Introduction to Indexing and Abstracting

by Donald B. Cleveland, Ana D. Cleveland

Based on new research and years of practical experience, this guide presents the basic knowledge necessary to become a professional indexer. Synthesizing the thinking and experience of indexers and abstractors over the years, the book introduces readers to such fundamentals as the nature of information, the organization of information, vocabulary control, types of indexes and abstracts, evaluation of indexing, and the use of computers. A new chapter on indexing and the Internet has been added, as has a chapter that lists Web resources for indexers and abstractors. The work concludes with a discussion of the education, training, and job opportunities of the profession, as well as a look to the future. With its simple but thorough approach, this book provides readers with a broad overview of the professions, processes, and art of indexing and abstracting.

Genres: Nonfiction, Library Science, Reference, Textbooks, Writing

298 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1982

Reviews

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the textbook for my Indexing and Abstracting class this semester (Spring 2023). It was pretty easy to read and it had good information as an introduction to the field of indexing. I plan to keep the textbook. I like the idea of indexing. Maybe I'll do some on the side eventually, but I will definitely need more education in the field.

[Woody]

Plenty of great techniques and explanations of concepts.

Another reviewer mentioned the Wikipedia citations -- it is a little weird... some things I think could have benefitted from a citation weren't (p. 295, "The results of this technique have been mixed, with some abstracts reading very well and others not so well" -- could you point me to some examples of each here, please?), while other things didn't need a citation, but were cited with Wikipedia (p. 10 -- the internet has been super important... Wikipedia 2012...). I don't mind their self-citations -- they've earned it.

Anyway, a very useful book. If you want to understand indexing and abstracting and start doing it, this one is very valuable.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful introduction into the world of indexing and abstracting. However, the text could have benefited from additional practical examples as these were limited. I found it questionable the authors regularly cited Wikipedia articles, and never explained the reasoning behind their unconventional choice to do so.

[Sonia Reppe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Text book for my Intro to Indexing and Abstracting class. Even though this text book is from 2001, the rules of indexing don't change as fast as other areas in the information sciences, so I don't know if the next edition would come out any time soon.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hooray for finishing my class! I have taken several classes with Dr. Ana Cleveland so I was happy this was the text we used for the class. It was very informative and I learned a lot about indexing. Never take an index for granted! They are a lot of hard work.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the butler indexes it at the end....I'll let you know when I get there.

[Everett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty dry and informative reading.