How should I handle an index in an ebook?

xianfox · 03-12-2008, 06:43 AM

I work for a small, niche publisher. We have a steady seller that we're running low on, but it's not high enough volume to warrant going back to press with it. Given my zeal for ebooks, I've been given the job of turning this into an ebook as our first volley into the format.

This book, as most of our books, contains an index. I'm curious how others on the forum would prefer to see indices handled in an ebook. I'm reluctant to eliminate it entirely and rely on people using the search function. I've sold them on providing this book in non-DRMed Mobipocket and LIT formats, so whatever method I choose needs to work with this.

Hadrien · 03-12-2008, 07:16 AM

For those formats you get very limited options: an inline-HTML TOC.
For mobipocket: put a link to the TOC at the beginning of the book, put the TOC itself at the end of the book (different xml file), and make sure that in the OPF file, the XML with the TOC is specified as such.

Nate the great · 03-12-2008, 07:17 AM

I would leave the index out of the first draft because I have the feeling that it will take almost as much work as the rest of the book.

The best way to implement an index would be to link from the word in the index to where it is found in the text.If you do it manually, this could be a lot of work. If you can find a way to automate some of this process, that would be good.

xianfox · 03-12-2008, 10:13 AM

I'm not really looking for the procedure to create an index, I can handle that part. What I'm looking for is opinions on how you'd like to see indices handled in ebooks. I don't necessarily think that the pbook model is ideal for ebooks and I'd like to explore how an index might be retooled for ebooks. Should an index even exist in a format that has searching ability?

DaleDe · 03-12-2008, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xianfox

I'm not really looking for the procedure to create an index, I can handle that part. What I'm looking for is opinions on how you'd like to see indices handled in ebooks. I don't necessarily think that the pbook model is ideal for ebooks and I'd like to explore how an index might be retooled for ebooks. Should an index even exist in a format that has searching ability?

An index is useful as it is smarter than a straight search. An index is fine at the end of the document so long as there is a link to the index in the TOC so the user knows it exists and has a good way to get to it. TOC handling is not universal in that sometimes it cannot be found easily so placing it at the beginning as early as possible always helps. The Index could be anywhere after that since the toc can be used to skip over it.

An index serves the purpose of finding text but it also has topical uses and can even reference items that are implied in the text but no singe would will do. It can also be browsed by some users as a way into the document. Creating an index is a lot of work but does increase the usability of an electronic document as well as a paper one. Of course for electronic it should include links, page numbers are not very useful.

Dale

jbenny · 03-12-2008, 04:35 PM

As others have suggested, you can lhyperlink the appropriate words in the text. and jump to a separate index entry.

One other thought comes to mind. If you make your index into a dictionary, those entries could be called up by clicking on a word in the text of the book. Both Mobipocket Reader and MS Reader support multiple dictionaries. This would make things more integrated into the reading process, as opposed to jumping totally out of the ebook to a separate index.

DaleDe · 03-12-2008, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbenny

As others have suggested, you can lhyperlink the appropriate words in the text. and jump to a separate index entry.

One other thought comes to mind. If you make your index into a dictionary, those entries could be called up by clicking on a word in the text of the book. Both Mobipocket Reader and MS Reader support multiple dictionaries. This would make things more integrated into the reading process, as opposed to jumping totally out of the ebook to a separate index.

This is exactly the opposite of any index I have ever seen. This is the definition of a glossary. An index jumps into the text not out of it.

Dale

cmbs · 03-12-2008, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xianfox

I'm not really looking for the procedure to create an index, I can handle that part. What I'm looking for is opinions on how you'd like to see indices handled in ebooks. I don't necessarily think that the pbook model is ideal for ebooks and I'd like to explore how an index might be retooled for ebooks. Should an index even exist in a format that has searching ability?

Cybook Gen 3 doesn't have search ability, I don't know how many other readers don't. It would require a linked index for the user to get any benefit.

jbenny · 03-12-2008, 09:39 PM

Note to self - take brain out of autopilot before posting to forums.

Yes, I was thinking about something else when I posted earlier. However, if anyone needs to do a glossary, what I suggested might be worth trying.

Autopilot engaged...

WillAdams · 03-14-2008, 09:03 AM

My wife took the USDA basic indexing course and is taking the advanced now --- an index is more than a collection of words, but a creative effort in itself if done properly, and it's well worth keeping it.

In an ebook which reflows there is the issue of what to use for the markers in the index to refer back to specific references when there's more than one --- my thought would be that the index should be re-worked so that each such marker is a unique word, so instead of:

hanging punctuation, 27, 37, 57

you'd have:

hanging punctuation
advantages of
implementation as an ``easier problem'' in TeX
support in page layout programs

Since one doesn't have the page count limitations of a printed book, the index can be much richer and more verbose.

William

03-12-2008, 06:43 AM	#1
xianfox Ebook Addict Posts: 225 Karma: 2136 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Appleton, Wisconsin, USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	How should I handle an index in an ebook? I work for a small, niche publisher. We have a steady seller that we're running low on, but it's not high enough volume to warrant going back to press with it. Given my zeal for ebooks, I've been given the job of turning this into an ebook as our first volley into the format. This book, as most of our books, contains an index. I'm curious how others on the forum would prefer to see indices handled in an ebook. I'm reluctant to eliminate it entirely and rely on people using the search function. I've sold them on providing this book in non-DRMed Mobipocket and LIT formats, so whatever method I choose needs to work with this.

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03-12-2008, 07:16 AM	#2
Hadrien Feedbooks.com Co-Founder Posts: 2,263 Karma: 145123 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Paris, France Device: Sony PRS-t-1/350/300/500/505/600/700, Nexus S, iPad	For those formats you get very limited options: an inline-HTML TOC. For mobipocket: put a link to the TOC at the beginning of the book, put the TOC itself at the end of the book (different xml file), and make sure that in the OPF file, the XML with the TOC is specified as such.

03-12-2008, 07:17 AM	#3
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	I would leave the index out of the first draft because I have the feeling that it will take almost as much work as the rest of the book. The best way to implement an index would be to link from the word in the index to where it is found in the text.If you do it manually, this could be a lot of work. If you can find a way to automate some of this process, that would be good.

03-12-2008, 10:13 AM	#4
xianfox Ebook Addict Posts: 225 Karma: 2136 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Appleton, Wisconsin, USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	I'm not really looking for the procedure to create an index, I can handle that part. What I'm looking for is opinions on how you'd like to see indices handled in ebooks. I don't necessarily think that the pbook model is ideal for ebooks and I'd like to explore how an index might be retooled for ebooks. Should an index even exist in a format that has searching ability?

03-12-2008, 04:35 PM	#6
jbenny Addict Posts: 323 Karma: 358 Join Date: May 2007 Device: Tablet PC and Nokia N800	As others have suggested, you can lhyperlink the appropriate words in the text. and jump to a separate index entry. One other thought comes to mind. If you make your index into a dictionary, those entries could be called up by clicking on a word in the text of the book. Both Mobipocket Reader and MS Reader support multiple dictionaries. This would make things more integrated into the reading process, as opposed to jumping totally out of the ebook to a separate index.

03-12-2008, 09:39 PM	#9
jbenny Addict Posts: 323 Karma: 358 Join Date: May 2007 Device: Tablet PC and Nokia N800	Note to self - take brain out of autopilot before posting to forums. Yes, I was thinking about something else when I posted earlier. However, if anyone needs to do a glossary, what I suggested might be worth trying. Autopilot engaged...

03-14-2008, 09:03 AM	#10
WillAdams Wizard Posts: 1,242 Karma: 3439432 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (300ppi), Samsung Galaxy Book 12	My wife took the USDA basic indexing course and is taking the advanced now --- an index is more than a collection of words, but a creative effort in itself if done properly, and it's well worth keeping it. In an ebook which reflows there is the issue of what to use for the markers in the index to refer back to specific references when there's more than one --- my thought would be that the index should be re-worked so that each such marker is a unique word, so instead of: hanging punctuation, 27, 37, 57 you'd have: hanging punctuation advantages of implementation as an ``easier problem'' in TeX support in page layout programs Since one doesn't have the page count limitations of a printed book, the index can be much richer and more verbose. William

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