Gathering Together

An index pulls together all the references to a topic that are scattered within a publication. If a reference is omitted, the user may assume that particular sub-topic is not discussed.

In the following example, from Beyond Public Architecture: Strategies for Design Evaluation, the main headings “Redevelopment” and “Urban renewal” are cross-referenced:

Redevelopment
   ARB recommends design in Charles Center (Baltimore), 74
   Baltimore, 9
   of central riverfront as public amenity (Minneapolis), 80
   Centre City (San Diego), 67–68, 98–99
   emphasis on performance guidelines (Kansas City), 105
   general performance standards (Portland), 101
   Inner Harbor (Baltimore), 109
   Kansas City, 12–13
   landscape plans (Irvine), 27
   public design evaluation, discretionary (Kansas City), 78
   Redevelopment Authority (Kansas City), 78
   specific prescriptive standards (San Diego), 99
   See also Urban renewal
...
Urban renewal
   a blight on the city, 89
   Board of Trade Urban Renewal (Kansas City), 12–13
   Charles North and Washington-Hill Chapel (Baltimore), 128
   design standards for each area (Baltimore), 74–75
   effect on planning, xv-xvi
   Inner Harbor Project I (Baltimore), 34, 109
   learning requirements for project approval (Baltimore),
     43–44
   successful (San Francisco), 13
   See also Redevelopment

By bringing scattered references together, the index not only assists the user to find information quickly, it demonstrates the extent to which major topics are covered in detail.

Fred Brown
Allegro Technical Indexing
fred.brown@allegrotechindexing.com
(613) 728-9373

December, 2002
Allegro Time!