Handbook of Indexing Techniques: A Guide for Beginning Indexers

by Linda K. Fetters

This handbook on indexing techniques is intended for three groups of * occasional indexers, such as authors and technical writers, who may be called upon to index their own books;
* anyone interested in becoming a professional indexer who is looking for concrete examples or techniques for learning how to index;
* librarians who need a review of indexing techniques. In this book you will find explanations of indexing techniques along with examples of each topic discussed. Since it is not an exhaustive study of indexing, the bibliographies at the end of most chapters contain many suggestions for further reading and study. In this third edition of the Handbook, Cynthia Bertelsen has completely revised her four chapters on reference works for indexers. All information in the remaining chapters has also been updated.

Genres: Reference, Library Science

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1999

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Achieves precisely what it aims to: guiding beginning indexers (or anyone interested in the topic) to the considerations of creating a good index. This includes systems of alphabetizing, choosing/writing headings and subheadings, formatting, tools, resources, and the relevance of indexes in electronic documents. As an aspiring author, I think this is the place to start—even before the indexing section of The Chicago Manual of Style. Recommended.

[R. Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its purpose is to give guidance to new indexers, and that's what it does very well. It's concise, yet it includes everything a new indexer will need to know. With practice, a new indexer can then move on to more comprehensive resources, such as Nancy Mulvany's "Indexing Books."

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very helpful introduction to the basics of indexing. Its greatest value lies in the abundance of resources cited in the text.

[Mark Boszko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems like there's a lot of good solid information for people getting started indexing, but if you've read Mulvany’s “Indexing Books,” there's not an awful lot new here. I got this book because I'm indexing a periodical journal, but the additional information provided here could be summed up as: it's going to be longer; it's going to be harder because there are multiple authors with varying terminology; the terminology may change over time.

That said, there is extensive coverage of newspaper indexing, as well as a good discussion on electronic indexing.

[Jennifer Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine book and comprehensive overview for anyone thinking of making indexing of books, documents, e-docs or ebooks their occupation, or part of their career. If you get seriously into indexing you'll need even more than Fetters' handbook though. Look for a comprehensive review in the Dec 2013 issue of AIIP 'Connections'.