Index Formats

Run-In Versus Indented Indexes This is the reprint of a blog posting that was originally printed on September 27, 2010. The Chicago Manual of Style describes two index formats that publishers use: run-in and indented.  In run-in style, the subentries follow one another without each one starting a new line.  In indented style, each subentry begins… Continue reading Index Formats

Common Subheading Problems

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: repeating text confusing/awkward indexing what the reader doesn’t know uncontrolled locators An example of repeating the text in the subheading is the… Continue reading Common Subheading Problems

Still More Characteristics of Successful Subheadings

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  collocation  complete  differentiable  good information scent  audience relevant  concise  points to information  parallel construction  important word first  clear relationship to heading In the… Continue reading Still More Characteristics of Successful Subheadings

More Characteristics of Successful Subheadings

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  collocation  complete  differentiable  good information scent  audience relevant  concise  points to information  parallel construction  important word first  clear relationship to heading In the last… Continue reading More Characteristics of Successful Subheadings

Characteristics of Successful Subheadings

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. You need to identify the concept in the text. Understand how it differs from similar related concepts.… Continue reading Characteristics of Successful Subheadings

Textbook Indexing

Leoni McVey led a session, “To Textbooks, with Love,” on Saturday, June 18, 2016 at the American Society for Indexing/Indexing Society of Canada Annual Conference in Chicago.  She discussed the process of elementary to high school and college textbook indexing, and some ways in which textbooks differ from other types of book indexing.  These books… Continue reading Textbook Indexing

Multiple Entry Points

Multiple Entry Points Variants and Cross-References in Indexes and Thesauri This session was held on Friday, June 17, 2016 at the American Society for Indexing/Indexing Society of Canada Annual Conference in Chicago by Heather Hedden, Senior Vocabulary Editor, and John Magee, Director, Indexing and Vocabulary Services, Gale/Cengage Learning.  Each has worked there since the 1990s… Continue reading Multiple Entry Points

Introduction to Taxonomies and Thesauri

Heather Hedden, Senior Vocabulary Editor, Indexing and Vocabulary Services for Gale/Cengage Learning led a session on “An Introduction to Taxonomies and Thesauri” on Friday, June 17, 2016 at the American Society for Indexing/Indexing Society of Canada Annual Conference in Chicago.  Taxonomies and thesauri are types of controlled vocabularies that include an authoritative, restricted list of… Continue reading Introduction to Taxonomies and Thesauri