Katy Mears
Erik Sorensen
Chapter 14 Barker: Designing Indexes
Two kinds of index methodology: manual or electronic
Chapter focuses on: what to index, levels of detail, phrasing, and techniques for building and proofreading.
1. Plan Your Indexing Strategy
A manual index requires you to go through the document and write index entries on cards or in a file. An electronic index uses the indexing feature of your software to make the index (437-438).
Manual Indexes: After finishing the document, write index entries down and alphabetize them. To determine index topics, follow these basic steps:
1. Review the user analysis to refresh yourself about the user’s needs.
2. Pick out terms/phrases that should be indexed. Look for: tables, figures, captions, main topics, important concepts, tool buttons, keyboard shortcuts, menu names, main tasks, examples and figures, definitions of terms, and acronyms or abbreviations.
3. Record the locations by page number
4. Alphabetize and edit the entries. Make sure all entries are consistent with formatting.
Electronic Indexes: Word processing software contains functions for indexing, often called “embedded indexing.” By identifying a term on the page and categorizing it, the program generates an index for you, as long as the entire document is in one file or a series of files. There are several advantages—automatic alphabetizing, automatic formatting, and ease of revision (ability to change entries at the last minute). The process is basically the same, with a few minor differences.
1. Review the user analysis to refresh yourself about the user’s needs.
2. Mark the index entries. Use the electronic marking feature of the software to determine the entries. You can do this as you are writing or editing.
3. Build the index. The software should automatically record and index entries and page numbers.
4. Edit the index. Check for inconsistencies such as double entries and missing entries. Edit the marked text not the index itself.
2. Decide What to Index
Many types of information can be indexed. Keep the user analysis in mind and you decide what types of information need to be indexed. The index should “support the activities and actions that the user will undertake in applying the program to workplace needs” (440). Make sure the documentation plan has specifications for indexing, if not, determine what they are and add them.
Index Categories:
Commands and Functions: Terms found on the menus. Format commands so they sound like parts of sentences.
Concepts: Ideas that are related to the subject matter. User must understand these to make the program work.
User Terms and Questions: Connect words the user knows to synonyms used in the program. For example, the software uses “quit” but the user may use “exit.”
Glossary Terms: Include a reference in the index for all the glossary terms.
Proper Names of Products and Companies: If your program writes files in formats usable by other programs or you refer to other companies you do business with, these should be included in the index.
Tasks and Procedures: A special index is sometimes needed for tasks and procedures. Tasks should be highlighted in a way that alerts the user to the guidance and step-by-step instructions.
3. Indentify the Level of Detail
Simple indexes have only one level and only show main headings. They are used for short documents. Two-level indexes organize terms by categories. Three or more levels make a complex index to organize many different types of information. See Table 14.1 for examples of the levels (444).
Light, medium, and heavy indexes show detail in another way. A light index has two to three items per page. A medium index has five to seven items per page. A heavy index has eight to nine items per page.
4. Decide on Phrasing and Format
You should spend some time planning for the phrasing and format of your index entries. There will be some issues such as being consistent in capitalization and bolding certain entries as opposed to others. Make sure to pay attention to special formatting of commands, tasks and functions.
5. Edit and Proofread
Once the index is created you should edit and proofread it for mistakes. Also make sure to pay attention to indents and page references to ensure their accuracy. Editing an index can take up to a 1/3 or the time devoted to creating an index. It’s important when editing to keep in mind the intended user’s characteristics.
Why an Index?
The index will express the overall organization of the document and puts the information in the user’s language. It provides direct access to the desired information. The index may even be put before the table of contents in some documents. The index also introduces the user to the vocabulary of the document.
Online Index vs. Print Index
Print Index – usually at the back of the book and divided by alphabet
Online Index – this type is often seen on websites. Allows scrolling of the index by selecting the letter.
Keyword Searches – Allows user to enter words in manually and then the search will determine the closest related topic. Usually focuses strictly on help topics.
Automatic Indexing Software Programs
There are a number of programs that exist that can create indexes automatically. The programs will do the majority of the examining and then organize information creating links to the topics. The user will still have control over the final product. Often the more exotic the indexing software, the more detailed an index can become.
Indexing with Search Engines
Often times indexing with search engines that examine the whole text provide results that have very little relevance to the desired outcome. To alleviate this problem, many search engines will filter out words that are determined to be useless. Because of the misspellings and other user errors many people have determined search engine indexing to create more work rather than lessen the work load.
Tools for Indexers
The American Society of Indexers (http://www.asindexing.org) lists a number of reference tools for indexers.
Other resources include:
· Dictionaries, thesauri and other language tools
· Encyclopedias, fact books
· Phone directories, geographical maps
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9 comments:
As I read this chapter, I wished I had paid more attention to this chapter before submitting my documentation project. As I read more, I think an index on the process I documented for my work group will not be used by those who will perform the process because the process is not too complicated and I don't think adding an index would improve the document.
However, personally, I find myself using the Mayo internal index more and more to locate the information I need for my job. Thursday, as I searched for a contact or phone number in the Audiology department, I had the opportunity to complete an on-line assessment of Mayo's index page. Since the Audiology department, as well as other medical departments, was not listed in the index, I suggested adding all the medical departments to the index choices. At the end of the assessment, I was informed that those responsible for this page were considering adding just what I thought would be useful!
Each quarter, Mayo provides a progressively larger, paper 'Quarterly' book which lists all departments at Mayo. I've spent too much time trying to locate information in the paper Quarterly. Because I have access to Mayo's internal web pages, I haven't used the paper Quarterly for at least two years. In the electronic age, these online indexes save a significant amount of money for Mayo and save me time finding the resources I use in my job.
I am a huge believer in indexes. They can save you so much time looking for just what you need. Unfortunately, I have found a great disparity between different indexes. I'm sure a big part of that reason is the sheer amount of work and time that goes into something that can be so exhaustive like an index. However, I certainly do appreciate when it's well done and useful. I also love the flexibility and searching tools of an online index.
I agree greatly with Mary. When I am struggling while writing code, a quick look in the index in the back of the book saves time. It's funny that in ENG 475 right now we are in the index section. There is a lot of good information in the Chicago Manual of Style also on different types of indexing. One thing I really appreciate when looking through the index of a book is the cross-referencing. If done well it's amazing, if not it just kind of sends you in circles.
The use of an index can save a user a lot of time, and is a very usefull tool. It was interesting to learn how an index is created and I remember from a class last semester that Prof. Nord had mentioned that a good indexer can make a lot of money. Very few of the documents that we use at the place I work actually contains an index, I am going to pay more attention to this now.
I feel sorry for those folks that used to create indexes manually! It reminds me of the old library system before everything was computerized. I was able to use Word's indexing feature on a document not too long ago and it was fascinating. Truth be told, I find indexing boring and since it is one of the very last things you create in a document, I can see how creating a good index might fall by the wayside. It is boring to me, but it is so important to have when I need a good index. I'm a hypocrite in that I don't like taking the time it takes to create a good one, but I course the author whose book lacks a good index.
Word actually does a good job of creating indexes and if I allowed myself the time to study and understand it more, I'm sure I would find it less boring. But if you read my post on graphics, I'd much rather be working on those than indexes!
I love indexes. I might be interested in making them myself, as I use this tool all the time when I'm using a reference manual. I never really paid attention to the "art" of making an index until I took an Editing class last semester. I think it's one of those parts of the book that we all take for granted, and forget that sometimes separate people altogether write them. Indexes help me better understand the subject I'm trying to learn.
Also, indexes really need to be thoroughly proofread. There is nothing worse than trying to find the information on a page when it's not there!
I have learned a little bit about indexing in FrameMaker, but I have never created an extensive index. I think it is a lot of work, and a good investment. My department doesn't have an indexer, but for now everything is running smoothly without one.
Index is usually my next step if checking the table of contents fail, if I don't skip the table and go straight to the back of the book. I've used automatic index before, but I never really stopped to think about creating a manual index, especially changing one if you ever go to revise the document. I'm willing to bet that the first index was created by someone who was bored while editing the document.
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