Page 237 - DLIS402_INFORMATION_ANALYSIS_AND_REPACKAGING

Information Analysis and Repackaging

Notes his knowledge than a map maker does. Hence the book and its index is both potentially more
useful, and is more difficult to construct.
Maps as Indexes
Consider a map that has a coordinate grid and a list of cities in alphabetical order along with their
positions on the grid, that is, an index of the map. Such an index could be considered to be a meta-
index in the sense that the map itself is a kind of index to the geographical, sensory world. A
geographical map is most like an index in that its chief function is to provide people with locators;
instead of finding a subject in a book, one finds a place on a map (and thereby has an idea of how to
go there). A map that is not itself indexed can be used in a manner similar to an index.
A geographical map is least like a book index in that it shows visible relationships between places.
Book indexes have only one kind of visible relationship: between varying levels of entries. Because
of the alphabetization system typically used, two adjoining indexing entries can have a maximal
conceptual distance from one another.
In the same sense any book index is a meta-index (because the book itself is a sort of index). But a
book is so different from an alphabetical-list-with-locators index that using language in this way
confuses rather than clarifies.

Indexes as Maps
The index can be thought of as a map to the book, just as the book is a map of the area of knowledge X.
An index can be a good map or not, depending on the skill of the indexer. There is, however, no
framework like the Euclidean view typically used in a map. An index is not a very good picture of
a book. One can learn about a book by scanning an index, but that is not its typical use. It is used for
rapid access to information. The framework it is hung on, alphabetization, allows humans to rapidly
find an entry, but provides no other information about the relationships between topics.

Indexing After Mapping
Likely most maps are indexed after they are completed. The map is given to an indexer (perhaps
even a machine indexer) who looks in each grid of the map and creates entries, with the grid
coordinates as locators. Then the entries are alphabetized or otherwise grouped for the convenience
of the users. Indexes of maps tend to be thorough and completeness is both easy to assure and
desirable. We assume all streets or cities are important, or they would not be on the map.
Book indexes are also created after the books are written (or sometimes after a chapter is written).
Each page, like each grid of the map, is examined. However, book indexes are often about
relationships, and synonyms can be a problem. Book indexers may rearrange a scheme as they
progress through a book. Most commonly a top-level entry may grow too large, requiring it to be
broken into subentries. Or a subentry grows too large, requiring it to be transformed into a top-
level entry.

Indexing While Mapping
Indexing a map as it is created is conceptually easy as well. In fact, the index might be created first,
and the map could be created from the image. For instance, surveyors might cover an area they
wish to map by finding hilltops. Each top could be entered in a list with its elevation, latitude, and
longitude. Some system would ensure the entire area to be mapped is covered. Then the map is
drawn using the list, which is also the index to the map.
An author could use a mark-up system to create index entries as the book is written. Such mark-up
systems are available in or for most publishing software packages. Depending on the skill of the
author, this may or may not produce a good, usable index. But there is no reason to think that an
MI, at present, could index (with mark-up tags) as an author writes, than to think a machine could
write the book in the first place.

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