Photograph of library shelves full of books with ceiling lights to illuminate them

Ask the Indexers: can’t a computer do that?

Posted on: 29/10/2024

This is the first in a series of blog posts that ask a panel of experienced indexers questions about indexing practice and life as an indexer. These will be appearing regularly over the next few months as our indexers share their expertise and experiences. For this post, we tackle the question indexers field most often
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Human Indexing in a Digital World: Society of Indexers Conference, 18–19 September 2024

Posted on: 27/09/2024

Human indexers from around the world met online in the digital space of Zoom for this year’s SI Conference. Between 50 and 60 members of SI and our sister societies attended over the two days, which were scheduled to enable participation from different time zones. In this post, Tanya Izzard reports on the main events
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How much did I make? — Tracking time and cost of indexing projects with a spreadsheet

Posted on: 09/07/2024

Tracking time and costs is crucial for freelance indexers aiming to maximise earnings and efficiency. In this blog post, Magda Wojcik introduces a comprehensive spreadsheet tool designed to help you accurately track your financials, streamline your workflow, and provide precise quotes for your services. The spreadsheet can be downloaded at the bottom of the screen.
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Alexandra, Freifrau von und zu Bodman, born Alexandra Offensandt von_Berckholtz

Indexing names: wrestling with the nobiliary particle

Posted on: 25/06/2024

Some names have that little bit extra, the nobiliary particle – a preposition or article in a name. The image above shows Alexandra, Freifrau von und zu Bodman, born Alexandra Offensandt von Berckholtz, who provides a good example of the form. How do indexers deal with names like this? Firstly, W. Stephen Gilbert sets out
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A group of women cyclists in a road race, dressed in colourful cycling gear and leaning over to negotiate a corner.

Passing Mentions

Posted on: 11/06/2024

One of the most frequent queries indexers get from clients is “Why is this term not in the index?” In this post, indexer Tanya Izzard explains what passing mentions are, why we sometimes leave them out, and how we make that decision. Definitions Passing mentions (sometimes called passing references or minor mentions) are usually defined
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Indexing Biographies

Posted on: 28/05/2024

In this post indexer W. Stephen Gilbert discusses one of the trickiest aspects of indexing biographical books: how to deal with index entries for the biographical subject, their works and activities. Most indexers will be called upon to index a volume that is more or less biographical. Such tasks pose particular and often quite ticklish
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A woman at home working on her laptop by the window; in front of her, an orange cat is sitting on the windowsill.

Working with self-publishers

Posted on: 14/05/2024

An introduction to working with self-publishing writers Did you know self-published authors sell over 300 million books annually? This burgeoning market presents exciting opportunities for indexers seeking to expand their clientele. However, working with self-publishing authors (also known as independent or indie authors) requires a different approach than working with traditional publishing houses. In this
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Indexing and AI

Posted on: 27/03/2024

There’s rampant speculation about the impact of AI on many aspects of publishing. Here, indexer Tanya Izzard looks at the possible implications of AI for indexing. Definitions and how it works Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be defined as technology that can mimic cognitive functions associated with human intelligence. Generative AI is a type of AI
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Becoming an indexer 4: the pre-qualification indexing assignment (PIA)

Posted on: 01/12/2023

Once you’ve completed the training course modules and tutorials, and passed the necessary assessments, the final stage before you start your professional indexing career is to complete the pre-qualification indexing assignment, known as the PIA. What is the PIA? The PIA is an index to a complete book or document of your choice, of about
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Becoming an indexer 3: tutorials, workshops and other support

Posted on: 24/11/2023

This post follows on from the overview of the training course modules and explains how the other aspects of the SI training course – online tutorials, workshops, practice exercises and advice and support – will help you prepare for a career as an indexer. Support available throughout the course The training course website includes quizzes
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