Back-of-Book Indexing
Go to the back of a non-fiction book and, hopefully, you will find an alphabetical list of people, places and topics that are discussed in the book and the page numbers where these discussions are found.
Most of us were taught how to use indexes in elementary or high school, and we all wanted to find specifics for a term paper without having to read the entire book. It was so frustrating if we found what seemed to be the perfect book, but we just couldn’t find precisely what we needed listed in the index (or, heaven forbid, it turned out there was no index at all). You know you have the answer in your hand, but you’ll settle instead on a book that’s a distant second-best because its index clearly states that it has information on your topic on pages 20, 34, and 158-75. You’ll have to stretch things a bit to meet the requirements for your paper, but that’s easier than scanning the 800 pages of the otherwise-perfect source.
Comprehensiveness, usability and readability must all be considered in the creation of an effective index. It must identify all components of the book’s argument and purpose at a consistent depth. The list of entries, while representative of the vocabulary used within the book, must also account for synonyms and terms more commonly understood by the reader. Specific ideas and facts must be related to their greater concepts. The presentation must be easy to scan and as visually pleasing and possible.
Indexing is a form of writing, and is even copyrighted as such. Black Cat Indexing goes so far to consider it an art.
For information about contracting for an index, see our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) or submit a Request for Estimate.