As professionals who focus solely on indexing, we at WordCo have encountered various formatting, phrasing, and business issues that affect the indexing process.
Abbreviations and acronyms
An index should not make the user search in two different areas for the same information, so usually cross-referencing or double-posting are used to keep information consistent. However, a dilemma often arises as to whether the spelled-out version or the common abbreviation/acronym should be the main entry. The solution depends on usage factors, as well as the book’s audience.
Capitalization of main entries
Main entries can begin with a capital letter. This is a stylistic decision for the client. Additionally, main entries can be bolded to distinguish them from sub-entries.
Cross references (See and See also)
See references direct the user to the main heading that contains the relevant information (e.g.: U.S.S.R. See Soviet Union). See references are vital because different users may look up the same concept under various headings. See also references direct the user to different, but related, main headings (e.g.: Central Asia, 225-228. See also Kyrgyzstan; Tajikistan). Cross references keep users from having to jump around the index to find a specific concept, and their correct and appropriate use is one of the key indicators of a good index.
Double-posting
As an alternative to cross-referencing, sometimes double-posting is used. For example, there may be separate main entries for “American Automobile Association (AAA)” as well as “AAA (American Automobile Association).” Double-posting is appropriate when there are only a few mentions of the concept and a cross-reference would make the user do more work without saving appreciable space in the index.
Function words (read-in style)
Sub-entries can be written to read into the main entry or alternatively, can simply be listed. “Reading-in” by using prepositions allows for a clearer relationship between the subentry and the main entry; however, slightly more space is required. Encyclopedia and reference book indexes tend to eschew function words, whereas indexes for more popularly-written books will tend to include them. In any case, they should be used whenever necessary to avoid ambiguity.
Indented vs. run-in style
Indented (line-by-line) style means that each sub-heading starts on a new line. In run-in style, sub-headings are separated by semicolons. Run-in style is becoming less and less common, but is sometimes used when space is limited.
Inversion
A concept may be included in regular and inverted forms in the index. For example, “Saint Francis of Assisi “ under “S” and “Francis of Assisi, Saint” under “F.” As with acronyms and abbreviations, use of inversion depends on multiple factors.
Length issues
The length of the index is of particular concern and should be taken into account before indexing begins. Concepts in the book must be prioritized so that the most important ones are included in the index. The requirement of creating the most useful and complete index within the physical space constraints of the book is one of the most important reasons to hire a professional indexer.
Modifiers and qualifiers
Sometimes terms may be identical but actually refer to different concepts. For example, “values” may refer to a quantity, as in “property values,” or alternatively may refer to abstract value, as in “ethical values.” The index needs to distinguish between such concepts by employing separate main headings.
Names of people
The issue of how to pick up names in an index can be a complicated one. The format of names can change throughout history as well as across geographical and political lines. Aliases and other alternate names and naming structures can also present challenges. Examples include pen names (Mark Twain vs. Samuel Clemens), commonly known aliases (Mother Theresa), the same name given to different people over the ages (Dalai Lama), non-Western naming structures (Asian and Middle-Eastern naming structures), names with prefixes (Wernher von Braun), names with titles (Richard I vs. Richard the Lion-Hearted), and Anglicization (Mao Tse-Tung vs. Mao Zedong). The indexer must establish criteria for the various formats and handle each one consistently.
Page references
Page numbers can be either complete (e.g.: 241-245) or abbreviated (e.g.: 241-45). This is a stylistic decision to be made by the client. Abbreviated styles save slightly on space, but the current trend is toward complete pagination.
Sorting
An index can be sorted letter-by-letter or word-by-word. In letter-by-letter sorting, entries are sorted alphabetically without regard to spaces between words. In word-by-word sorting, entries are sorted up to the first space (e.g.: “air transport” would sort before “airplanes”). Function words (e.g.: “in,” “and,” etc.) are usually ignored for sorting purposes.
Sorting must be consistent throughout the index.
