Indexing style guides
The Chicago Manual of Style, Fifteenth Edition, published by the University of Chicago Press (2003), is the de facto standard for back of book indexes in the United States.
In terms of professional technical documentation, the Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications, Third Edition, published by Microsoft Press (2004), is commonly used. Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry, Second Edition, published by Sun Technical Publications (2003), also provides guidance about concerns that arise in the indexing of technical documentation.
In terms of presentation in print, each index is constructed to suit your style. By doing so, we provide the highest quality, professional index for your books and documents.
There are two main formatting styles in which indexes may appear; indented and run-in. The indented style is the most typical and user-friendly for readers when they scan the index. However, space and page limitations may call for the use of a run-in style index.
The following demonstrate the same entrees in the two formatting styles:
In addition, there are different styles of alphabetization indexes may be presented in, depending on the type of index and the needs of the author/publisher. The letter by letter style is the most common method, however there is also a word by word style...and surprisingly, the differences can be more varied than one might imagine.
In a nutshell (without getting into a protracted study of specific rules) NISO follows alphabetization word-by-word while Chicago follows letter-by-letter (ignoring punctuation marks). Columbia follows letter-by-letter (up to punctuation) while ISO is a hybrid favoring the word-by-word method.
Here's a comparison of the four styles, as presented by Mulvany on p. 121 of Indexing Books (second edition):
Technical documentation styles
Staff can follow or suggest a variety of styles for you. Style guides may be used for simply setting a tone for writing, or serve to inform the parameters and presentation of documentation in a corporate or government setting, for example. In fine-tuning and employing styles, your documentation will harness parameters to bring out character and consistency.
We will help you with recommendations as we form your style ideas. As an example, we use styles in our own technical communication practices, including on this website...you may have noticed the consistency of two main fonts (Trebuchet for readability of text and Garamond Pro for headings) and the ampersand (intended to give a friendlier and less formal edge to the site).
In addition to addressing content, styles also involve processes and decisions related to document design. Using this site as an example once again; when one scrolls down any page, it may be noted how the white space for the text takes on the form of a top hat. This falls in line with the theme of the website. While such a design decision is subtle and may not be immediately apparent, it serves as another example of how design can add depth and character to any documentation.
Staff utilizes various editing methods in document review; including track changes tools in Word, in addition to used conventional methods of copyediting markup language.
Many possibilities
These styles and methods of indexing, technical documentation, and editing are just a few examples in how the attention to detail makes the difference between a professional, polished project and one that is mediocre. The possibilities are endless!
Send your inquiries to Paul at: info@TopHatWordandIndex.com
