v Indexing

The function of an index is to provide the user with an efficient means of tracing information. Very few short documents would require an index; very few long documents work efficiently without one.

Far too many people try to produce their own indexes, and end up with an unhelpful, incomplete and ultimately frustrating index. Computer-generated indexes are only the start of the indexer’s work.

No standard office PC application can analyse concepts in such a way as to produce a series of relevant headings; no machine can decide what to include, what to cross-reference, and what to synthesise into new headings to produce a comprehensive, easy-to-use index. For example, your document may talk about paper-clips and pens; an indexer would include a heading for ‘stationery’, whereas a PC will only find words that appear in the text. When it comes to the ‘synthesis of concepts’, the human brain beats software every time!

Indexing is a specialist task best left to the specialists, and all our indexing is carried out in accordance with the British Standards detailed on the Proofreading part of this site, and with all relevant British Standards.