Comments on: Improving indexes in ebooks http://blog.threepress.org/2009/11/08/improving-indexes-in-ebooks/ Threepress creates software for publishers, educators and authors. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:57:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mr. Kramer http://blog.threepress.org/2009/11/08/improving-indexes-in-ebooks/comment-page-1/#comment-1205 Mr. Kramer Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:57:13 +0000 http://blog.threepress.org/?p=783#comment-1205 I love the hyperlink idea! I haven't gotten into ebooks yet, but it would definitely make it way more appealing to me! I don't know how many times I've just skimmed over paragraphs in books because I don't know what they are talking about. Great post!! I love the hyperlink idea! I haven’t gotten into ebooks yet, but it would definitely make it way more appealing to me!
I don’t know how many times I’ve just skimmed over paragraphs in books because I don’t know what they are talking about.

Great post!!

]]> By: Dave Cramer http://blog.threepress.org/2009/11/08/improving-indexes-in-ebooks/comment-page-1/#comment-1078 Dave Cramer Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:29 +0000 http://blog.threepress.org/?p=783#comment-1078 Using the "incremental instances" rather than page numbers can lose information if the original index entry spanned a range of page numbers: Greyhounds: 10-16, 19, 26 may be more helpful to readers than Greyhounds: Chapter 1[1, 2], Chapter 2[1]. Every idea I've heard for eBook indexes seems designed for well-defined index terms like proper names. Indexing concepts and ideas makes it incredibly harder to automate the markup and links. Such an index may be closer in spirit to an incredibly-detailed table of contents, but sorted differently... I'd also encourage us to explore expanded tables of contents. Some books have lists of figures and maps, but how about a list of epigraphs and quotations, sorted by author? I can imagine all sorts of humanities books where that would be really useful. Dave Cramer Using the “incremental instances” rather than page numbers can lose information if the original index entry spanned a range of page numbers:

Greyhounds: 10-16, 19, 26

may be more helpful to readers than

Greyhounds: Chapter 1[1, 2], Chapter 2[1].

Every idea I’ve heard for eBook indexes seems designed for well-defined index terms like proper names. Indexing concepts and ideas makes it incredibly harder to automate the markup and links. Such an index may be closer in spirit to an incredibly-detailed table of contents, but sorted differently… I’d also encourage us to explore expanded tables of contents. Some books have lists of figures and maps, but how about a list of epigraphs and quotations, sorted by author? I can imagine all sorts of humanities books where that would be really useful.

Dave Cramer

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