Concordances: Part III

It is an index, not a concordance, if it meets these standards:

Usability

• Does the index appropriately anticipate the needs of its users?
• Are the significant concepts indexed?
• Are there appropriate alternative terms for accessing concepts?
• Are special treatments such as italics and boldface appropriate to the complexity of the material and the needs of the user?
• Is there a headnote explaining special treatments?
• Does the format provide for ease in visually scanning the index?
• Is the phrasing of entries and subentries clear, with significant terms first and no unnecessary prepositions?

Coverage

• Does the index cover the ground? Does it do so in an evenhanded fashion?
• Look up a few important topics to see if coverage is adequate.
• The index should go beyond listing the main headings in each chapter or rearranging the table of contents.
• Significant concepts should be indexed, and scattered discussions of a concept should be brought together.
• Irrelevant information, such as scene-setting material or passing mentions, should not be indexed.
• There should be no apparent indexer bias.

Analysis

• Are main entries analyzed appropriately into subentries?
• Are subentries overanalyzed so that the same page numbers are repeated again and again in close proximity to one another?
• Are there strings of undifferentiated locators at an entry?
• Are the number and level of subentries appropriate to the complexity of the book?

Access

• Is there more than one access point to significant concepts?
• The index should use the author’s vocabulary but should also provide alternative terms and cross-references that will give the reader access.
• Entries should be “flipped” where necessary or appropriate.

Cross-referencing

• Are cross-references adequate and useful?
• See also references should send readers to appropriate related material. (Double-posting is preferable to Seereferences that send the reader to an entry with very few page references.)

Accuracy

• There should be no misspellings or typos, no odd page ranges or references out of order.
• Alphabetization of main entries, subentries, and cross-references should be correct.
• Punctuation should be correct.
• Forms of names and terms should be correct and appropriate to the field of specialization.
• Cross-references should neither be circular nor point to missing or differently worded entries.
• “Flipped” entries should have the same page references at both locations in the index.

Style

• Is the style consistent throughout?
• Does the style effectively resolve challenges presented by the text?
• Look at such style points as sorting order, punctuation of cross-references, leading and separator punctuation of locators, abbreviation of inclusive ranges, positioning of cross-references, run-in. vs. indented subentries, capitalization of main entries, use of alternative typefaces.