Studies, 86
 Cont…
• Saints, kings and popes are indexed under their
forename, but places, institutions, acts of
Parliament, book titles, etc., are placed under the
first word after the article:

William IV, king of England but King William Street

Therese of Lisieux, St but St Louis, Missouri

Lewis, John but John Lewis Partnership Ltd
 Cont…
• Physical features are indexed under the
second part of the name:
Victoria, Lake not Lake Victoria
• Entries should not start with an article ‘a’ or
‘the’ except in an index of first lines.
Exception to this rules are names in another
language, which are indexed under the first
word.
• Compound personal names, whether
hyphenated or not, should be indexed under
the first element of the surname:
Vaughan Williams, Raph but Maugham,
W. Somerset
 Cont..
 Entry should not start with a capital letter unless it is a proper
name or a term capitalized in the text.
 Keep the wording and punctuation to a minimum, provided the
meaning is clear.
 General page references should be grouped together
immediately after the entry heading.
Use 142-6 not 142ff or 142-66,
 Cont.…
• There should be no punctuation at the end of an entry.

• Sub-entries may be arranged in alphabetical or chronological

order, whichever is more suitable for the subject matter.
• The alphabetical order may disregard such words as ‘and’,
‘at’, ‘in’, ‘of’, so that the sub-entry need not be inverted in
order to alphabetize the significant word.
 Cont…
• If an entry is purely a cross-reference, it is usually in
the form:

Britain, see United Kingdom

• The words should be in the same order as in the

entry to which it refers:

Bell, Currer, see Bronte, Charlotte

Not

Bell, Currer, see Charlotte Bronte

 Identification purposes
 Indexing is the process of allocating index terms or keywords to a
record or document.”
 These index terms or keywords function as follows:
 Assist in the retrieval of document or record when the database
is searched by the user.
 The assignment of indexing terms is an intellectual activity
although it may be computer-assisted.
 The assigned index terms or keywords can be drawn from a
standard list of subject headings or computer-based thesaurus.
 The indexer selects and assigns keywords on the basis of his or
her subjective assessment of the contents of the document.
 The keywords may be drawn from a controlled list (thesaurus)
or from the document being indexed (uncontrolled).
 Cont..

 Many systems incorporate elements of both controlled and

uncontrolled indexing languages.
 The computer acts as a reliable workhorse for arranging index
entries in a alphabetical order for display on the screen or for the
printing of an index.
 The representation may identify the originators of the document:
 its publisher,
 its physical properties,
its subjects etc.
 Cont..

 Often identify the distinction between descriptive and subject

indexing.
 "Descriptive" indexing emphasis physical properties,
originator, publisher, time and place of publication etc.,
 subject indexing emphasizes the identification of the "subject"
of the document.
 Layout index
• Typing the index

• The typing should be Double-spaced and single-column, with

a margin of 11/2 inches (40mm) at the left, and of 1 inch
(25mm) at the top, the right and the foot.
• If sub-entries are to occupy separate lines they should be
indented two or three spaces from the entry heading, and all
continuation lines (whether of entry or sub-entry) should be
indented a further two or three.
 Cont…
• If sub-entries run straight on from the entry, all
continuation lines should be indented two or
three spaces.
• It is helpful to the typesetter if you can leave
extra space before the start of entries for a new
letter.
• Check spellings, accents, page numbers and
alphabetical order before you send the
typescript to your publisher.
THE END
10Q!!