Why Indexing Is Important
and How the Indexing SIG Can Help

(This information is taken directly from the Indexing SIG brochure.)

Our readers--like the rest of us--suffer from information overload. They cannot afford to spend a lot of time searching for the information they need. This is especially true when readers are using online documentation.

Whether we are developing printed or online documentation, a well-crafted index is the best retrievability tool we can provide our readers. The index must meet the needs of all readers: those who are experienced with the product or technology, those who are familiar with a competitor's product, and those who have no experience with the subject matter.

But I Don't Know Anything About Indexing!

That's OK, join anyway. This is a good way to learn. Most technical writers have to create an index sometime during their career, so you might as well do it right. Joining the Indexing SIG will put you in touch with other interested writers and professional indexers - a great way to learn!

Why Is It Important to You?

Improving your indexing skills can also help you become a better writer! As you index, you will find:

inconsistencies in terminology,
typographical errors,
organizational problems,
stylistic inconsistencies, and
imbalances in the discussion of topics.

In other words, you can (and should!) use the index as an editing tool to improve the quality of your documentation, increase customer satisfaction, and reduce costly product support time because the product is easier to learn and use.

Learn Key Indexing Skills

The Indexing SIG can help you:

determine how readers will search for information,
create access points to important concepts,
group together information that is scattered throughout the document,
discriminate between useful information and passing references, and
provide readers with an excellent retrievability tool that increases customer satisfaction.

But Why Join a SIG?

STC's Special Interest Groups provide a forum for people with similar interests to network, learn new skills, and share their knowledge with others. The Indexing SIG can help you build your indexing skills by:

providing information to help you improve the quality and usability of your indexes,
sharpening your analytical skills,
encouraging retrievability techniques that increase customer satisfaction,
promoting communication between STC members and the indexing community, and
letting you know about the indexing resources available.

Even Online Indexes?

Although locator systems are different in electronic media than in printed books, the basic principles of indexing apply to both online indexes and back-of-the-book indexes. And as even more information goes online, these indexes become critical. The Indexing SIG will help you improve your indexing skills for all types of information delivery.

What the SIG Does

Indexing SIG activities focus on communication, education, and publication. Planned activities include:

an Indexing SIG newsletter
an Indexing SIG Web Page
chapter-level SIG meetings
interaction with the professional indexing community

A to Z, the Indexing SIG newsletter, is published three times a year, in January, May, and September. The newsletter contains articles and editorials by SIG members (that's you!), Q&A section with reader questions that everyone can learn from, information about indexing resources, workshop schedules, chapter SIG meetings, related events, and job/contract opportunities.

For more information about the Indexing SIG, including joining, contact Cheryl Landes.
For more information on STC, visit their web site at www.stc.org.
For general information about and a list of all STC SIGs, go to the STC SIG Information Page.
Please contact Seth Maislin for comments regarding this web site.

Why Indexing Is Important and How the Indexing SIG Can Help