Subject index

“ Despite the dramatic increase in accessibility to the post-1980 listings, a search of the printed subject indexes or online file must sometimes be supplemented by a reading of appropriate sections in the classified volumes. Although the number of index terms has grown steadily each year, many broad studies can be described in only the most general terms, and some publications, lacking a thesis or any discernible focus, cannot be given any descriptors. Subject indexing, at its best, is an imperfect art. ”

“ Every day the great truth that keys to knowledge are more and more required is generally appreciated.
As a groundwork for such a general index, selection could be made from the books already mentioned; and from the index volumes of Watt's Bibliotheca [pg 220] Britannica (1824) , which, with all its faults, is one of the most valuable helps to bibliography, and the subject index of James Darling's Cyclopædia Bibliographica (1854-1859) , many useful references could be obtained. ”

“ Three indexes: persons; titles; subjects (with works appearing in the lists of recommended studies indexed in only the last) . Given the principles determining placement of a work and the sometimes confusing organization, the subject index offers the best access to contents. Thorough in its annotations, usually judicious in selection and evaluation, and covering some non-English language works, Reference Guide for English Studies is a valuable complement to the present Literary Research Guide and a trustworthy companion for the novice as well as for the advanced scholar. ”

“ See entry I512 for an evaluation of the EBSCO search interface, which all of the Social Sciences databases use. Although Social Sciences Index is limited in coverage, its subject indexing and extensive cross-references make it a good source for locating articles on literary topics and authors in journals not covered by the standard bibliographies and indexes in section G.
Education, political science, religion, and sociology are also covered in International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (I519) . ”

“ I have bought many books, and at their ends I make an index of all the facts that concern my work; or, if the book is not my own, write out a separate abstract, and of such abstracts I have a large drawer full. Before beginning on any subject I look to all the short indexes and make a general and classified index, and by taking the one or more proper portfolios I have all the information collected during my life ready for use. ”

“ Organized by subject area, then in order of processing, entries consist of ERIC document number, bibliographical citation, a list of descriptors (based on the current edition of Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors) and identifiers (terms not in the Thesaurus) used to create the subject index, and an abstract. Three indexes in each issue and cumulation (subjects; authors; journal contents) ; cumulative index: CIJE: Current Index to Journals in Education: Cumulated Author Index, 1969–1984 (1985; 2,218 pp.) . Resources in Education (RIE) . Washington: GPO, 1967–2002. Monthly, with annual cumulation. ”

“ The closeness with which a book is to be indexed depends partly upon the nature of its contents and partly upon the ideas of the author or publisher. Some indexes contain only the page references; some are so analytical that a reader can gain an excellent idea of the subject-matter itself. These, however, represent the two extremes. The ordinary index aims to give every reference necessary to enable the reader to locate easily the subject-matter for which he searches, but not a synopsis of that subject-matter. ”

“ Even by the aid of the English index to the work, issued by its foreign publishers, the reader who is in hasty quest of information in the Britannica, will most frequently be baffled by not finding any minor subject in the index. ”

“ A good index is one which enables the reader or student to locate readily the subject or item which he seeks. It is usually best for an author to make his own index. A professional indexer is inclined to overload an index; the author, with his knowledge of the subject and a little study, will generally produce a better working index.
[pg 7]
Our usual style of index is two columns to the page, set in 8-point type, with not more than two indentions. ”

“ After the student has found out by personal interviews, reading current literature, etc., who are the most reliable writers on the subject in hand, he should always consult this index of authors to determine whether any of their books are available. ”

“ Though the user knows just where to turn to his subject in the tables, by first consulting the index he may be sent to other allied subjects, where he will find valuable matter which he would otherwise overlook. ”

“ In these articles one will find almost limitless material on nearly every popular topic of the day— political, economic, scientific, social, educational. The writers, too, are often of national and even of international reputation, and the opinions and ideas given here are frequently as weighty and progressive as can be found. In searching through an index for articles upon a certain subject, one should invariably look under several headings. ”

“ After this date, however, the Index continued to grow, and it extended to thirty-two folio volumes, all written by Baillet's own hand."
S knowledge increases and books and magazines gather in number, the need for many indexes becomes daily more evident. We often are certain that something has been written on a subject in which we are interested, but in vain we seek for a clue to it. ”

“ The labour and patience, the judgment and penetration which are required to make a good index is only known to those who have gone through this most painful, but least praised part of a publication. But laborious as it is, I think it is indispensably necessary to manifest the treasures of any multifarious collection, facilitate the knowledge to those who seek it, and invite them to make application thereof. ”

“ To make an index requires a quick grasp of the idea contained in each sentence or paragraph, an immediate discernment of the main thought, an instinctive classification, absolute accuracy in translating this thought into its briefest expression, ability to condense, and a sensing of the reader's needs in adequate cross-references. ”

“ It will be seen that such an index as is here sketched would be an inestimable help to the student. It would form a useful supplement to the Dictionary of National Biography, for it must be remembered that such an index would contain a majority of references to men and women whose claims to distinction or notoriety do not attain to the standard set up by the promoters of that grand work. ”

“ An Index should be distinguished from what is usually called, Table of Contents, which affords an analytical view of the different topics, progressively, while the index is intended to facilitate occasional reference. ”

“ The literature of science is becoming so voluminous that classified indexes are absolutely essential to the student who would obtain an adequate idea of what is going on in his specialty. This index, in its own fullness, illustrates the fact. ”

“ Scientific books are the most difficult to index; but here there is a difference [pg 121] between the science of fact and the science of thought, the latter being the most difficult to deal with. The indexing of books of logic and ethics will call forth all the powers of the indexer and show his capabilities; but what we call the science of fact contains opinions as well as facts, and some branches of political economy are subjects by no means easy to index.
Some authors indicate their line of reasoning by the compilation of headings. ”

“ Having said so much, it seems necessary [pg 217] to explain rather more fully what the general index should contain and what should be omitted. To explain it in a few words, it should be a sort of encyclopædia of references rather than of direct information; but it should contain more headings than any existing encyclopædia. Every one must have felt the want of some book which would give information or references on a large number of subjects that are constantly topics of ordinary conversation, but are consistently ignored in the ordinary books of reference. ”

“ The value of indexes was recognized in the earliest times, and many old books have full and admirably constructed ones. A good index has sometimes kept a dull book alive by reason of the value or amusing character of its contents. ”

“ The index is his sole guide to reviewing. If he finds his pet topics there he can hunt them down remorselessly. But if there is no index, he is cast adrift helpless, knowing neither where to begin nor where to end his review. ”

“ Since it ceased to be a paid employment and became a devotion we have had only those people who obeyed the call of an aptitude at work upon these things. Here—I must show you it to-day, because it will interest you—we have our copy of the encyclopaedic index—every week sheets are taken out and replaced by fresh sheets with new results that are brought to us by the aeroplanes of the Research Department. It is an index of knowledge that grows continually, an index that becomes continually truer. ”

“ It will be my desire to consider subjects of merely scientific interest and value, as fully as scientific students can reasonably desire; and, that such discussions may not confuse or perplex those who only read or study with practical ends in view, a very full index is added, so that the whereabouts of any topic, either of practical or scientific value, can be easily ascertained. ”

“ An unindexed book is like an unexplored continent. It may contain streams of thought which might be sources of power if known. Diamonds and gold may there be hidden away. The index is the explorer's chart to the undiscovered country. The great stores of a work like The Expositor's Bible are not realized until they are tabulated in an index. The chemistry of thought has produced many a gem for this great work. This index will show where they are. The compiler has endeavored to make a complete, comprehensive, and practical index to this series. ”

“ To serve its purpose well, an index to a book must be compiled with care, the references being placed under the heading that the reader is most likely to seek. An index should be one and indivisible, and not broken up into several alphabets; thus every work, whether in one or more volumes, ought to have its complete index. ”

“ INDEX The intelligent use of an index requires careful thought and practice upon the part of the reader or consulter. Many books are over-indexed, and trifling allusions, or even words, made to swell the index. ”

“ Common feeling with the consulter and insight into his mind, so that the indexer may put the references he has drawn from the book under headings where they are most likely to be sought.
5. General knowledge, with the power of overcoming difficulties.
The ignorant man cannot make a good index. The indexer will find that his miscellaneous knowledge is sure to come in useful, and that which he might doubt would ever be used by him will be found to be helpful when least expected. It may seem absurd to make out that the good indexer should be a sort of Admirable Crichton. ”

“ If, with the aid of an index, he can turn readily to several instances where more experienced writers have solved problems like his own, he will undertake his new task with a clearer idea of what to do and how to do it. ”

“ The first part of the classification, as published, contains the first six classifications and a combined index to them all. The seventh, the fullest classification, will have 10 sections. Five of them are published, each with its own index. Of two (Social sciences and Language and literature) about half is published. When these and the other three (Natural sciences, Industrial arts, Recreative and fine arts) are printed, a full index to the whole will be made. ”

“ The advantages of an Index will, it is hoped, be too patent to need any comment, except perhaps that with its assistance a character may be found even if its sound is unknown, provided that some other character be familiar in the group to which it belongs. ”

“ An index of great complexity, one full of scientific difficulties, was once made by a very able man. The précis was admirable, and the various subjects were gathered together under their headings with great skill—in fact, it could not well have been more perfect ”

“ It is pitiful to see a person leafing through a book trying to find information on some question at issue, when in a minute he could find in the index just the page or section in which this topic is treated, and so spend the time gathering data instead of wasting it in a random search for the information desired. ”

“ The advantage of this plan is that a précis can be made of the articles or papers which will be useful to the reader as containing an abstract of the contents, much of which might not be of sufficient importance to be sorted out in the alphabet; in the case where the entries are important they can be duplicated in the alphabet. A good specimen of this plan of indexing [pg 159] may be found in the indexes to the Journal of the Statistical Society. ”

“ The value of anything, it has been observed, is best known by the want of it. Agreeably to this idea, we, who have often experienced great inconveniences from the want of indices, entertain the highest sense of their worth and importance. We know that in the construction of a good index, there is far more scope for the exercise of judgment and abilities, than is commonly supposed. We feel the merits of the compiler of such an index, and we are ever ready to testify our thankfulness for his exertions. ”