Table of Contents

Indexing books / Mulvany (1994)

Citation - Mulvany, N. C. (1994). Indexing books. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Keyword - indexing, index, back-of-the-book_index

這本書成書於1994年,書寫時間當在此之前;可以說是在Google衝擊資訊檢索工作之前。

Ch.1 Introduction

Index 定義

Indexing principle

根據 BS 3700:1988 標準,有索引有以下功能(編號為作者所加):

  1. Identify and locate relevant information within the material being indexed.
    以索引標明資料內的相關資訊
  2. Discriminate between information on a subject and passing mention of a subject.
    區別主題資訊與只是略提到主題的資訊
  3. Exclude passing mention of subjects that offers nothing significant ot the portential user.
    排除只是略提到主題的資訊
  4. Analyse concepts treated in the document so as to produce a series of headings based on its terminology.
    根據其用語,分析文件內的概念以

產生主題標題

  1. Indicate relationships between concepts.
    標明概念間的關係
  2. Group together information on subjects that is scattered by the arrangement of the document.
    將散佈在文件內的概念歸類聚集
  3. Synthesize headings and subheadings into entries.
    將標題與次標題綜合為款目
  4. Direct the user seeking informaiton under terms not chosen for the index headings to the headings that have been chosen, by means of cross-references.
    讓使用者透過詞彙的資訊檢索,而非透過索引的標題。即,透過互見參見機制
  5. Arrange entries into a systematic and helpful order.
    以系統且有用的順序排列款目

Audience

術語

Ch.2 Author and Index / 作者與索引

book contract and index / 書籍(出版)合約與索引

writing process and index / 書寫過程與索引

who should prepare the index / 誰應作索引

應該由作者或是專業編製者來編製索引,一直是一件長久以來的爭議。

作者編製索引的優缺點

索引學習的困難

(本書作者 Mulvany 認為)索引編製過程並不是一件容易學習的工作。在他教導上百個學生索引編製技巧的經驗中,他發現只有少數人能掌握索引編製的技藝。即使經過了30小時的室內授課,加上至少30小時的課外準備時間(在台灣約是一學期,共15周,每週2個小時的課程;一學期的選修課程),有些學生能夠學到規則,但是仍然不能作出適當的索引。另一些學生在選詞階段有不錯的概念化工作,但是在規則的部分弄得一團糟。(p. 22-23)

Hans Wellisch 用學習小提琴來比喻索引編製的學習,只有少數能變成大師。

[XXC]: 索引編製的境界,也許到藝術的層次上,包含了許多專家的內隱知識。用書法來比喻也許是很適當的:到底書寫的目的是為了美感價值,還是表達與傳遞資訊的價值?如果將問題放在傳遞資訊的工作上,內隱的技藝知識的部分是否還存在?這是一個完全不同範疇的問題。因為這兩個內隱知識的問題,是瞄準著不同的知識內涵。

專業索引者編製索引的優缺點

relationship between author and indexer / 作者與索引者的關係

需要提供索引者的

  1. 完整書籍的最後樣張。(某些情況下這並不是最好策略,甚至無法再索引一開始就得到。電腦出版技術的發展也使得此項要求不盡合理。但是就權責而言,這是出版者必須提供的)
  2. 索引的出版樣式規格說明。(編輯)
  3. 若有,作者能著作內的「人名、地名、機構名稱」清單

索引者與作者的合作

Ch.3 Getting Started

the natrue of indexing work

一般索引者的工作程序:

how indexers work

the book production process

what not to index

what is indexable

how to index the indexable material

The effectiveness of any content analysis or indexing system is controlled by two main parameters, indexing exhaustivity and the term specificity. Indexing exhaustivity reflects the degree to which all aspects of the subject matter of a text item are acturally recognized in the indexing product. When indexing is exhaustive, a large number of terms are often assigned, and even minor aspects of the subject area are reflected by the corresponding term assignments. The reverse obtain for nonexhaustive indexing, in which only main aspects of subject content are recognized. Term specificity refers to the degree of breadth or narrowness of terms. (Salton, 1988:227)
  * exhaustivity / 詳盡性
  * specificity / 明確具體性

* Term selection / 選詞

interpretation the publisher's instuctions

索引工作開始前,索引者要先了解出版社對索引的期望。出版社的要求可以歸納為兩種:

  1. 與出版社的出版樣式一致
  2. 索引的長度(頁數)

出版社的索引樣式

每個出版社都會有不同的索引樣式,基本上可以大略將索引樣式的要求區分為:

估算索引頁數

Ch.4 Structure of entries / 款目結構

索引一方面有超連結的性質,另一方面也具有階層式的結構

Ch.5 Arrangment of entries / 款目排列

Ch.6 特別考量

multiauthored works / 多作者作品

(p. 144-145)

multivolume works / 多冊作品

Ch.7 Names, Names, Names / 名詞(修詞)

Ch.8 Format and Layout of the Index / 呈現格式

Ch.9 Editing the Index / 編輯校對

Ch.10 Tools for Indexing / 索引編製工具

manual methods

3x5 index card method

the text file method

automatic indexing