Posts Tagged ‘book indexing’

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Ethical Indexing Scenario

Wednesday, May 1st, 2019

This series of blog postings focuses on ethics in indexing.  On March 25, 2015, Heather Ebbs presented an American Society for Indexing webinar on “Ethics in Indexing.”  She discussed a number of scenarios highlighting ethical issues that indexers might face.

Censorship

An editor sends you the pages of an educational text that includes information on the creation myths of different cultures, including various aboriginal peoples, Christians, Muslims, and many others.  The editor asks you to be sure to index every single mention of each Australian aboriginal group, no matter how trivial the reference.  However, he instructs you just to touch broadly on aboriginal people from other countries.  He tells you not to include any references to evolution, even though the author does describe it in relation to different world views in a few places in the book.

Ms. Ebbs said that it is best to base the index on the text and use cross-references.  The language used in the text might be offensive, and indexers may have to weigh political correctness.  The index should be an accurate representation of what’s in the text.    Despite this, she said that indexers are ethically obliged to work to the client’s specifications.

  • Censorship in indexing ranges from selection or deliberate exclusion of entries in the index to having no index at all.
  • Some of the reasons for censoring an index include economic grounds, marketing strategy, cultural beliefs, and author requests and errors.

In future blog postings, I will discuss other ethical indexing scenarios.  For more information about the services provided by the author of this blog, see the Stellar Searches LLC website, http://www.stellarsearches.com

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Best Professional Practices

Saturday, April 6th, 2019

This blog posting focuses on the Best Professional Practices for Indexers, which is published on the American Society for Indexing website at https://www.asindexing.org/best-professional-practices/

Information Access
As Indexers, we promote access to information in all of its forms.  We dedicate ourselves to conciseness, clarity, coherence, and creativity, striving to meet the needs of all clients who may require the services of indexers.

Quality
We strive to produce the best indexes possible within time and budget constraints. We negotiate realistic agreements on schedules, price, and delivery format, and we fulfill contractual obligations in a timely, responsible manner.

Confidentiality
We respect the confidentiality of clients and employers, disclosing business-sensitive information only with their consent or when legally required to do so.

Fairness
We avoid conflicts of interest and disclose any potential conflicts to clients and employers before proceeding with negotiations or projects.

Professionalism
We are devoted to education about indexing.  We seek to advance the profession of indexing through our own integrity and excellence. We assist others in our profession through mentoring, networking, and instruction.

In future blog postings, I will discuss different ethical indexing scenarios.  For more information about the services provided by the author of this blog, see the Stellar Searches LLC website, http://www.stellarsearches.com

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Ethics in Indexing

Saturday, March 23rd, 2019

Ethical issues occur in any workplace.  Ethical issues are principles that force professionals to “do the right thing.”  Ethics enable us to choose the right action under the circumstances.  Indexers and indexing are not exempt.  An indexer has to make decisions that involve ethical standards and that demonstrate professionalism.

A Code of Ethics is a systematic way of documenting the principles of action based on our core values.  An indexer has an ethical responsibility to his/her professional circle (colleagues), clients (including quality, business ethics), readers, and self.

Heather Ebbs discusses different scenarios presenting an ethical dilemma in her American Society for Indexing (ASI) webinar, “Ethics in Indexing,” which originally aired on March 25, 2015.  Janet Perlman includes a section, “Ethics and Professionalism,” in her book, Indexing Tactics & Tidbits: An A-Z Guide, Information Today, Inc., Medford, NJ, 2016, pp. 41-44.

I will discuss ASI’s Best Professional Practices in the next blog posting.

For more information about the services provided by the author of this blog, see the Stellar Searches LLC website, http://www.stellarsearches.com

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More on Cross-References in an Index

Wednesday, August 1st, 2018

This is a reprint of a blog posting that was originally published on May 15, 2011.

Continuing our discussion of cross-references, this post explores additional references in the form of see under and see also under.  When a cross-reference directs readers to a subentry another a main heading, see under may be used.  The use of “under” indicates that the term will be found explicitly as a subheading below the main heading indicated.

  • silver coins. See under currency
  • Pride and Prejudice. See under Austen, Jane

If the cross-reference is to a subentry under another main heading, the words see also under may be used.  This cross-reference guides the reader to related and additional information that appears verbatim.

  • Maya: art of, 236-43; cities of, 178;  present day, 267. See also under Yucatan

For more information about the formatting of cross-references, refer to The Chicago Manual of Style.  For more information about the services provided by the author of this blog, see the Stellar Searches LLC website, http://www.stellarsearches.com

 

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Cross-References in an Index

Saturday, July 7th, 2018

This is a reprint of a blog posting that was originally published on April 24, 2011.

Cross-reference refers to internal index navigation guides. These guides generally take the form of See or See also. The See cross-reference performs a vocabulary control function. It directs readers from a term not used in the index to a term that is used:

cars. See autos

See references direct a reader from, for example, an informal term to a technical one, a pseudonym to a real name, an inverted term to a noninverted one, or vice versa.  They are also used for variant spellings, synonyms, aliases, abbreviations, and so on.  The choice of the term under which the full entry appears depends largely on where readers are most likely to look.   The Chicago Manual of Style recommends that See references should therefore be given only where the indexer believes many readers might otherwise miss the full entry.

The See also cross-reference directs readers to closely related index entries:

digital photography, 2, 10. See also image-processing software

The primary function of a See also cross-reference is to guide users to related and additional information at another heading.  See also cross-references may be “two-way” as shown below:

  • drug trafficking. See also narcotics
  • narcotics. See also drug trafficking

I will explore cross-references further in the next post.  For more information about the services provided by the author of this blog, see the Stellar Searches LLC website, http://www.stellarsearches.com

 

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Double Posting of Index Entries

Tuesday, June 5th, 2018

This is the reprint of a blog posting that was originally published on January 15, 2011.

In an index, the indexer may choose to provide multiple access points for the same information.  Given the importance of the main heading, it may be reasonable to assume that readers may look up a topic in more than one way.  One reader may look up automobiles, while another reader may be just as likely to look up cars.  The indexer may decide to double-post the information using both terms, that is list it in two places:

  • automobiles, 35-40
  • cars, 35-40

Double-posting of index entries may take the form of direct inversions:

  • book contracts
  •      of trade publishers, 54-59
  • trade publishers
  •      book contracts of, 54-59

The advantage of double-posting information is that it gives readers multiple access points for information.  Disadvantages are that it may take up too much space in an index.  Also, when an entire entry is double-posted, both entries must contain the same information; the reference locators and subheadings must be the same.  While it may be easy to maintain this consistency when double-posted terms appear only once, it can be difficult for the indexer to remember to double-post all the cited information scattered throughout the text.

During the editing stage, the indexer must be sure that all double-posted entries are mirror images of each other.

For more information about the services provided by the author of this blog, see the Stellar Searches LLC website, http://www.stellarsearches.com

 

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Common Subheading Problems

Monday, July 3rd, 2017

In this blog posting, I will discuss common subheading problems, based on an American Society for Indexing webinar given by Fred Leise on September 17, 2014.  The common subheading problems are the following:

  1. repeating text
  2. confusing/awkward
  3. indexing what the reader doesn’t know
  4. uncontrolled locators

An example of repeating the text in the subheading is the following:

Scheutz difference engine

  • government investigation into whether or not to fund a copy of
    • and recommendation to do so by Airy, 205-207

An example of a confusing/awkward subheading phrase is first, with the second and third examples corrected:

encephalitis

  • organ recipients developed

encephalitis

  • organ recipients’ development of

encephalitis

  • development of, in organ recipients

The following example indexes what the reader doesn’t know.  The reader doesn’t know that there are ten usability heuristics in the book.

heuristic evaluations

  • automated aids to, 192-193
  • criticisms of, 190-192
  • methodologies for, 186-189
  • ten usability heuristics, 167-169
  • user control and, 172
  • visibility of system status in, 167

Uncontrolled locators are a string of page references after a main heading that are not subdivided.  The reader doesn’t know whether the locator is a definition, a passing mention or a primary discussion.  Maybe it is a discussion so complicated that the indexer quit trying to capture it in a reasonably worded subheading.  Is it the first place to look or the last place to look?  Inclusion of chapter or section page ranges after the main heading is okay.  The first example shows what to avoid, while the second example shows a correct entry.

Church, xiv, 156-181, 183, 185, 192-193, 202-203

  • actualized, 168
  • and union with Christ, 171-172, 175-176, 193-194, 202
  • idealized, 162-165, 172
  • as organism, 168-181

arms race, 39-72

  • Cold War, relationship to, 39, 51-54
  • consequences of, 70
  • influence of nuclear weapons on, 43

(lots of other subheadings)

This concludes my discussion of subheadings.  For more information about the services provided by the author of this blog, see the Stellar Searches LLC website, http://www.stellarsearches.com

 

 

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Still More Characteristics of Successful Subheadings

Monday, June 5th, 2017

In this blog posting, I will discuss the final characteristics of successful subheadings, based on an American Society for Indexing webinar given by Fred Leise on September 17, 2014.

Top 10 Characteristics

  1.  collocation
  2.  complete
  3.  differentiable
  4.  good information scent
  5.  audience relevant
  6.  concise
  7.  points to information
  8.  parallel construction
  9.  important word first
  10.  clear relationship to heading

In the last two blog postings, I discussed in detail and gave examples of the first six characteristics: collocation, complete, differentiable, good information scent, audience relevant, and concise.  In this blog posting, I will discuss in detail the last four characteristics.

 

Points to Information

The subheading should point to, but should not repeat information from the text.  The second example does not repeat information.

compositional change and improvisation

  • as symbols of music acting upon myth, 38-39, 42-46

compositional change and improvisation

  • as symbols, 38-39, 42-46

 

Parallel Construction

Parallel construction is important to consistency and helps the reader find things faster.  It aids in index ease of use and clarity and removes some of the barriers readers might find.

Types of parallel construction include form, nouns versus gerunds, nouns versus verbs, and verb tense.  The second example in the series shows the corrected parallel construction.

parallel construction: form

health issues

  • during WWI, 24
  • during World War II, 28

parallel construction: nouns vs. gerunds

gestures

  • for changing applications, 18
  • for deletion of email, 141

gestures

  • for changing applications, 18
  • for deleting email, 141

parallel construction: nouns vs. verbs

Clement, Joseph

  • confrontation with Babbage, 66-67
  • demands compensation, 62-63

Clement, Joseph

  • confronts Babbage, 66-67
  • demands compensation, 62-63

parallel construction: verb tense

Gorbachev, Mikhail Sergeyevich

  • failed to end Afghan conflict, 198
  • supports new Union treaty, 107

Gorbachev, Mikhail Sergeyevich

  • failed to end Afghan conflict, 198
  • supported new Union treaty, 107

 

Important Word First

In subheadings, the first word listed should always be the most important.  The second example shows this characteristic.

Orthodox Christianity

  • relationship of church and state in, 187

Orthodox Christianity

  • church-state relationship in, 187

 

Clear Relationship to Heading

The subheading should always have a clear relationship to the main heading.  The last example shows the clearest relationship to the heading.

Napoleon

  • Russia, 276-280

Napoleon

  • in Russia, 276-280

Napoleon

  • on Russia, 276-280

Napoleon

  • Russia, failed invasion of, 276-280

In the next blog posting, I will discuss common subheading problems.  For more information about the services provided by the author of this blog, see the Stellar Searches LLC website, http://www.stellarsearches.com

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More Characteristics of Successful Subheadings

Monday, May 8th, 2017

In this blog posting, I will discuss more characteristics of successful subheadings, based on an American Society for Indexing webinar given by Fred Leise on September 17, 2014.

Top 10 Characteristics

  1.  collocation
  2.  complete
  3.  differentiable
  4.  good information scent
  5.  audience relevant
  6.  concise
  7.  points to information
  8.  parallel construction
  9.  important word first
  10.  clear relationship to heading

In the last blog posting, I discussed in detail and gave examples of the first three characteristics: collocation, complete, and differentiable.  In this blog posting, I will discuss in detail the next three characteristics.

Good Information Scent

Labels must provide users with a good information scent, a strong connotation so users can understand what type of material it points to.  The second example has a better use of good information scent than the first example:

pomegranates

  • about, 24
  • cooking with, 26

pomegranates

  • ancient Romans use of, 24
  • cooking with, 26

Audience Relevant

Use glosses, short descriptions in parentheses, to help explain concepts to your audience.  The second example is audience relevant:

Wakuenai

  • dzudzuapani, 25,38-40,44,46

Wakuenai peoples (in Venezuela)

  • dzudzuapani (“wheel” dance-songs), 25,38-40,44,46

Concise

Concepts should be concise, but this does not necessarily imply short.  The second example shows a subheading that is concise:

Difference Engine (No. 2)

  • building of as vindication and commemoration of Babbage’s work, 225,226

Difference Engine (No. 2)

  • importance, 225,226

In the next blog posting, I will focus on the last characteristics of successful subheadings.  For more information about the services provided by the author of this blog, see the Stellar Searches LLC website, http://www.stellarsearches.com

 

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Characteristics of Successful Subheadings

Saturday, April 8th, 2017

In this blog posting, I will discuss characteristics of successful subheadings, based on an American Society for Indexing webinar given by Fred Leise on September 17, 2014.

Subheadings need to exactly and concisely capture the concept under discussion.

  1. You need to identify the concept in the text.
  2. Understand how it differs from similar related concepts.
  3. Translate the specific context into appropriate wording.

Top 10 Characteristics of Subheadings

  1. collocation
  2. complete
  3. differentiable
  4. good information scent
  5. audience relevant
  6. concise
  7. points to information
  8. parallel construction
  9. important word first
  10. clear relationship to heading

An example of collocation, collecting like items together, would be the second entry in the following:

Woolf, Virginia

  • depressions, 329
  • depression aggravated by poor health, 326
  • dangerous depressions, 442-444

Woolf, Virginia

  • depressions, 329, 336, 442-444

An example of an entry that is not complete would be the following, since all of the pages in the range are not covered:

Deng Xiaoping, 258-315

  • Communist Party work, 310-315
  • during Cultural Revolution, 262-265
  • early life, 258-260
  • education, 260-261
  • ??? 265-309 [Subheading hole]

An example of differentiable would be the second entry in the following, since there is no difference in the meaning of the subheadings of the first entry:

projects

  • planning for, 14
  • preparing for, 21
  • thinking about, 2

projects

  • planning for, 2, 14, 21

I will discuss the remaining characteristics of subheadings in the next blog postings.  For more information about the services provided by the author of this blog, see the Stellar Searches LLC website, http://www.stellarsearches.com

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