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ANZSI Conference Report 2005

By Glenda: First published in Online Currents – 20 (4) May 2005

The renamed Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers (previously AusSI, the Australian Society of Indexers) recently held a two-day conference at the delightful Rydges Riverwalk hotel on the Yarra River, in Richmond, Melbourne.

The conference covered the usual wide range of topics, including indexing of sound, journals, books and databases, as well as thesaurus construction and a user’s approach to indexes.  However, for me, the most stimulating and productive parts of the conference were the various meetings, which, while specifically related to indexers, also addressed issues that many societies are now considering. read more

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ANZSI 2013 conference – references from EPUB talks

References on EPUB3 and ebook indexes

for papers presented at the ANZSI conference, Wellington, March 2013.

Author-it. 2012. ‘ePubs Publishing Extension’, http://www.author-it.com/index.php?page=epub

Baker, Mark. 2012. ‘Too big to browse; too small to search’, http://everypageispageone.com/2012/03/03/too-big-to-browse-too-small-to-search/

BNA Law School Education Series. ‘Using online indexes’, http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2248375/Using%20BNA%20Indexes%20study.pdf

Book authoring software, http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Book%20authoring%20software read more

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ANZSI 2013 indexing conference in Wellington, New Zealand

Many of the papers from the ANZSI 2013 indexing conference in Wellington, New Zealand are now available at https://www.anzsi.org/site/2013Confpap.asp including:

EPUB3 Indexes Charter and the future of indexing – Glenda Browne

Glenda will be talking about the importance of the IDPF EPUB Indexes Working Group for ebook indexing from the point of view of editors and publishers. The EPUB Indexes specification (currently in draft form) sets the scene for an invigorated ebook indexing environment. It will enable the creation of active, linked indexes with all the functionality of a print index and a lot more.  Glenda will discuss:

  • EPUB philosophy
  • IDPF EPUB Indexes Working Group
  • Complementary nature of browse, search and index
  • EPUB coding – general approaches
  • Specific indexing issues: eg, page numbers and ranges; index groups; cross-references; filtering
  • Ways that editors can help indexers, eg, logical structure of texts; use of textual headings; consistency.

Paper

Indexing techniques and EPUB – Jan Wright and Glenda Browne

In this two-part session, Glenda and Jan will discuss software options and combinations used in today’s eContent indexing.  Jan will cover how page layout software, word processing, and our own indexing packages can be used to embed, link, or prepare indexes for a variety of outputs: PDF, ebook, print, etc. Glenda will cover tips and techniques for how to index differently for ebooks. When there are no pages, it is even more important to keep the reader and their route to the text in mind. read more

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Automatic Indexing

  • Database indexing
  • Retrieval and ranking tools
  • Document abstracting
  • Book indexing
  • Indexicon
  • Effect of automatic methods on professionals
  • References

Introduction

This paper will examine developments in automatic indexing and abstracting in which the computer creates the index and abstract, with little or no human intervention. The emphasis is on practical applications, rather than theoretical studies. This paper does not cover computer-aided indexing, in which computers enhance the work of human indexers, or indexing of the Internet.

Research into automatic indexing and abstracting has been progressing since the late 1950’s. Early reports claimed success, but practical applications have been limited. Computer indexing and abstracting are now being used commercially, with prospects for further use in the future. The history of automatic indexing and abstracting is well covered by Lancaster (1991). read more

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Freelance Indexing

Presented at the August Indexer conference, Hobart, 1999

This paper is a practical approach to starting and developing an indexing career.

There is no direct career path into indexing, and most of us discover it through a chance stroke of luck. Indexing is very often done freelance, and getting started is hard as clients are often reluctant to employ someone with no track record of successful work.

Once the work starts coming, you have to develop skills in satisfying clients, which depends largely on listening to their requirements, and making sure you fulfil them. Promoting your indexing service then ensures that you have an adequate supply of work, and, eventually, that you are able to chose the work you prefer at the rates you deserve. read more

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Information Online 2007

Convergence

Considers the convergence in the work done by indexers, librarians, records managers and computer specialists, now working as information architects, taxonomists and digital librarians.

convergence in the work done by indexers, librarians, records managers and computer specialists, now working as information architects, taxonomists and digital librarians.