Writing Software DocumentationA Task- Oriented ApproachChapter 14 – Designing Indexes

Kelly Vincent and Robert Farrell4/576 Online DocumentationApril 9, 2011

Designing Indexes

Good general overview Plan Your Indexing Strategy▪ Review the User Analysis▪ Mark the Index Entries▪ Build the Index▪ Edit the Index

Designing Indexes

Decide What to Index Commands and Functions Concepts User Terms and Questions Glossary Terms Proper Names of Products and

Companies Tasks and Procedures

Designing Indexes

Identify the Level of Detail Mirror the Chicago Manual of Style for

Indexes Decide on Phrasing and Format

Above all, be consistent Criticism▪ No definition of alphabetization▪ Inconsistent use within the text examples

Designing Indexes

Edit and Proofread Editing an index is a daunting task▪ Have someone else look at it

Criticism▪ Does an automatic indexing program have

the same intuition as a human?▪ Are the online indexing sights listed still in

existence?▪ Interesting that Barker talks about profession

indexers

Designing Indexes

Why do we need indexes? More in-depth than a Table of Contents Alternative way to find specific

information

Designing Indexes

What Now? Print versus online versus keywords▪ Each is too different. They cannot be

compared▪ Each is specific for the method of information

delivery they are designed for▪ A product of their time

Designing Indexes

The EndHave a Nice Weekend