Indexing

Description

I provide indexing services in English or French for printed materials – books and textbooks, reports, periodicals – as well as electronic formats such as websites, e-products, and databases.

My goal is to create clear, well-organized and detailed indexes with your readers in mind while following best practices in indexing or any specific guidelines. Indexes are prepared with dedicated software (Cindex), delivered to you proofed and formatted, ready to print.

I have prepared nearly 500 indexes for trade, scholarly, government and specialized publications since 2007. This includes bilingual indexes and translations, from English to French or vice versa.

My indexes to the two-volume Ancient Pathways, Ancestral Knowledge by Nancy J. Turner (MQUP) won the Ewart-Daveluy Indexing Award of the ISC (Indexing Society of Canada) in May 2015. 

My article about indexing French-language publications is in the December 2011 issue of the journal The Indexer.

I am a member of the Indexing Society of Canada (ISC), and have been volunteering on the executive almost continually since 2009. I'm currently, and until mid-2024, on the judging panel for the Ewart-Daveluy Award for excellence in indexing. This is presented for an index that demonstrates outstanding expertise and skills.

Recent work

Recent indexing projects include:

  • Ancient Pathways, Ancestral Knowledge: Ethnobotany and Ecological Wisdom of Indigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America (2 vols.), by Nancy J. Turner. MQUP.
  • Health Promotion in Canada: Theory and Practice in Context, by E. Neiterman and colleagues. Oxford University Press Canada.
  • Ethnographic Insights on Latin America and the Caribbean, M.A. Medeiros and J.R. Guzman, eds. University of Toronto Press.
  • Thinking with Your Hands: The Science Behind How Gestures Shape Our Thoughts, by S. Goldin-Meadow. Basic Books. 
  • Ring of Fire: High-Stakes Mining in a Lowlands Wilderness, by V. Heffernan. ECW.
  • Stronger: Adapting America's China Strategy in an Age of Competitive Interdependence, by R. Hass. Yale University Press.
  • Education for All: EFA Global Monitoring Report. Translation of the index for several French reports. UNESCO.
  • Two volumes of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) reports indexed in French (volume 1 part 1 and volume 3).

Journals indexed: Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Novon and BC Studies.

Subjects of knowledge and interest

My diverse work and interests, along with my librarian skills, allow me to work in several fields:

  • natural sciences and history / education / health and medicine / Asia-Pacific / botany / ethno- topics / anthropology / Indigenous peoples / languages and translation / social sciences and sociology / current affairs / government / sciences (life, earth, biological) / archaeology / history / environment and ecology / gardening / outdoors / travel

Rates

Rates vary depending on several factors such as page/font size, density of terms to be indexed, complexity of the topic, publication length and the timeline. It is essential that you send me part of the material in order to provide you with a quote. I always reply promptly.

My fees include one revision and I will also check the layout version if you wish. Changes in pagination after the index is done will be charged per hour. Quotes are usually valid for a limited time only.

Background and experience

I am trained in indexing and also have over five years of cataloguing experience in libraries. Please email me for a copy of my resume.

Email info@englishorfrench.com or f_trahan@shaw.ca – in English or French.