ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on a number of information retrieval topics, many of which are of particular interest in printed and card-based indexes. Although electronic indexes have taken on a central significance, there remain many applications in which it is necessary to arrange printed documents, or to create and use printed indexes. The currency of manual indexes of all types is usually inferior to that of machine systems, as time is taken up for physical production and for the distribution of published indexes. There are also many defunct manual indexes that are still of value, especially in the arts and the humanities, as well as the pre-computerized back files of machine-searchable databases in all subjects. In addition, the computer has a hand in the generation of indexes based on string manipulation. The index user is released from the necessity of scanning every entry associated with an index term and can select relevant entries by the alphabetical arrangement of qualifying terms.
