Re: [xmca] the wacky world of indexing

[Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net>]

Very annoying isn't it, Peter? When I did my first book for Brill I had 
to move mountains to convince my editor to let me do my own index. 
"But," he said, "the page numbers will change when it is laid out." I 
explained how automated indexes adjust for the page layout. "But," he 
said, "the copy editor will do it for you." Eventually he let me do it. 
The result is that you get a decent index. The way some copy editors 
create an index is as you have observed: Select the keyword and press 
"mark all." In my opinion, an author/translator should always do their 
own index.

Let me know of any typographical errors you find on the marxists.org 
copy, Peter.

Andy

Peter Smagorinsky wrote:
> I was trying to take a shortcut today by looking through the indexes of the 6 volumes of LSV's Collected Works to find sections on his notion of "play." I thought I'd hit the motherlode with Vol 3, whose index indicates a few dozen instances of "play" related topics; but when I checked them individually, it turned out that "play" was indexed any time the word "play" appeared on a page, as in "play a role" or other phrasing having nothing to do with what I was looking for. There are a couple of pages where he talks about play in the manner I was hoping to find something on (229-30), but otherwise it appears to be based entirely on an unvetted manuscript search. Crud.
>
> Peter Smagorinsky<http://www.coe.uga.edu/~smago/vita/vitaweb.htm>
> Distinguished Research Professor<http://www.ovpr.uga.edu/docs/policies/iga/DRP-Guidelines.pdf> of<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/of> English Education<http://www.coe.uga.edu/lle/english/secondary/index.html>
> Department of Language and Literacy Education<http://www.coe.uga.edu/lle/english/secondary/index.html>
> The University of Georgia<http://www.uga.edu/>
> 315 Aderhold Hall<http://www.coe.uga.edu/about/directions.html>
> Athens<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens,_Georgia>,<http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/> GA<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_(U.S._state)> 30602<http://www.city-data.com/zips/30602.html>
>
> Advisor, Journal of Language and Literacy Education<http://jolle.coe.uga.edu/>
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--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Andy Blunden*
Joint Editor MCA: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/hmca20/18/1
Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/
Book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1608461459/

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