This is a reprint of a blog post that initially appeared on February 7, 2010. Even if a book is well-written and contains a clear table of contents, a reader may still have trouble finding what he or she is looking for. A good index acts as a bridge between the author’s concepts and the… Continue reading Why is an index needed?
Tag: index
Glossary v. Index
Why are index entries in the plural and glossary entries in the singular? A glossary is a collection of difficult or specialized terms with their meanings, but each entry is in the singular. An index, as we have discussed, is an alphabetical list of items treated in a printed work with the page numbers where… Continue reading Glossary v. Index
Going Rogue without an index
Sarah Palin’s autobiography, Going Rogue: An American Life, published in November 2009, lacked an index. Why? An index, as explored in the previous post, would have been an invaluable tool to the scholars who will undoubtedly refer to the 413-page book to survey the political climate during the 2008 presidential election and Sarah Palin’s role… Continue reading Going Rogue without an index
Why is an index needed?
Even if a book is well-written and contains a clear table of contents, a reader may still have trouble finding what he or she is looking for. A good index acts as a bridge between the author’s concepts and the readers’ particular needs. A good index saves the user time. Whether the reader is looking… Continue reading Why is an index needed?