The Art of Indexing [Hardcover]

Larry S. Bonura (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471014494 | ISBN-13: 978-0471014492 | Publication Date: March 23, 1994 | Edition: 1

A step-by-step guide to creating comprehensive and usable technical indexes. Numerous surveys indicate that the most common complaint about technical documents concern a poorly designed index--or the lack of an index altogether! An organized, thoughtful index not only ensures that the contents of your book are accessible, but also increases the value of your book. In The Art of Indexing, professional indexer and editorial consultant Larry Bonura addresses the indexing problems specific to technical documentation and presents practical solutions to those problems. The Art of Indexing shows technical writers, editors, and documentation managers how to chart the topics of their books, reports, and documents and present a concise and accurate map that readers, researchers, libraries, bookstores, and reviewers can use to maximize the usefulness of their book. Step-by-step, The Art of Indexing shows you how to become a better indexer by:
* Discussing the function of an index
* Showing how to estimate indexing time
* Presenting methods for selecting entries and subentries
* Reviewing reasons for cross-referencing
* Describing how to treat locators
* Offering an extensive editing checklist for reviewing indexes
* Covering indexing for online documents
* Including numerous usability tests for verifying the strength of an index
* Containing information on indexing standards
* Providing sample indexes and a sample indexing style guide
* And much more!

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Here is an ``instant'' course in indexing for anyone who doesn't have the time to take a seminar or semester long course. Short lesson chapters guide you through each step of the indexing process. The author discusses the function of an index, teaches you how to estimate indexing time, shows how to select entries and sub-entries, covers indexing for on-line documents and more. A practical, thorough guide that makes an excellent desktop reference book.

From the Inside Flap

A writer once remarked that "The presence of an index means that the author and publisher respect the book and that a reader will respect it." A document without an index has been likened to a country without a map; and it is generally accepted that nearly every work of nonfiction is far more useful if it includes such a chart in the form of an index. This is especially true for technical documents, which delve into multiple topics and subtopics from which readers may want to pick and choose. Now Larry Bonura, a writer and consultant with more than twenty-five years in the publishing, operating systems, and editorial management industries, addresses the special indexing needs of technical writers in The Art of Indexing. This practical handbook gives you all the information you need to create indexes that will pass the toughest of usability tests. Step-by-step, The Art of Indexing leads you through the process of creating a high-quality index for your technical book, document, or report. You’ll learn the seven major tasks to help you create a better index—from defining your index and targeting your audience to creating the actual index and editing it for content and format. Separate, self-contained chapters cover alphabetizing methods, creating cross-references, and working with locators. You’ll learn how to estimate indexing time and length, select main entries and subentries, emphasize important page references, use the special rules of grammar for indexing, and more. The Art of Indexing also shows you how to test your index for the five most important index criteria: accuracy, appropriate depth, conciseness, cross-references, and logicalness. It includes a number of sample indexes and a useful sample indexing style guide that you can use as a checklist against your own index. Finally, you’ll find useful features like "Twelve Tips for Better Indexing" and a quick reference list of indexing "Do’s" and "Don’ts." There’s even information on the wave of the future—online indexing—and an examination of the latest indexing software. Comprehensive in scope, practical, and user-friendly, The Art of Indexing shows technical writers, editors, indexers, and managers how to chart the topics of their document to present a concise and accurate map for readers, thus maximizing the potential of one of the most important features of their technical document.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 23, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471014494
• ISBN-13: 978-0471014492
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #190,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A very disappointing book, October 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Indexing (Hardcover)

Sorry dear readers, but this book is poorly written, shallow in its treatment of the subject, and often factually inaccurate.

The mostly bullet-point and numbered-list style does not lend itself to sufficient examples and explanations, and the grammar errors will absolutely drive you to distraction if you're a good writer.

Here's a sample of some of Bonura's tangled writing from page 78: "While 'see' references are usually italicized when used in indexes, the only time they are usually not italicized is when used in a cross-reference that is also italicized." Got that?

If you only buy one book on this subject, choose from among these three: (1) Nancy Mulvany's "Indexing Books," (2) Hans Wellisch's "Indexing from A to Z," or (3) the chapter on indexes from "The Chicago Manual of Style." All three are available from Amazon.com.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Four Dollars More Gets You Chicago, June 28, 2000

By 

Yves Jeaurond - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Indexing (Hardcover)

The "Reprint permissions" (p. xii) indicate excerpts from the Chicago Manual of Style in ch. 2, 14 and 21 of Bonura's very short primer. For less than five dollars more, you can get all of the Chicago Manual of Style + its extensive chapter 17 on indexing--what a deal! Bonura's "real-world examples" to managing an index (pp.123-125) are unclear--it's hard to see what he is trying to illustrate. Sorry, the 'art' of indexing is just too much 'marketing' for the price.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will make you an expert., December 6, 1999

By 

Jan Kimball (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Indexing (Hardcover)

I took indexing for granted because I had writers who created wonderful indexes. Then I had to create some myself. This was not so wonderful.

Larry's book covers the fundamentals of indexing and the pitfalls to avoid indexes that aren't worth the time. He also defines 'achieving completeness' by detailing the key components of: exhaustiveness, precision, faithfullness to the wording of the text, and usability. And for advanced indexers, he includes the Wheatley Medal criteria...something that will help us novices, too.

Larry also spends time taking the mystery out how to assemble the index. He explores all the methods and speaks to their positives and negatives.

Larry's material is excellent, exhaustive, and concise...it's user-friendly. I especially appreciated the sample indexing style guide. Hooray for consistency!

Thanks, Larry. You're an answer to prayer.