Body of Knowledge

Journals

The Indexer: The International Journal of Indexing

The Indexer is published on behalf of indexing societies worldwide. It seeks to cover the full range of subjects, from articles at the cutting edge of new techniques, to practical discussions of new tools available to indexers, to exploration of the history of indexing.

First published by the Society of Indexers (UK) in 1958 on a twice-yearly basis, it moved in 2008 to a quarterly publication. From 2019 the journal is published by Liverpool University Press.

Visit theindexer.org.

Cover of The Indexer: The International Journal of Indexing
The Indexer: The International Journal of Indexing

Key Words

The Journal of the American Society for Indexing is published quarterly and is a benefit of ASI membership. Subscriptions are available to non-members. More information at ASI Publications

 

China Index (中国索引)

China Index (中国索引) is the official journal published by CSI. As an academic exchange platform for indexers in China, it publishes high-quality research papers, case studies and industry insights every half year.

 

Catalogue & Index

Catalogue & Index is the periodical of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP Metadata & Discovery Group (MDG). It has been published since 1966 to discuss the organisation of knowledge to enable collection management and resource discovery, and includes articles on cataloguing, classification, indexing, metadata, and both national and international standards and formats.

 

Books About Indexing

Society curated book lists

ASI (US) – Books and Articles: asindexing.org/reference-shelf/books-and-articles

ISC/SCI (Canada) – Resources: indexers.ca/resources

SI (UK) – Books on Indexing: www.indexers.org.uk/resources/books-on-indexing

Index, A History of the: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age

By Dennis Duncan, with index by Paula Clarke Bain — a very accessible and entertaining look at the history of indexing.

Publishers and translations

There is also a Japanese translation and a Portuguese edition.

Cover of Index: A History of the, by Dennis Duncan
US Edition

Style Guides

The following style guides each contain a comprehensive, in-depth chapter on indexing:

  • The Chicago Manual of Style can be acquired in print or with an online subscription. Here is the chapter on indexing.
  • New Hart’s Rules: The Oxford Style Guide is the oldest continuously updated style guide in the English language. Purchase it here.

Standards

The following standards provide guidelines for the content, organization, and presentation of indexes.

ANSI/NISO Z39.4-2021 Criteria for Indexes

ISO 999:1996 Information and documentation — Guidelines for the content, organization and presentation of indexes