The Canadian Style
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- Introduction to Reference Matter
- Bibliographies, General
- Types of bibliography
- Bibliographies, Arrangement
- Romanization
- Translation
- Principal source of information
- Compiling a bibliographic entry
- Author’s name
- Order of precedence
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- Indexes, Definition
- Scope and complexity
- Indexes, Arrangement
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- Choice of terms
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Search and Functionalities Area
9.31 Scope and complexity
An index may be general or specific. A general one lists subjects, authors, persons or corporate bodies, geographical names and other items. A specific index is limited to a particular category of entry, such as one of the items in the above list, abbreviations and acronyms, or citations.
A work may contain a general index and one or more specific indexes. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography, for example, has three: an index of identifications (occupational sectors of those listed), a geographical index and a nominal index. Multiple listings are designed to help readers research a particular aspect of the subject concerned.
The complexity of indexing has fostered the development of a number of computerized indexing methods (see bibliography). Human intervention is nonetheless required for hierarchical arrangement, alphabetization, choice of terms, word order, capitalization and cross-referencing.
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