Metatopic

If it is an accepted rule, then I'm an unrepentant sinner,
because more than once I've found it necessary
to make one or more entries for a metatopic.

Linda Sutherland

In this chapter, we present our approaches to the metatopic problem of creating an entry for the primary topic of the book without turning the entire contents into subentries under one main heading.

Both of us believe that providing access points at metatopic terms is important and we both created entries that do this. Each of us discusses the challenges associated with identifying the metatopic and then using those words in main headings and subentries.

In the chapter closing, we offer a new strategy that helps readers navigate any index if they enter at a metatopic term.

Chapters

Introduction

Audience
How do these indexers' perceptions of the audience influence the development of their indexes?

Analysis
How do these indexers' understandings of the text influence their approaches to creating entries?

Metatopic
How do these indexers' ideas about Fodor's primary topic impact their index structure?

Gathering
How do these indexers collect information and what influenced their decision-making?

Access Routes
How do these indexers develop pathways into the text?

Phrasing
How do these indexers use words and phrases to support the structure of the index?

Consistency
How do these indexers consider and evaluate consistency when implementing the other indexing principles?

Final Chapter
What have we learned from reading about the two indexes and the decision-making behind the entries?

Index
Download a copy of Martha Osgood's index for Inside Indexing.

Acknowledgements