An index is an alphabetized list of keywords found in the text of a book or other large writing project. In addition, an index provides guidance as to where in the book these key words or concepts are mentioned. These prompts are typically page numbers, but are sometimes footnote, chapter, or section numbers. The index is located at the bottom of the work and makes longer non-fiction works more accessible to readers by allowing them to directly obtain the information they need. In general, the index should be started after the main writing and research has been completed.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Index
Step 1. Choose the font to index
When starting to work on the index, you may want to use proofs or work directly on your computer screen. To find the words to include in the index, a searchable PDF document can be helpful so you don't have to alter the text.
Generally, if you use a physical copy to build the index, you will need to transfer your work to a digital file. In case this work is particularly extensive, you can try to work from your computer so that you do not have to follow this additional step
Step 2. Determine what to index
In general, the entire text of the work should be indexed, including the introduction and footnotes or endnotes by which the content of the text is extended.
- If there are only source citations in the footnotes or endnotes, you do not need to include them in the index.
- Glossaries, bibliographies, acknowledgments, or items of illustration, such as charts or graphs, generally do not need to be indexed.
- In case you are unsure as to whether or not you should index something, you should consider whether it contributes substantially to the text. If this is not the case, you generally should not index it.
Step 3. Include the authors you have cited, if necessary
In some cases, publishers may require you to index authors you've cited either in text or in footnotes. This may require a separate index or you could include them in the general index. If you're not sure, check with your advisor or editor.
Most of the time, you won't have to index the authors if you have a "works cited" section at the bottom of the text. However, if you not only cited the work of these authors, but also talked about them in the text, you will still need to include their names in the general index
Step 4. Make index cards
As you read the work, you should make a list of the key words or main concepts that are discussed in the text. You may already know many of these by heart. Each individual entry must have its own token.
- For example, if you wrote a book on bicycle maintenance, you would make index cards for "gears," "wheels," and "chain."
- Put yourself in the shoes of the reader and consider the reasons why they would read your book and the information they are likely to find in it. You can also help guide yourself through chapter or section headings.
Step 5. Use nouns for the main headings of the posts
Among the most common nouns included in indexes are those that refer to people, places, objects, or concepts. In general, singular nouns are used without including adjectives or phrases.
- For example, for a dessert cookbook with multiple types of ice cream, an entry might be "ice cream" and be followed by subentries for "strawberry," "chocolate," and "vanilla."
- Treat proper nouns as a single unit. For example, "US Senate" and "US House of Representatives" they would be separate entries and not subentries within the entry "United States".
Step 6. Include subentries for entries that have five or more indicators
Generally, a keyword or concept that appears on more than five pages can be divided into smaller parts (unless the text you are working with is extremely long).
- In subentries, stick to nouns and short phrases without including unnecessary words.
- For example, imagine you are writing a comic book that talks about the influence Wonder Woman had on the feminist movement. There could be a sub-entry within the "Wonder Woman" entry that says "influence on feminism."
Step 7. Identify possible cross-references
For entries that are similar to each other, you could cross-reference them in the index so that the reader can delve deeper into information that is similar.
For example, in a dessert cookbook, "ice cream" and "sorbet" could each make an entry. However, as they are both similar frozen desserts, they would make good cross references of each other
Part 2 of 3: Format the Entries and Subentries
Step 1. Confirm the style and format requirements
Before starting to develop the index, it is necessary to know what maximum length it can have and the style guide that you should use according to the publisher. Generally, you will need to follow the Chicago Style Manual.
In the style guide, you will find specific information regarding the spacing, alignment, and punctuation of entries and subentries
Step 2. Use the correct punctuation
Typically, a colon should be placed after the headline or main entry and then proceed to the rest of the entry. If it has more than one subentry, you must place a semicolon between each of them. Places a comma between the subentry and page numbers and also between non-consecutive page numbers.
- For example, this could be an index entry in a political science book: "Capitalism: Expansion, 42; American Free Trade, 112; Backlash, 654; Russia, 7; 21st Century, 164; Treaties, 87; and television, 3 ".
- In case an entry does not include subentries, just place a comma after it and include the page numbers.
Step 3. Organize the entries in alphabetical order
If you used the tabs method, you should sort them alphabetically and then list the main entries in a computer document. You could also sort the entries alphabetically using a word processing application.
- People's names are usually listed alphabetically by last name. You must put a comma after the last name and then put the first name.
- Nominal phrases are often reversed, but remain the same in some cases. For example, "adjustable height saddle" would be written in the same way in an index.
Step 4. Fill in the subentries
After creating the list of entries, you must add the subentries for those entries that have more than one subdivision. Do not use articles like "a", "an", "the", "the", "the" and "the" in subentries and use the conjunction "and" sparingly.
- Do not repeat words that appear in the entry in the subentry. In case the same word is repeated in more than one subentry, you must include it as a separate entry and include a cross-reference to the original entry. For example, for the dessert cookbook, you could include entries for "ice cream, flavors" and "ice cream, toppings."
- Subentries are also usually sorted alphabetically. If there are symbols, hyphens, slashes, or numbers in the terms of a subentry, you can usually omit them.
Step 5. Capitalize proper names
In general, words in an index should not be capitalized, but should be capitalized with the name of a person, place, or event. If you're not sure whether something should be capitalized or not, you can refer to the required style guide.
In case the first word of a title is a definite or indefinite article, as in the name of a book or a song, this article can be omitted or placed after a comma (for example, "Importance of being called Ernesto, La "). You should consult the style guide to find out what the proper rules apply to your index and be consistent with it
Step 6. Include all page numbers for each entry or sub-entry
Copy the page numbers from the tabs and format them as established by the style guide rules. Generally, if the page numbers are not consecutive, you must include all the digits.
- If you are including a series of pages, you must also write all the digits if the number on the first page is between 1 and 99 or if it is a multiple of 100. For example: "ice cream: vanilla, 100-109".
- For other numbers, you only need to include the digits that change in the following page numbers. For example: "ice cream: vanilla, 112-18".
- Use the word "passim" for references that are scattered over a range of pages. For example: "ice cream: vanilla, 45-68 passim". You should only use this word if within that page range there are a large number of references.
Step 7. Use the phrase "See also" to include cross-references
References of this type that are preceded by the phrase "See also" direct the reader to other entries in the index where there may be similar information or information that is related to what is found in the original entry.
- Place a period after the last page number of the post. Then type "See Also" in italics and capital letters in the first word followed by the name of the similar entry you want to use.
- For example, in an index entry for a dessert cookbook, there might be the following subentries: "ice cream: chocolate, 4, 17, 24; strawberry, 9, 37; vanilla, 18, 25, 32-35. See also sorbet ".
Step 8. Include references with See to avoid confusion
References that use "See", as opposed to cross references that use "See also", are used when you want to include a common term that the reader could use but that, for some reason, is not technically included in the text.
For example, a beginning rider might look up "tire patches" in a manual, which in cycling terms are known as "boots." If you were writing a bicycle manual aimed at beginners, you could include a cross-reference with See: "tire patches, See boots"
Part 3 of 3: Edit the index
Step 1. Check the indicators using the "search" function
If you are working on both a PDF document and a word processor document, you can use the search function to find specific keywords or other terms.
You should also look for related terms, particularly if the text talks about a general concept without necessarily mentioning it by name
Step 2. Simplify your entries to suit your readers
The aim of the index is to make the work easier for them to read and use, so all entries should include the terms or topics that readers would intuitively search for.
- If any entry is too complex or could confuse readers, it might be necessary to simplify it or include a cross-reference.
- For example, in a bicycle maintenance text, you could talk about "derailleurs". However, a novice is more likely to search for a term like "gear shift" or "gear stick," so they might not recognize that first term.
Step 3. Include subentry descriptions where useful
In case all the subentries have something in common, you can add it after the main entry to guide the reader. This will generally help you in cases where all the subentries belong to the same category.
For example, in a dessert cookbook, you might include the following entry: "ice cream, varieties: chocolate, 54; strawberry, 55; vanilla, 32, 37, 56. See also sorbet."
Step 4. Crop or expand the index as needed
After including all the entries and page numbers, it will be easier for you to determine which entries are too short and which are too long. You should also pay attention to the length of the index as a whole and make sure it follows the publisher's guidelines.
- Generally, an entry should be able to be found on two or three page numbers. If it's only in one place, you may not have to include it at all. However, if you think it is necessary, you can try including it as a subentry below a different entry.
- For example, imagine that you are making an index to a dessert cookbook and that the ice cream appears on two pages and the sorbet appears on one. You could put the two together under a more general heading, like "frozen desserts."
Step 5. Check the index in terms of precision
Review all the pages that you have included in the index to make sure that the entries are there. Modify the page numbers as necessary to accurately reflect the content of the book.
You may need to search again to ensure that the index is complete and contains as many indicators as possible to serve as a guide for readers
Step 6. Review the entries
Check each line of the index to make sure the words are spelled correctly and that the punctuation is correct and consistent. Even if you used the spell checker, you should still check the index yourself as these checkers can miss some mistakes.
Take care that the cross-references match the exact form in which the entry (s) to which they refer are written
Step 7. Establish the final dimensions
The publisher will provide you with dimensions for the page and the margins to apply to the index after completing the post review and review for accuracy. You may have to take care of this yourself or have the publisher do it for you.