Text-Based Indexing

Back-of-Book Indexing

Back-of-book indexing may seem on the face of it to be a matter of picking out a few keywords from the text and shoving them into an index. In fact, even the software can do this! However, one difficulty the software has is finding terms that are not in the document. Hmm! This is where the human indexer becomes useful.

Master Indexing can provide the following book indexing and related services:

  • Primary, secondary and tertiary textbooks.
  • Technical documents and reports.
  • Manuals, including computer manuals.
  • Annual reports.
  • Conference proceedings
  • Indexing experience in a broad range of subject disciplines including biological and physical sciences; health/medical sciences; botany; zoology; geology; meteorology; oceanography; agriculture; mathematics; business; accounting; social sciences; Indigenous peoples; art; history; education; environment; travel; philosophy; linguistics; sports; archaeology; geography; commerce; information systems/technology.
  • Indexing can be carried out using dedicated indexing software (Macrex), or by using software like Microsoft Word™, Frame Maker™, or XML-based programmes.
  • Indexing can be done to suit almost any style.

Master Indexing has created in excess of 1400 book indexes, so is well credentialed to handle any indexing task presented.


Journal Indexing

Journal indexes are not the same as database indexes. Journal indexes provide indexing for a single journal or magazine title, whereas database indexing provides indexing for a selection of articles from a range of journals, reports, books, conference proceedings, etc. Types of journal indexing covered include:

  • Annual indexes.
  • Cumulative indexes.
  • Broad range of subjects covered, as for books.

Indexes can be developed to cover:

  • Author only entries.
  • Author/title entries.
  • Title entries.
  • Subject entries.

Indexes can be developed as stand alone, or integrated for use with web pages.


Database Indexing

Master Indexing can provide database indexing for a range of materials. Records can be input into skeleton records (ie: a field structure with the basic bibliographic details of author, title and source already filled in), template records, or input from scratch depending on the requirements. Apart from providing keywords (subject terms) from a designated controlled vocabulary (thesaurus), and non-keyword terms (identifiers or non-thesaurus terms), abstracts can be written as well.

Materials, which can be indexed into a database, include:

  • Individual journal articles, either as loose papers or selected journal articles.
  • Cover to cover indexing of journals.
  • Conference proceedings, either individual papers or cover to cover.
  • Books, or book chapters.
  • Reports, particularly annual reports.

Master Indexing is familiar with a range of database software.