========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 11:50:28 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Elinor Lindheimer Subject: Re: hello ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- In reply to Mark, who is new at indexing and new to Index-L, I recommend you contact the American Society of Indexers and get their introductory packet. You can reach them at asi@well.sf.ca.us. You'll be amazed at how much you learn from fellow indexers--join us! Good luck! Elinor Lindheimer ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 11:50:49 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Mike Van Fossen Organization: UNC Subject: Re: In-Reply-To: ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Could we please put SUBJECTS on all messages on this list? I'm on several lists, get alot of email, don't read all messages, and delete according to subject. (And I can't be the only person who does this!) If a message has no subject, I have to take the time to look at it. Surely anyone who posts a message can determine what their message is about and put that on the Subject line. Thanks. Michael Van Fossen ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 11:51:18 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Carol Roberts Subject: Re: hello ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >Hi, I am new to the listserv. I am trying to start indexing >at home, but I am brand new. I am in a masters in library sc- >ience program at St. Catherine in St.Paul now and work in an a >cademic library. Can anyone offer some "real" help. Much app >reciated. thanks, mark Hi, Mark. One thing you didn't tell us is whether you've had any training in indexing yet? Was that included in your program? If you have, then you ought to be able to start indexing. One really great book to look at is _Indexing Books_, by Nancy Mulvany. I got started by telling everyone I ran into that I was starting a career in indexing; my first two jobs came by word of mouth. In one case, it was a job another indexer was too busy to do herself, so I got her "reject," as it were. After I had those initial indexes under my belt, I started sending resumes and cover letters to publishers. I also make a point of handing out business cards every time I go to a meeting, and I make sure I get out to meetings rather than isolating myself. Join ASI (American Society of Indexers) if you're not already a member, and attend the annual meeting in Montreal this June. ASI publishes a newsletter that's always full of *very* practical information. Very little wasted space there. You can reach ASI via e-mail to request info: asi@well.sf.ca.us Good luck! ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 11:53:46 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: IRCINDEX@aol.com Subject: CINDEX and Dos-to-Mac Conversion ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Moving CINDEX files from PCs to Macs The standard layout of disk files (the format) used by the Mac differs from that used by PCs running DOS or Windows. Any Mac that uses high-density 3.5 inch disks (not 800Kb disks) is physically capable of reading data in either format. (PCs are rarely equipped to recognize Mac-formatted disks. A program called Mac-In-DOS is required.) If your Mac runs System 7.5, it automatically recognizes DOS-formatted disks and can read and write to them without your having to be concerned about the format. However, if you write on such disks, be sure that they are intended for a DOS computer, or a Mac that is equipped to read them. Macs running versions of the system software below 7.5 need special software to handle DOS-formatted disks. If your Mac runs System 7.0 or 7.1 (perhaps even system 6.x) it has Apple File Exchange, a program that allows you to see files (and write them) on disks formatted for PCs. It is cumbersome to use but allows you to move files from PC-formatted floppy disks to and from your Mac hard disk. You can buy easy-to-use utilities that make the Mac automatically able to read and write on DOS-formatted disks. DOS Mounter is one, Access PC is another. When one of these utilities are installed, its acts as part of the system, and any DOS disk appears on the desktop just like a Mac disk. Getting access to files is only part of the problem. The way individual application programs store data in files differs between Mac and PC. Even an application program that has versions for both Mac and PC (e.g., WordPerfect) may not use the same file structure in its two versions. You can solve this problem in several ways. If you want to work with a formatted index in a file made by CINDEX, then one method is to be preferred above all others: make the file in Rich Text Format (RTF). This is now an almost universal standard for text interchange among word processors, and files in this format can be read by most word-processors and desk-top publishing systems on both Macs and PCs. If the program you want to use on the Mac cannot read RTF files, it may be able to read one of the other formats in which CINDEX can write files. Most word-processors on the Mac can read (more often write) files in some native DOS formats. For example, your Mac word-processor might be able read a file of the type made by WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS. If your Mac word-processor cannot read any of file types CINDEX can make, then you may need to use a special program, such as Word for Word, designed to convert files between different formats. Beware of making plain text (ASCII) files on the PC and reading them as text files with your word-processor on the Mac. You are likely to run afoul of two complications: first, the character used to denote the end of a line differs between Mac and PC, and the text file imported into the Mac word-processor will often need to be cleaned up to remove an extra character at the end of each line. Second, the character codes used to represent accented characters differ between Mac and PC, and what appears as one character on the PC will often appear as something entirely different on the Mac. Moving Mac Files to DOS If you want to import into CINDEX a data file made on a Mac, you should ensure that that file was written on a DOS-formatted flopy disk, and that if it was produced by a word processor it was saved as a plain text file. There is a further complication: when CINDEX reads .dat files it detects the end of a record by looking for the 'line-feed' character. Mac programs often write text files using 'carriage return' as the end-of-line character. Before you can import records from a file of this kind, you will have to have someone translate the 'carriage-return' characters to 'line-feed' characters. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 15:53:51 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Richard Vacca Subject: one more Mac-to-PC program ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- One very useful cross-platform tool is MacLink Plus PC Connect from Dataviz. It includes components for both the Mac and DOS sides of the file transfer, has a complete set of conversion filters and AFE, allows use of DOS disks on the Mac, and includes a cable for direct machine-to-machine transfer. Dataviz is in Trumbull, CT (203-268-0030). For straight text file conversions, I downloaded a Mac program from America Online called NAFF that converts Mac, DOS, or UNIX text to the version suitable for another platform. --Dick Vacca 608-246-0219 (The Monona Group) 608-262-4341 (Engineering Professional Development, Univ of Wisconsin) Internet: dvacca@macc.wisc.edu America Online: mononagrp ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 15:54:05 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Carol Roberts Subject: Re: ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > Could we please put SUBJECTS on all messages on this list? I'm on >several lists, get alot of email, don't read all messages, and delete >according to subject. (And I can't be the only person who does this!) >If a message has no subject, I have to take the time to look at it. > Surely anyone who posts a message can determine what their message >is about and put that on the Subject line. Thanks. >Michael Van Fossen I used to read them, too. Now I automatically delete (without reading) any message that doesn't have a subject line. Often I also delete messages that have uninformative subject lines like "Question." Partly annoyance, partly lack of time. Carol Roberts, indexer and copy editor | Live long and prosper. Carol.Roberts@mixcom.com | Milwaukee, WI | ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 16:02:35 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: MGHAIL@alex.stkate.edu Subject: Hi and Thanks for information! ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- thanks to Elinor and Carol for your gracious thoughts and good information. Much appreciated!!!! Mark ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 15:14:23 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: "Jeff Finlay, NYU" Organization: St. Peter's College, US Subject: (and then some) ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > I used to read them, too. Now I automatically delete (without reading) any > message that doesn't have a subject line. Often I also delete messages that > have uninformative subject lines like "Question." Partly annoyance, partly > lack of time. Vax trick: if you're on vax/vms and replying to a message from a list you can write r/sub="" on the subject line and the subject will then become "" Jeff %*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*% % | % % Jeff Finlay | Mingere cum bumbis % % American Studies, NYU | saluberrime est lumbis % % H-Amstdy Comoderator | -- Roman proverb % % finlay_j@spcvxa.spc.edu | % % | % %*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*% ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 15:14:50 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Susan Fatemi Subject: Re: INDEX-L Digest - 11 Jan 1995 to 13 Jan 1995 ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Most of the postings on this list seem to be for/from book indexers. Is anyone else doing periodical indexing and/or abstract indexing? I'm new at this and learning the hard way. The person teaching me knows how she's always done it, but I'd like to heare from other experienced indexers, and I want to learn more about the concepts, etc. of indexing (as opposed to cataloguing which is what I mostly do.) I have a couple of books I'm trying to wade through. This isn't a specific query, just encouragement to periodical indexers to write about their work,maybe? Susan Fatemi Cataloguer/Indexer EERC Library susanf@eerc.library.edu ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 15:21:42 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: MaryMort@aol.com Subject: Full-time indexing job opening ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Yesterday I called a publisher in San Diego to find out whether they use freelance indexers. They do not, but the woman I spoke to in the Human Resources department said they had a full-time opening for a 'subject indexer. ' I did not ask for details because I'm trying to get started in freelancing, and besides, I'm on the opposite coast. But it occurred to me later that someone on this list might be interested, or might know someone who is. If you'd like the name and phone number, e-mail me directly at: marymort@aol.com Cheers, Mary Mortensen ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 15:22:21 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Lavallee Catherine Subject: copy indexing? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Nearly finishing my MLIS, I'm currently doing a course of training at a=20 specialised library on computer science. They have few ressources and no=20 indexing is taking place right now. I have to determine which=20 indexing process would be best for them. They have asked me to see how we could use the descriptions, for matching= =20 documents, in other sources such as online catalogues and databases to inde= x=20 the collection (maybe it could be described as =ABcopy indexing=BB, as in= =20 copy cataloging). Has anyone done this before? Does it happen in an=20 informal way? I do question myself though on the ethics of this process;=20 it is about using another organisation's ressources without them knowing=20 about it. And what about translation (in our case, to french)? Another solution would be shared indexing. But apart of the Archires=20 project (Art Libraries Journal, 16 (2) 1991), I've not found much=20 litterature on the subject. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance, Catherine Lavallee Ecole de bibliotheconomie et des sc. de l'information=20 Universite de Montreal lavallec@ere.umontreal.ca ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 15:22:38 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Laura Mendoza Subject: INDEXING AND MS ACCESS ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi everyone. I'm new to indexing and have no software designed specifically for indexing. Until I can afford to purchase a program like Cindex, I'd like to use what I have. Have any of you used Microsoft Access to index books? If you have, tell me about your experience. I've also got MS Word which, according to some posts, is sometimes used. For those of you who use MS Word or MS Access and have indexed BOOKS, must you save the index in a special format for your client, and is your index ready for the press when you present it to the client? In other words, do you have to do any layout or anything? I know these are probably stupid questions, but I've found no answers in books I've consulted. Thanks for any input you can provide. Laura Mendoza lmendoza@host1.dia.williston.nd.us ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 16:25:44 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Lillian Ashworth Subject: Re: INDEXING AND MS ACCESS In-Reply-To: Message of Wed, 18 Jan 1995 15:22:38 ECT from ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi Laura - Thx for your question about MS Access. I was about to ask the same question about dBASE. Could index listers please respond with their experience s (pro and con) if any utilizing general database management software as indexi ng tools. For my part, for the last 10 years I have used dBASE as the software tool for subject indexing of a large university library media collection. Alt hough it lacks either Thesaurus or authority list, the program seems sufficient for the index task. I have recently joined ASI, am preparing to take the USDA indexing course and am looking forward to becoming a full-time indexer. I loo k forward to your responses. Lillian Ashworth Program Coordinator Media Materials Services Washington State University Pullman WA 99164-5610 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:32:22 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Matthew Gilmore Subject: book review : Mulvany _Indexing Books_ In-Reply-To: <199501161702.MAA29007@dns.capaccess.org> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- FYI in the January 1995 JASIS (Journal of the American Society for Information Science) Bella Hass Weinberg has written an extended (8 pages, with 1 page of references) review of Nancy Mulvany's _Indexing Books_ University of Chicago, 1994. Matthew Gilmore Washingtoniana Division DC Public Library mgilmore@capaccess.org ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:32:43 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Robin James Subject: Re: INDEXING AND MS ACCESS ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- this is my first time here too. I use Microsoft Word with Excel, and Aldus PageMaker almost exclusively for indexing things like computer manuals. I have never used Cindex, what is that? I worked on one job that had been previously started using Microsoft Access with Word, lots of macros and buttons for inserting tags, squirting them into the linked database, and then making the entries in Access and squiring the final index back into the Word document, but it was invented by people that love to write those strange Macros that Microsoft is so good at. I hated it. It requires so much attention and on the fly repairs and modifications to the overall system, might as well have used Word all by itself. It did create four separate books from one giant document, consisting of introductory (200 pages) and advanced (500 pages) versions for a software product that works in Macintosh and Windows. What a mess that was to work with but it turned out nicely, and by having it all in one massive document the authors were sure that the information was consistent from book to book. With Excel you can sort quickly between page order to check what you have for each page, then check the alphabetical order as you would see it in final form. Excel and Word together is much to complicated for me to explain using email right now. Actually with the later versions I have never tried it. Word by itself works very well, but it has some tricky parts, it uses hidden text for the tags that you insert into the text and if you paginate the document with hidden text showing, all the index entries will be visible in the regular text and take up space, and all of the page numbers will be off, more and more as you go into the document. The solution is to be careful when paginating. PageMaker is so much more self-contained. Overall it is my favorite. I have never used XPRESS, Ventura Publisher, or WordPerfect, they seem to be other players in the indexing software biz. I must find out more about CINDEX. >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- continued COMMENTS INSERTED IN CAPS >Hi everyone. I'm new to indexing and have no software designed >specifically for indexing. Until I can afford to purchase a program like >Cindex, I'd like to use what I have. Have any of you used Microsoft >Access to index books? If you have, tell me about your experience. > >I've also got MS Word which, according to some posts, is sometimes used. > >For those of you who use MS Word or MS Access and have indexed BOOKS, >must you save the index in a special format for your client, and is your >index ready for the press when you present it to the client? In other >words, do you have to do any layout or anything? YES OF COURSE YOU WILL HAVE TO INSERT YOUR INDEX TAGS IN THE DOCUMENT CHAPTER FILES, COMPILE THE INDEX DOCUMENT CUMULATIVELY FROM ALL YOUR CHAPTER DOCUMENTS, AND THEN FORMAT AND LAYOUT YOUR INDEX DOCUMENT AND PROPERLY NEST IT AT THE END OF THE BOOK, ASSIGN COLUMN BREAKS IN CASE IT BREAKS DURING A SECOND OR THIRD LEVEL SECTION, AND DRESS IT UP WITH STUFF LIKE THE CAPITAL LETTERS (A, B, C, ETC.) AS SUBHEADERS INTO THE INDEX. THERE ARE NUMEROUS EMBELLISHMENTS AND THINGS LIKE RUNNING HEADERS AND FOOTERS THAT ARE POSSIBLE TO DEVISE AND IMBED INTO THE INDEX. > >I know these are probably stupid questions, but I've found no answers in >books I've consulted. NO SUCH THING AS A STUPID QUESTION I HAVE WORKED BRIEFLY AT BOTH ALDUS AND MICROSOFT. THEY ARE TRYING TO SERVE INDEXERS WITH THEIR TEXT BASED APPLICATIONS BUT IT IS RARE TO FIND SOFTWARE ENGINEERS WHO UNDERSTAND INDEXES. > >Thanks for any input you can provide. > >Laura Mendoza >lmendoza@host1.dia.williston.nd.us. CHEERS! - ROBIN JAMES, FREELANCE INDEXER ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:33:24 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: "Anne M. Brennan" Subject: Please explain USDA course...? ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hello, I'm *very* new to indexing, in fact, I'm still not sure what all it involves. I've been reading this listserve for about a month, and I'm realizing it's more complex than I thought! In their postings, several people have mentioned a USDA indexing course they're taking or have taken. What is this course and where can I get more information about it? Thanks in advance for any help! Post or e-mail directly: amb@mcs.net Anne M. Brennan ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:33:47 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: happy954@austin.relay.ucm.org Subject: indexing non-book materials. In-Reply-To: Your message of Wed, 18 Jan 1995 17:35:49 CST, <199501182341.RAA15152@bounced.email.net> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The Texas Workers' Compensation Commission has ten judges which issue about 150 decisions/month. One group within the agency (Hearings - Information Services) has responsibility for summarizing (abstracting) the key legal issues in each published decision (about half the decisions are published) and organizing them into a classification system to support legal research. One decision may have several issues; if so, we write several headnotes. A headnote is a one sentence summary of each key issue in a decision. Then we organize those headnotes various ways: chronologically - with the appeal decision as annotations of statutes, or of rules topically - in a homegrown classification system - as a digest. Designing legal research tools: that's the objective. Eileen Knabe Texas Workers' Compensation Commission 512-707-5868. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:35:02 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: SVORSTER@hiddingh.uct.ac.za Subject: Advise on computer package for indexing periodical articles ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear colleagues, I am a librarian at a University branch library here in Cape Town, South Africa. Many of our local journals are not adequately indexed by the usual bibliographic tools such as Humanities Index, Art Index etc. Other libraries are producing card catalogues to remedy this. I am looking for a fairly inexpensive package to be able to index journals adequately and possibly that would produce a print out in a user friendly way. I have looked at PC-File but do not think that it would do the job. Has anyone out there had similar problems? I am told that Paradox is good. Are there others? My main problem with PC-File is that is does not accommodate multiple subject headings for a bib. record unless one duplicates the record, which seems very clumsy and would fill up the data base very quickly. Any advice would be very welcome. ************************************* * Solvej Vorster * * Hiddingh Hall Library * * University of Cape Town * * Orange Street * * Cape Town * * 8001 * * South Africa * * * * Tel. : 021 242340 x135 * * EMail : solvej@uctlib.uct.ac.za * ************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:35:41 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Jeff Williams Subject: Indexing the Internet ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I am a person who would like to play a role in indexing the Internet. I have some ideas on how it can be done. Perhaps more importantly I am a believer: I believe it can be done! I am interested in sharing ideas with anyone who might have a similar interest. Would anyone in this mailing list be interested in discussing techniques for indexing the Internet? Do you know of anyone outside this mailing list who is interested in this project or is currently working on it? Please send email. If there's enough interest, we can discuss this topic openly using the INDEX-L list. If a small group is interested, we might set up our own informal mailing list. Thanks. - Jeff Williams Tecumseh, Mich. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:50:33 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: HairyLarry@aol.com Subject: Re: INDEXING AND MS ACCESS ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Laura Mendoza asked about delivery formats required by publishers, and the usefulness of Microsoft Access for indexing books: As far as publishing requirements, there is no standardization or consistency. Some want camera-ready hard copy, some want manuscript hard copy for typesetting, some want a DOS or Mac disk in some file format, some want a file transmitted over email or by direct modem-to-modem transfer. The way I handled the cost issue for professional dedicated indexing programs is to buy a demo (CINDEX demo costs $35 I believe) and work with it to learn the program, then order the full version by Fed Ex when the first paying job comes in. It worked well for me. Well worth the money compared to struggling with a general-purpose program. Larry Harrison Hairylarry@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:51:14 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Elinor Lindheimer Subject: indexing tools ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Lillian Ashworth asked about our experiences using dBASE, etc. I've already responded to Laura via email, but I might as well post a note here as well. I used dBASE II in the old CP/M days, and it was adequate at the time, but when I saw Macrex I knew I had to have it. Either Macrex or Cindex will far outshine any other program in flexibility, ease of use, formatting output, utilities, ability to handle large files, ability to edit while entering (you see your index sorted as you add entries), ability to handle strange locators, etc. You should enjoy being a member of ASI--we're hoping to see a chapter forming sometime soon up your way! Elinor Lindheimer ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:53:26 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Carolyn Weaver Subject: Re: INDEXING AND MS ACCESS In-Reply-To: <9501182353.AA14638@carson.u.washington.edu> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- In my pre-Cindex days, I did use a database (Appleworks, and later Filemaker Pro) for compiling the index (and for ease of sorting), then imported it into a word processor for final output. This will work, but it's not something I would recommend if you're trying to make a living as an indexer. The database sorts, but it doesn't flip entries, add generic indexing codes, automatically format to a pre-defined style, or do all those things that most clients expect. And in my experience, it will take you almost as long to create a respectable formatted end product (printout and disk copy) after you've imported it into the word processor as it takes to write the index. Clients want an ASCII or word processing file in a specified format; the database by itself probably won't be acceptable. You can use a word processor, a typewriter, or shoebox and index cards to compile the index (all of which I've done). But using your first client fee to buy dedicated indexing software will probably be the most practical investment you can make in the long run. If nothing else, get something inexpensive like IN>SORT to start out, and then graduate to the full-featured programs as soon as you can afford it. Carolyn Weaver Bellevue, Wa. e-mail: cweaver@u.washington.edu voice: 206/930-4348 On Wed, 18 Jan 1995, Laura Mendoza wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > Hi everyone. I'm new to indexing and have no software designed > specifically for indexing. Until I can afford to purchase a program like > Cindex, I'd like to use what I have. Have any of you used Microsoft > Access to index books? If you have, tell me about your experience. > > I've also got MS Word which, according to some posts, is sometimes used. > > For those of you who use MS Word or MS Access and have indexed BOOKS, > must you save the index in a special format for your client, and is your > index ready for the press when you present it to the client? In other > words, do you have to do any layout or anything? > > I know these are probably stupid questions, but I've found no answers in > books I've consulted. > > Thanks for any input you can provide. > > Laura Mendoza > lmendoza@host1.dia.williston.nd.us > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:53:48 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: maryann@mnrosdp.revisor.leg.state.mn.us Subject: Re: INDEXING w/ database management software ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- -------- To Laura and Lillian: I have no experience with MS Access or dBASE, but have about 2 cents worth about a couple of other database programs: The folks at Cray research once told me that they do their indexing with a product called Interleaf. At the time they had some qualms about it; I don't know if they're still using it. Cray people, are some of you out there? I have used FilemakerPro in an attempt to create finding tools for my record collection. I got horribly bogged down, but that was not the fault of the software. I would use it again, but not for large jobs. For true back of the book indexing, I would not use anything but a dedicated indexing program. Even a very cheap and simple one like InSort will do. Maryann Corbett maryann.corbett.revisor.leg.state.mn.us ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 16:09:09 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: JanCW@aol.com Subject: Re: INDEXING AND MS ACCESS ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I've found that although Access gives you a longer string in each field to work with, Excel works better for indexing. The reason is the freedom to rearrange, move, copy, delete, restructure and otherwise just freeform use the spreadsheet format for indexes. You can create special columns for notes, comments, problems, super- and sub-structures, whatever you need, and rearrange things however you need. Access usually likes to keep records numbered once they are set up, and doesn't like to be as freeform. Excel will also save as tab-delimited text, which can then be read into Cindex very easily. If you have MS Word, and want to investigate building macros, you can get Word to build an index for you. But honestly, even though Cindex is expensive, it's worth buying instead of building all this stuff on your own. The time you spend reformatting, trying to figure out how to make things look right, over and over again on projects, just isn't worth it. Cindex already knows how to do it, and does so many other things besides that it is worth the investment. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 16:11:07 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Hazel Blumberg-McKee Subject: Re: Indexing the Internet In-Reply-To: <199501201828.AA20262@freenet2.scri.fsu.edu> ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- On Fri, 20 Jan 1995, Jeff Williams wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > Would anyone in this mailing list be interested in discussing > techniques for indexing the Internet? I admit to a great deal of interest in indexing the Internet, but I have no idea how it can be done. It's so fluid, for one thing. I'd love to hear what people have to say. Hazel Blumberg-McKee (hazelcb@freenet.tlh.fl.us) "If you take hyphens seriously you will surely go mad."--John Benbow ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 16:11:33 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: MCLAUGHB@CGSVAX.CGS.EDU Subject: Full-time indexing position ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Sorry to post this to the entire list, but mail to Mary Mortensen bounces back to me. Mary, would you please send me the information about the San Diego publisher with an opening for a full-time indexer? I would like to post it in the upcoming newsletter of the Southern California Chapter of ASI. Thank you. Bonny McLaughlin mclaughb@cgs.edu ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 16:11:50 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: MCLAUGHB@CGSVAX.CGS.EDU Subject: Abstract indexing ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Susan Fatemi asks about indexers doing periodical or abstract indexing. I do book, periodical, and abstract indexing. I have indexed Higher Education Abstracts for 17 years. I too inherited a system from a non-professional indexer who had done it the same way for years. Because our indexes appear only in print form at this time, I try to precoordinate as many terms as possible. An authority list of subject index terms is essential, and, ideally, each term should have a scope note written to define its boundaries. Our abstracts are also topically arranged, so a hierarchically arranged thesaurus of headings and index terms is helpful in ensuring consistency and control. We enter index terms into our bibliographic database, where they are machine searchable for in-house purposes, then dump them into a file and import into Cindex to format for printing. I'd be glad to try to answer any specific questions. Bonny McLaughlin mclaughb@cgs.edu