http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Articles/Indexing A listing of the most recently indexed works about Articles and Indexing in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Articles/Indexing http://tc.eserver.org/35433.html http://tc.eserver.org/35433.html DITA is useful for helping writers create small units of organized information that can be used in multiple contexts. Of course, the reader's problem then becomes locating the information they want in a quick, reasonable timeframe. Although DITA provides enough metadata to simplify searching, or even to present information the reader needs based on a profile, there are some media that cannot make use of those facilities. To bridge that gap, you can use the tried and true index. http://tc.eserver.org/33236.html http://tc.eserver.org/33236.html Which would be easier to remember: one thousand individual terms or three facets of ten terms each? http://tc.eserver.org/33197.html http://tc.eserver.org/33197.html On a Web site or intranet each of the alphabetically arranged entries or subentries is hyperlinked to the page or to an anchor within a page to where the topic is discussed. Since an alphabetical index can be quite long, it is often divided into pages for each letter of the alphabet. Typically, each letter is linked at the top of the page allow a jump to the start of that letter’s section of the index. http://tc.eserver.org/32684.html http://tc.eserver.org/32684.html Indexing for environmental, safety, and health texts, you provide sure, quick access to critical information in times of need. http://tc.eserver.org/31098.html http://tc.eserver.org/31098.html As a technical writer, you'll typically have to create indexes for the print books and for online helps you develop. The type of index we mean here is the classic back-of-book index that shows page numbers on which topics and subtopics occur within the book. An online index is much the same except that you supply hypertext links rather than page numbers. http://tc.eserver.org/30786.html http://tc.eserver.org/30786.html This article explains how to create coloured hyperlinks in an index in a PDF file, using Microsoft Word as the source document for the PDF file. Many authors create PDF files using Word as the source document. Most Word-to-PDF converters create a hyperlink in the PDF file if a hyperlink exists in the Word document. Unfortunately, Word does not create hyperlinked cross-references in an index, so no PDF creation tool can directly generate a hyperlinked index. The Sonar Bookends Activate plug-in for Acrobat creates hyperlinks for page numbers in indexes in PDF files. The plug-in does not change the colour of new hyperlinks, and it does not create visible rectangles for the hyperlinks. This article explains how to colour the hyperlinks in the Word source document using macro. http://tc.eserver.org/30787.html http://tc.eserver.org/30787.html HTML Indexer is a commercial stand-alone indexing tool that is designed solely for the indexing of web sites. This article shows how to extend the functionality of HTML Indexer by including special codes in the entries, then post-processing the generated HTML to obtain final HTML. http://tc.eserver.org/30507.html http://tc.eserver.org/30507.html Indexing a software manual is not very different from indexing any other manual. As a simple rule, make sure you index all of the software features: screens, windows, fields, options and commands. Index system errors and warnings if applicable. Use cross-references to direct the reader to the term used in the manual if it differs from the generally-used jargon. http://tc.eserver.org/30508.html http://tc.eserver.org/30508.html This paper provides reference information and complements the demonstration: 'Using Indexing Standards and Usability Tests' by Deborah Swain and Rebecca Oliver. Information covered in the paper includes historical background on indexing and on the ANSI Z39.4 standard for indexes. Questions about the effectiveness of standards are discussed. In addition, the paper describes one way to conduct a usability test on a back-of-the-book index: random analysis. (Three testing methods will be explained in the demonstration.) http://tc.eserver.org/30509.html http://tc.eserver.org/30509.html Creating an index for a technical manual requires an understanding of what constitutes a high-quality index and the indexing methodology. This workshop presents the methodologies and steps necessary to create such an index. http://tc.eserver.org/30339.html http://tc.eserver.org/30339.html The success of a technical document depends heavily on the index. The task of indexing a technical document often cannot begin until insufficient time remains to do a good job. However, for many users of the document, a good index is mandatory to its usability. http://tc.eserver.org/30084.html http://tc.eserver.org/30084.html Embedded indexing is the process of creating index entries electronically in a document’s files. Although desktop publishing packages are not the best tools for indexing, they can be used to create effective embedded indexes. For technical documents that will be updated frequently or will go online, technical communicators can create embedded indexes that will help their audience find information quickly and efficiently. http://tc.eserver.org/29419.html http://tc.eserver.org/29419.html One of our favorite cliches is that you can't use the printed book as a model for online information. Web-based information, which is following the same evolutionary progress as online help systems, has inherited this 'books are bad' philosophy. However, any statement we've begun to take for granted bears some re-examination, because unquestioningly accepting dogma undermines our efforts to improve communication. http://tc.eserver.org/27884.html http://tc.eserver.org/27884.html The index can often be the most heavily used 'chapter' in any publication and helping the user find an answer is the key to fulfilling the technical document's mission, justifying the effort and expense for its creation. Yet, indexing facilities in open source packages for document creation remains largely unexplored, offering a marvelous opportunity to do it right! This article provides a generic specification (with reasons) to open source developers for creating useful indexing facilities in packages such as OpenOffice and Scribus. It also informs writers about what to look for and what to ask for in any indexing tool. Finally, the article demonstrates the need for software developers to work closely with practitioners and users. http://tc.eserver.org/27641.html http://tc.eserver.org/27641.html A recent article in the Society for Technical Communications' Intercom magazine proclaimed that indexing is on the rise (Seth Maislin, "The Indexing Revival," February, 2005), and that there is a renaissance of work in the field. But at the WritersUA March Conference, Microsoft's Longhorn features session declared that Longhorn's Help system will not contain an index, because "no one uses it." Then, to add to the discussion, at that same conference Apple revealed that their next help engine will include synonym rings and will add a form of indexing back into their display. Who's right? Who's correctly predicting the trends? http://tc.eserver.org/27353.html http://tc.eserver.org/27353.html An index is a systematic arrangement of entries designed to enable users to locate information in a document. Entries consist of important names, concepts, and terms. Entries are ordered differently than in the text and are not an outline of the text. A good index reflects the text accurately and anticipates the reader's viewpoint. http://tc.eserver.org/27228.html http://tc.eserver.org/27228.html The first questions is – why do you need to know the index number? http://tc.eserver.org/27201.html http://tc.eserver.org/27201.html The Microsoft Word Help suggests that you can automatically generate an index. Sorry, but you can't (the 'result' looks like an index, but the reader can't use it). You can automatically mark index entries: however, the amount of work required to edit the result into a usable index is usually double the effort required to manually mark the index entries one-by-one. http://tc.eserver.org/27112.html http://tc.eserver.org/27112.html Context-sensitive help systems often need redundant placement of information. This ensures that the information is seen by visitors who enter and move unpredictably through the system. Redundant placements take the form of descriptions, explanations, warnings, and the like that amplify other subjects. In software documentation, for example, some candidate subjects include the purposes of screens and tabs, the effects of selected options and significant functions such as Delete, and reminders of required access permissions and prerequisite steps or conditions. You can save development time and promote consistency by cataloging information so that it can be inserted wherever needed using your authoring software's copy and paste functions. http://tc.eserver.org/26025.html http://tc.eserver.org/26025.html Indexes are as important to your documentation as your documentation is to the product. Just as it would be difficult, if not impossible, for people to use your product without any documentation, it is equally difficult for people to use documentation without a good index. http://tc.eserver.org/25867.html http://tc.eserver.org/25867.html Indexing America Online was the most absurdly daunting project I had ever faced. This article is the story of that contract. http://tc.eserver.org/25869.html http://tc.eserver.org/25869.html To deal with AOL's size, I contracted others to help me with 'the dirty work' of typing search words in the database records. At the height of the project, four people worked in a large room at open desks. Although I was in charge of the project, most of the nitty gritty was accomplished by two other individuals. Following my lead, they reviewed each of the AOL pages, decided the important concepts of each area, and chose representative vocabulary. With their assistance and the involvement of several Songline employ- ees, the project took under one year, from the initial planning stages through testing, review, and summary. In theory, then, AOL's size could be conquered by allowing enough time to complete the project and contracting enough indexers to do the work. http://tc.eserver.org/25871.html http://tc.eserver.org/25871.html A series of questions and answers about indexing. http://tc.eserver.org/25866.html http://tc.eserver.org/25866.html Indexing is a mystery to many people who are writing and printing materials. An index is an offering to your readers - a way in to your material, a subject finder and a detailed guide to the contents of your piece. Indexing itself is a precise art, with not much real mystery when you get into it deeply. http://tc.eserver.org/25872.html http://tc.eserver.org/25872.html It wasn't too long ago that the concept of creating an index for hypertext documents was completely foreign. However, many webmasters, corporations, and new media publishers are seeing the clear benefits of using human indexers to design and write indexes to their Web sites and intranets, hoping for superior results in information access and retrieval. Technical writers may also be called on to provide indexing for Web sites. http://tc.eserver.org/25865.html http://tc.eserver.org/25865.html Ten common mistakes when indexing technical documents. http://tc.eserver.org/24976.html http://tc.eserver.org/24976.html Many people prefer to use indexes to find the information they are looking for. As software products become more visual, so too can their indexes. Visual indexes allow users to find information about something without having to know what it’s called. And by organizing information in visual indexes by time, location, continuum or magnitude, or category, you can reveal aspects of a subject that might not otherwise be revealed. Visual indexes can be included in print and online. http://tc.eserver.org/24395.html http://tc.eserver.org/24395.html There is widespread confusion, even in the technical communication field, about the real nature and purpose of an index. This is unsettling, because an understanding of the role of the index is vital to those who create information products and also to those using the information products. Consequently, it is important for technical communicators to familiarize themselves with some basic facts about indexing and to dispel the common misconceptions about the purpose, use, and creation of an index. http://tc.eserver.org/24246.html http://tc.eserver.org/24246.html Although we all agree on the importance of a good index, many technical writers find themselves in the position of having to produce an index in a short amount of time with no training or experience. If you have ever been in this situation or anticpate ever being in this situation, this workshop is for you. You’ll learn the six steps required to produce an index that is thorough and easy to use. Then you’ll practice two of those steps: selecting index entries and refining the rough draft of the index. Finally you’ll compare your individual efforts to the rest of the group to see how you did, what more you could have done, and what you can suggest to the rest of the group. http://tc.eserver.org/24232.html http://tc.eserver.org/24232.html Scheduling adequate time for index preparation is difficult. We will present strategies to help you provide the best index your document deserves. http://tc.eserver.org/24227.html http://tc.eserver.org/24227.html The frazzled reader scans your text, anxiously looking for the key word or phrase that will unravel the mystery of a less-than-helpful graphical user interface. Reaching for coffee that immediately slops onto the keyboard, the reader then resorts to desperate measures and opens your index. A quick scan of the entries confirms the reader's worst fears. The index is no help. The reader gives up, calls the Technical Support Help Desk, and relegates your carefully crafted documentation to the floor next to the recycle bin. The above scenario shows that a usable index is a key documentation component that too often receives little or no thought on the part of the writer. http://tc.eserver.org/24069.html http://tc.eserver.org/24069.html Editing an index involves much more than just proofreading and checking for correct page number references. An experienced index editor will clarify and refine categories; combine, add, or delete subentries; and create meaningful cross-references. Knowing what flaws to look for in an index and understanding how to correct them will help you significantly improve the usability of your document (whether paper or electronic) and make it easier for your readers to locate quickly the relevant information they need. http://tc.eserver.org/23799.html http://tc.eserver.org/23799.html After brief introductions by 4 panelists who are all members of the Indexing SIG (and experienced indexers and technical writers), we plan to discuss Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about indexing, and allow plenty of time for questions. http://tc.eserver.org/23654.html http://tc.eserver.org/23654.html Usability is like beauty. It is in the eye of the beholder. In other words, much of it is purely subjective. For example, what seems useful to you today might not seem as useful to you tomorrow or next week or next month. With those thoughts in mind, I designed a usability test questionnaire for one of my corporate clients. Since then, I have used the questionnaire in consulting with other corporate clients to help them evaluate their existing indexes. Also, I have made it available on my Web site – http://www.indexingskills.com/usabhtml.html - and I have given several other corporations and publishers permission to use it. http://tc.eserver.org/23565.html http://tc.eserver.org/23565.html Indexing online information is a key skill for online information developers, yet not much information exists on how to do it right. After defining online indexing and briefly presenting the research the authors were involved in, the article provides all the key ingredients for creating a good, searchbased online index. http://tc.eserver.org/23387.html http://tc.eserver.org/23387.html The basic principle of indexing is still valid: key words in an index must point end users to pertinent information concepts. This is even more important with on-line documents. http://tc.eserver.org/23020.html http://tc.eserver.org/23020.html What happens to a book index when you remove the page numbers? It's called 'indexing online.' http://tc.eserver.org/22844.html http://tc.eserver.org/22844.html An index is a road map for a document. A good index helps the user find information easily and quickly. It anticipates the user's needs andprovides logical headings and a parallel, consistent structure. Creating an index involves five steps: 1) analyzing the audience; 2) determining the physical appearance and standards of the index; 3) reading and marking the text; 4) producing, editing, andproofing the index; and 5) testing the index for clarity and usability and revising it as necessary. http://tc.eserver.org/22601.html http://tc.eserver.org/22601.html An index is a vital part of a user manual and a help file. A manual without an index is like a 21-storey house without a names board on the ground floor. You will have to search through all the floors in the building to locate your friend’s residence. http://tc.eserver.org/22407.html http://tc.eserver.org/22407.html In the publishing process, as in the finished book, the index comes last. It cannot be created until pages have been laid out and finalized. By this time everyone, including the author, is (1) tired and (2) worried about the publication deadline. First-time non-fiction authors who had acceded blithely to doing their own index now quail at the task they've undertaken—and, more often than not, underestimated. http://tc.eserver.org/22408.html http://tc.eserver.org/22408.html Since most manuals aren't meant to be read from cover-to-cover like a novel, a method of rapidly accessing a subject is required; in other words, an index. A good index is a vital component in any manual of more than 20 to 30 pages long. An otherwise excellent document can be made next to useless without an index: don't feel tempted to skimp on this valuable but admittedly tedious task. If you have the budget, consider sub-contracting professional indexers to create your index for you: both for your convenience and the excellence of the results. http://tc.eserver.org/22274.html http://tc.eserver.org/22274.html Browne and Jermey say that 'increasingly sophisticated retrieval methods' will be needed as the Web gets more complex. They believe that good, back-of-the-book-style indexes 'are effective tools for improving the speed and accuracy of user searches.' With their book as a guide, you are in a position to determine that for yourself and for your Web site. http://tc.eserver.org/21680.html http://tc.eserver.org/21680.html For technical writers, a well-crafted index helps organise the writing process, in particular, when you get to the production stage. http://tc.eserver.org/21573.html http://tc.eserver.org/21573.html This workshop presents a step-by-step methodology for producing thorough, usable indexes for technical documents. The methodology consists of these four steps: 1) Creating entries based on the material; 2) Creating entries based on users' questions; 3) Adding synonyms; and 4) Cross-referencing related entries. The workshop also includes hands-on exercises which illustrate the methodology and give participants a chance to practice using it. http://tc.eserver.org/21482.html http://tc.eserver.org/21482.html Da tre anni Italianistica Online seleziona e recensisce le risorse internet per gli studi italianistici, fornendo un servizio gratuito, uno spazio di informazione e approfondimento sulla cultura italiana in rete, cercando di rispecchiare il cambiamento in atto, sollecitando a ragionare e discutere sulle opportunità offerte da Internet per gli studi italianistici. Particolare risalto ha avuto e continua ad avere il Dossier sul libro elettronico e l'editoria digitale umanistica in Italia (in rete dal 2001), insieme alla conferenza telematica sul medesimo tema, che per la prima volta in maniera organica fornisce documenti e spunti di riflessione sui nuovi scenari dell'editoria digitale. Un progetto originale di rilievo è la Bibliotheca Umbra, antologia digitale telematica dei documenti di lingua e dei testi di letteratura prodotti nella regione umbra dalle Origini al Novecento. http://tc.eserver.org/21380.html http://tc.eserver.org/21380.html If a document contains the information that a reader needs, but if the reader cannot find that information, then the document is useless. Worse than useless, it’s a hindrance. If I know that some information is not available, I won’t waste my time looking for it. However, if I think the information is available, and if I can’t find it after a period of fruitless searching, all I will have achieved is frustration. http://tc.eserver.org/21397.html http://tc.eserver.org/21397.html In part 3 of the continuing series on controlled vocabularies and faceted classification, the authors explain synonym rings and authority files and how their use can bridge the gap between natural language and complex controlled vocabularies (taxonomies and thesauri). http://tc.eserver.org/21298.html http://tc.eserver.org/21298.html Have you ever tried to create an index in Word? Were you dissatisfied with the options available in the dialogs? There are other features available that can provide you with a higher level of control over the structure of the index. This article gives you an overview of advanced indexing techniques; see Word’s online help for details. The menu sequences are for Word 2000; there are slight differences in Word 2002. http://tc.eserver.org/21209.html http://tc.eserver.org/21209.html Online indexing has great potential as a tool for information retrieval, although current online indexes are not always well used. Research and experience indicate that online indexing can be most effective if it is approached as a combination of traditional indexing and using computer search capabilities. Typical search facilities have great power but tend to rely on complex algorithms or else retrieve more information than users can effectively sort through. Traditional indexing techniques serve as a filter for concepts to limit searches to information that users will actually find valuable. To take full advantage of search facilities, online indexes can be designed with a flat (nonhierarchical) structure in which each index entry is clearly worded and makes use of keywords from the subject matter. Indexers can include additional keywords as synonyms that point to the relevant index entries. When indexers take advantage of these concepts and when index users clearly understand what to expect from online indexes, the the indexes become an extremely powerful retrieval medium. http://tc.eserver.org/20733.html http://tc.eserver.org/20733.html The phrase 'information storage and retrieval,' coined in the fifties - when computers were first harnessed to the twin tasks of recording verbal communication and finding it again on demand - is somewhat misleading and it is also missing a vital element. The misleading part is that many people seem to believe that these tasks can only be performed by machines. Yet information has been stored on stone tablets, papyrus rolls and in books for thousands of years and it has also been found when needed. The missing part is that, in order for stored information to be retrievable - whether manually or by machine - an intermediate operation is of crucial importance: the stored information must be indexed. http://tc.eserver.org/20732.html http://tc.eserver.org/20732.html The past hundred years have seen the development of numerous systems for the structured representation of knowledge and information, including hierarchical classification systems with notation as well as alphabetical indexing systems with sophisticated features for the representation of term relationships. The reasons for the lack of widespread adoption of these systems, particularly in the United States, are discussed. The suggested structure for indexing the Internet or other large electronic collections of documents is based on that of book indexes: specific headings with coined modifications. http://tc.eserver.org/20734.html http://tc.eserver.org/20734.html Taxonomies have recently emerged from the quiet backwaters of biology, book indexing, and library science into the corporate limelight. They are supposed to be the silver bullets that will help users find the needle in the intranet haystack, reduce 'friction' in electronic commerce, facilitate scientific research, and promote global collaboration. But before this can happen, practitioners need to dispel the myths and confusion, created in part by the multi-disciplinary nature of the task and the hype surrounding content management technologies. http://tc.eserver.org/20345.html http://tc.eserver.org/20345.html This session presents a checklist for editing an index. Discussion will focus on the most efficient means of repairing straightforward index problems as identified in the checklist, such repairs being made either by the compiler of the index or by a project editor. In cases where an index cannot be fixed (so that the editor must make the decision to start over), the checklist is an objective reference for making that difficult decision. http://tc.eserver.org/20192.html http://tc.eserver.org/20192.html Although we all agree on the importance of a good index, many technical writers find themselves in the position of having to produce an index in a short amount of time with no training or experience. http://tc.eserver.org/20136.html http://tc.eserver.org/20136.html If something does not appear in the index, it might as well not be in the book because the reader may never find it. Writing a complete index takes time and patience. Writing an index that is consistent and effective requires refinement and common sense. Here are six steps that will get you through the process. http://tc.eserver.org/19977.html http://tc.eserver.org/19977.html Giving your readers a quality index takes a careful consideration of the tools, time frame, workgroup process, and results you plan for the piece. Planning for the index must start at the beginning of the project, in order to have the essential processes clear to all involved As the documentation process itself becomes more complex, trying to meet different needs in different environments, so does indexing. As print-based documentation moves to online, the index or keywords becomes critical to your users. In this session, participants will learn what kinds of tools are available for indexing, the benefits of each, what the stages of indexing are, and the amount of time to allow for each. http://tc.eserver.org/19973.html http://tc.eserver.org/19973.html An index is a road map for a document. A good index helps the user find information easily and quickly. It anticipates the user’s needs and provides logical headings and a parallel, consistent structure. Creating an index involves five steps: 1) analyzing the audience; 2) determining the physical appearance and standards of the index; 3) reading and marking the text; 4) producing, editing, and proofing the index; and 5) testing the index for clarity and usability and revising it as necessary. http://tc.eserver.org/19490.html http://tc.eserver.org/19490.html An otherwise good book can be significantly enhanced by a good index and seriously weakened by a poor one. Nevertheless, it seems to be a house rule in publishing, probably for reasons of cost, that the editor asks and expects the author to create a book's index. But while, of course, an author can sometimes produce a good index, many authors are not well-suited to the task. Unless an author has previously indexed a book, he or she is unlikely to have the experience or proficiency, not to mention the time, to create an index that comes close to the level of quality routinely achieved by an experienced professional indexer. That is because there are, in fact, particular indexing skills that are developed with experience. http://tc.eserver.org/18809.html http://tc.eserver.org/18809.html Users feel confident if they can find the information they need easily. Indexes are one device users have for finding information. If an index is complete and consistent, users are given the confidence they need. http://tc.eserver.org/18554.html http://tc.eserver.org/18554.html It is important to alphabetize your index in a consistent manner. Otherwise, your readers may become confused or miss an important entry. There are two basic ways to alphabetize, or sort, an index: word by word; letter by letter. http://tc.eserver.org/18542.html http://tc.eserver.org/18542.html Before publishing your index, you need to ensure that the 'See' and 'See also' cross-references work correctly. The text in each cross-reference must exactly match the text in the index heading it refers to. http://tc.eserver.org/18546.html http://tc.eserver.org/18546.html The DocBook document type definition (DTD) was developed during the 1990s to provide an application independent method for creating computer documentation. Versions of the DocBook DTD have been created for both SGML and XML. You can create an embedded index in DocBook using index elements. http://tc.eserver.org/18552.html http://tc.eserver.org/18552.html Selecting the right type of index can save you both time and money. You create an embedded index by entering index markers directly into your document. You then generate the index from the embedded markers. With a stand-alone index, you create the index as a separate text file using dedicated indexing software. Embedded indexes are used commonly for software documentation while stand-alone indexes are used extensively in book publishing. http://tc.eserver.org/18541.html http://tc.eserver.org/18541.html People think about questions or information in different ways. It’s important for an index to provide multiple ways of locating any given piece of information. http://tc.eserver.org/18555.html http://tc.eserver.org/18555.html Formatting your index attractively can improve readability and help your audience to locate information quickly. The following tips apply to printed indexes. http://tc.eserver.org/18548.html http://tc.eserver.org/18548.html The American Society of Indexers identifies criteria for measuring a great index. An index is not an inverted table of contents, nor is it a simple listing of where certain terms appear in a document. An index consists of a 'compiled list of topics covered in the work, prepared with the reader’s needs in mind.' http://tc.eserver.org/18558.html http://tc.eserver.org/18558.html Indexing in FrameMaker can feel frustrating and time-consuming — especially when under the pressure of a deadline. http://tc.eserver.org/18547.html http://tc.eserver.org/18547.html Because user tasks form the foundation of modern 'task-based' documentation, tasks should be well-represented in the index. We need to create index headings for both the broad objectives of the user (e.g., balancing a cheque book), and the specific actions required by the application (e.g., opening a file). http://tc.eserver.org/18543.html http://tc.eserver.org/18543.html Microsoft Word assists you in creating an embedded index. While Microsoft Word makes it easy to enter individual index entries, much effort is still required to create page ranges and to edit the final index. http://tc.eserver.org/18544.html http://tc.eserver.org/18544.html Indexing often waits until a document is nearly finalized or “camera ready.” This is because indexers often need to have the final page numbers or the original document files before starting. But, starting the index so late means extending the publication process by several days or even weeks. And the time available to create a quality index — likely the most well-used part of any business or technical publication — can be severely squeezed. http://tc.eserver.org/18549.html http://tc.eserver.org/18549.html Online indexes have the same logical structure as print indexes with main headings and usually subheadings. Some online indexes can also be searched electronically. A search request in Yahoo! returns a list of online category headings. Online indexes, like their print cousins, are true 'searchable structures,' not simply concordance lists of terms appearing in the text. http://tc.eserver.org/18557.html http://tc.eserver.org/18557.html Effective documentation is built around the work environment of the user. The index, too, should relate to the work the user performs. As in the body of your documentation, topics in your index should consist primarily of objects, tasks and concepts from the world of the user http://tc.eserver.org/18553.html http://tc.eserver.org/18553.html Before starting to write the index, take some time to absorb the overall gist of what’s being said and how things relate one to another. http://tc.eserver.org/18556.html http://tc.eserver.org/18556.html 'See also' cross-references assist the user to quickly navigate to the right index term. The same principles that apply to 'See also' cross-references apply equally to hypertext linking. 'See also' cross-references are constructed using the following relationships: a broader term to a narrower term, e.g. 'mammals, See also whales'; sailing craft, See also hulls overlapping meaning between two terms, e.g. 'gold, See also money' http://tc.eserver.org/18545.html http://tc.eserver.org/18545.html Subheadings enable your readers to find detailed information quickly. They also give the reader an idea of how deeply a topic is covered. Subheadings provide more detail about the topic stated in the main entry. Effective subheadings represent distinct aspects of a topic. http://tc.eserver.org/18551.html http://tc.eserver.org/18551.html Including synonyms can be one of the most effective ways to improve the usability of an index. Synonyms assist users to navigate easily to the information they are looking for using their own terminology. In an index you use the terms that appear in the text of the document. But, the user may employ different words for the same concepts. This situation can happen when a user is familiar with another environment, for example when an experienced Microsoft Windows user is learning about Linux. The user may also be familiar with common terms while the document may use scientific or other official terminology. Different industries, organizations or product groups can also develop their own specialized vocabularies. http://tc.eserver.org/18550.html http://tc.eserver.org/18550.html Recently on INDEX-L, the indexer’s listserv, there was a thread on quotes about the value of indexing. See the article for some select examples. http://tc.eserver.org/18559.html http://tc.eserver.org/18559.html What indexes can do for you and your end-users. http://tc.eserver.org/18482.html http://tc.eserver.org/18482.html The software tools used to generate indexes come in many flavors and varieties. Which technique is used depends on variables such as budget, eventual re-usability of the source material, time constraints, media used to publish the material, file sizes and transferral issues, and individual preferences. There are essentially six different methodologies for indexing. http://tc.eserver.org/18306.html http://tc.eserver.org/18306.html An index pulls together all the references to a topic that are scattered within a publication. If a reference is omitted, the user may assume that particular sub-topic is not discussed. http://tc.eserver.org/15122.html http://tc.eserver.org/15122.html Collins and Hamilton's thorough guide to editing indexes offers tips on the most difficult and time-consuming of indexers' tasks. http://tc.eserver.org/15144.html http://tc.eserver.org/15144.html Relates how the author and her coworkers proceeded when faced with a daunting indexing task. http://tc.eserver.org/14491.html http://tc.eserver.org/14491.html While WebWorks Publisher (WWP) 7.0 can convert FrameMaker indexes into different online formats, getting things to work initially can be a bit of a challenge. Page ranges in index entries result in hyperlinks to both the starting and ending locations. Index hyperlinks don’t always link to the top of a help topic, but often to somewhere in the middle. For Simple HTML and Dynamic HTML, “See” and “See also” references can fail to convert altogether. However, if you do get stuck, Customer Support can help pull you through. http://tc.eserver.org/14489.html http://tc.eserver.org/14489.html FrameMaker provides you with the ability to enter individual index headings using index markers. Once entered, you can automatically generate the index with the correct page numbers. http://tc.eserver.org/14490.html http://tc.eserver.org/14490.html Acronyms and initialisms pepper the workplace conversation in many technical and scientific environments. If you’re new to the organization or industry, the many unknown acronyms can be a real barrier to comprehending anything at all. Published books and technical documentation often spell out the full term when first used and then employ the acronym only. As indexers we need to serve both the “newbies,” who find the acronyms confusing, and the “old hands,” who dream only in acronyms. http://tc.eserver.org/14493.html http://tc.eserver.org/14493.html Handling personal and geographic names can be complicated. Many rules apply to personal names. http://tc.eserver.org/14492.html http://tc.eserver.org/14492.html Many publishers of technical material are now publishing in more than one format, e.g. print, Adobe Acrobat (PDF), HTML, HTML Help and XML. Typically, a master document is first created in a package such as Adobe FrameMaker or Microsoft Word. The master document is then converted into different formats for publishing. Indexes are often the Achilles heel of such a process, because indexes can rarely be converted like regular material. Indexes usually have to be regenerated or recreated within the new format rather than simply converted from an existing file. http://tc.eserver.org/13823.html http://tc.eserver.org/13823.html There are scores of books on technical indexing that are really useful in teaching us how to create an index the right way, with the least amount of stress, while keeping up with the documentation development lifecycle. This is, of course, when you do not have the luxury of a full-time indexer. That, so far, has been a dream in the various companies I have worked at and not a very coveted one at that. Usually it is left to the writers to put whatever indexing skills they have into practice. The theory goes that it is best to index as you write. Usually this is feasible, with the embedded indexing features that are provided with packages such as FrameMaker, Word, and so on. But even being an indexing enthusiast, like me, does not always guarantee that this will happen. From experience, you tend to get so caught up in the process of writing, structuring, organising, and reviewing documents, that taking time out to index breaks your train of thought. http://tc.eserver.org/12973.html http://tc.eserver.org/12973.html Turn to the index in the back of any O'Reilly book published in the last five years and chances are you're looking at the handiwork of O'Reilly's resident indexing guru, Seth Maislin. Though indexes are the most frequently fingered section of any computer book, they remain the one element most taken for granted. Those ostensibly logical, orderly columns of subject-page references belie the complexity of indexing. The craft of indexing involves much more than the mere alphabetization of a book's key words. It requires something that is at once science and art form, the product of someone painstakingly fleshing out a book's information design while copiously accounting for nuances of language and word associations. You might say an index is like a fingerprint: intricate, revealing, utterly unique. http://tc.eserver.org/12974.html http://tc.eserver.org/12974.html To understand the importance of an index, it helps to consider the alternatives. The most prevalent means of access to information in HTML files seems to be the search engine. http://tc.eserver.org/10810.html http://tc.eserver.org/10810.html Like any well-written document, an index needs to be edited. Editing ensures consistency, clarity, completeness and accuracy. And an effective index contributes substantially to the usability of a document. http://tc.eserver.org/10734.html http://tc.eserver.org/10734.html If you're like most technical writers, you have had little (if any) training in creating indexes for the documents you produce. Even technical writers who graduate from Technical Communication degree programs receive little or no training in writing indexes. Consequently, most technical writers learn indexing 'by the seat of their pants ' and, unfortunately, many of the indexes they produce fall short of readers' needs. http://tc.eserver.org/10735.html http://tc.eserver.org/10735.html Printed indexes were the precursors to hypertext links. If you have good indexing skills, you can apply those skills to writing indexes for either printed books or online documents. Although locator systems are different in electronic media than in printed books, the basic principles of indexing apply to both online documents and back-of-the-book (b-o-b) indexes. Most online indexes look very much like b-o-b indexes; however, because online information is not linear, the biggest difference is that hypertext links in online documents serve the same purpose as See and See also cross-references in b-o-b indexes. Another difference is that most indexes for online documents use just one or, at the most, two levels of index entries--that is, main headings and subentries, but no sub-subentries. http://tc.eserver.org/10705.html http://tc.eserver.org/10705.html Indexing a document is an art in itself. Since Adobe FrameMaker is the program of choice for most companies producing technical documentation, it is worth while to find out how to create an index in FrameMaker. http://tc.eserver.org/10619.html http://tc.eserver.org/10619.html A complete, user-friendly index is an important component of a professional, finished document. This chapter of Technical Writing 101 focuses on creating and editing an index.