Kdysi jsem indexoval jednu či dvě knihy, nicméně doufám, že s kvalitou práce pokročím k lepšímu. K tématu indexu čtu dobrou knihu od Nancy Mulvany, profesionální autorky indexů, bývalé presidentky American Society of Indexers. Zde je přehledný obsah její knihy:
1. Introduction to Book Indexing
Information Overload
Open-system vs. Closed-system Indexing
The Future of the Book
The Index as Paratext
The Long History of Indexes
What Is an Index?
The Purpose of an Index
The Audience: Who Uses Indexes?
Terminology
References
2. The Author and the Index
The Book Contract and the Index
The Writing Process and the Index
Who Should Prepare the Index?
Relationship between Author and Indexer
3. Getting Started
The Book Production Proces
The Nature of Indexing Work
What Not to Index
What Is Indexable?
How to Index the Indexable Material
Interpreting the Publisher’s Instructions
Usability and Index Style
Estimating the Size of an Index
4. Structure of Entries
External Structure
Internal Structure
5. Arrangement of Entries
Order of Characters
Word-by-Word Alphabetizing
Letter-by-Letter Alphabetizing
Basic Rules Affecting Both Alphabetizing Orders
Other Alphabetizing Guidelines
Nonalphabetic Arrangement in Indexes
How to Choose an Arrangement Order
6. Special Concerns in Indexing
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Uppercase and Lowercase Letters
International Characters
Numerals, Symbols, and Other Nonalphabetic Characters in Entries
Multiauthored Works
Multivolume Works
Multiple Indexes
Translations
Single-source Indexing
7. Names, Names, Names
Personal Names
Names with Only a Forename
Roman Names
Obscure Names
Names with Particles
Non-European Names
Geographic Names
Organization Names
Alphabetizing of Names
Names of Works
8. Format and Layout of the Index
Overall Index Style
Indented Style
Run-in Style
Other Styles
Cross-reference Format and Placement
Special Typography
Final Submission Format
Layout of the Index
9. Editing the Index
Editing by the Indexer
Review by the Author
Editing by the Editor
Reducing the Length of an Index: Tips for Editors
Revising an Index for a Revised Edition
10. Tools for Indexing
Manual Methods
Automatic Indexing
Computer-aided Indexing
The Future
Appendix A: Index Specifications Worksheet
Appendix B: Resources for Indexers
References
Index
Kromě různých technikálií (obzvláště důležitá je v tomto ohledu kap. 3) jsou v knize i některé pasáže poukazující na vznešenost indexovacího umění:
Reading a book as an indexer is very different from reading the book as an interested reader. The indexer must be able to read quickly and at the same time accurately synthesize the material being read. In well-written and well-edited books, the overall structure of the index emerges in tandem with the discussion in the text. Highly structured books are often the easiest books to index. For example, a programmer’s reference guide for a Java programming product will be much easier to index than Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time. Reference books for programming languages are often highly structured documents that discuss discrete elements one at a time. Being and Time is also highly structured, but the discussion deals with complex conceptual issues that build upon one another.
The indexer becomes immersed in the flow of the writing. It is inevitable that the indexer will internalize the voice and tone of the author. At the same time, though, the indexer must consider the reader’s perspective, adding cross-references where needed and picking up on nuances chapter three that are not clearly stated. The indexing process is intense. Chances are that no other reader will read the book in such a focused manner in such a short amount of time as does the indexer.
Many indexers hold the structure of the index in their minds as they work. It always amazes me that while indexing page 324 I can remember that the same topic was discussed earlier, although that earlier discussion may have been as far back as page 98. For the length of time an indexer works on a book, the indexer lives and breathes the language of the book. This is why some experienced indexers turn down work they are quite capable of doing; they do not want their consciousness flooded with the theme of the book!
Indexers must be able to recognize details. More important, the indexer must be able to see relationships between details and organize them into meaningful order. While indexers must be detail-oriented, they must also be able to synthesize information and communicate the synthesis to the readers. This ability requires sharp communication skills and the ability to empathize with the audience. The indexer is constantly balancing the words of the author with the needs of the reader. The index is ultimately an interface between the author and the reader. It is the most heavily used portion of some books. Theindexer’s ability to meet the demands of the text and the reader’s needs will determine the overall usability of the index, and of the book as well.
Indexing by its very nature is intense. The intensity is compounded by the pressure of the book’s production schedule. A two-week period to index a three-hundred-page book is not uncommon. A three-week schedule is considered generous.
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LITERATURA
- Mulvany, Nancy C. (1994/2005) Indexing books. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
- Chicago Manual of Style (patnácté vydání - šestnácté nemám k disposici)
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