Alphabetical index

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An alphabetical index provides access to the given information via keywords.

To find the information, users must know and use the right keywords. If they don’t, they won’t find the information.

Other than full-text search, a good index contains synonyms so that users can also find a topic if they know at least one alternative term for what they’re looking for. For example, a good index will direct users to a topic named “vehicles” even if they’re looking for “cars,” “trucks,” or “motorcycles.”

In contrast to full-text search, a well-designed index takes readers directly to the relevant topic rather than giving them a long list of hits to choose from.

In contrast to a table of contents, an index isn’t used for browsing. The index doesn’t show related information. It also doesn’t indicate the global context of a topic.

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Basic rules

Every printed manual that’s longer than approximately 25 pages should have an index.

A good index must be created manually. Don’t rely on software that creates an index automatically. A good index isn’t just a list of words that occur within a text; it’s a thoughtfully compiled list of only those words that are actually relevant, plus synonyms that the document’s audience may use.

If you don’t have the time or budget to create an index manually:

In a printed manual, adding an automatically generated index is still better than adding no index at all.

In online help, add full-text search, but don’t add an automatically generated index.

Examples

Alphabetical index in a printed manual:

Alphabetical index in online help:


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Designing: Index page layout

Designing: Index area layout