Simmons Workshop: Creating Web Site Indexes

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Hedden Information Management

Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science

Online Workshop: Creating Website Indexes

Four weekly lessons, online access at any time (no live component)

Next session: February 1-28 , 2011

Workshop Description and Outline
Course Preview Page
Workshop Basics
Registration
Continuing Education/Professional Development
Comments from Past Students
Simmons GSLIS Workshops site (external link)

Workshop Description

As websites grow in size and complexity, users need additional means beyond the navigational menu and a site map to search a site for the information they want. Unless a site is very large, an onsite search engine often does not retrieve satisfactory results. Browsable A-Z indexes, on the other hand, a format familiar to users from their appearance at the back of nonfiction books, can provide highly accurate retrieval when added to websites. Index entries are hyperlinked to the desired text within a webpage or to an anchored point such as the section heading within the webpage.

During this workshop, participants will learn how to create and format a hyperlinked A-Z website index and how to use a freeware web indexing tool and the free demo of another web indexing tool. The workshop begins with a discussion about the structure of a website index and which sites would benefit from an index. Topics covered include basic skills in indexing, the process of indexing, and the use of HTML code in indexing.

Basic knowledge of either HTML or any HTML editor (such as Dreamweaver or Microsoft FrontPage) is required. Prior training or experience in indexing is not required, but would be helpful. Participants will need a computer (Window, Mac, or Linux) with Internet access, a web browser, and e-mail.

Course Preview Page

Examples of web site indexes created by Heather Hedden: Gleason Public Library; Boston-IA
Example of a web site index created by a previous workshop student: Redwood High School - BesRefHTsie Chin Library

Workshop Outline

Lesson 1: Introduction to web site indexes
Types of web site indexes and an analysis of sample indexes, their structure, and their source code. We will also consider the types of links needed and the methods to indent subentries.

Chapter 1: Web Site A-Z Indexes Defined
Chapter 2: Index Structure
Chapter 3: Types of Web Site Indexes and Examples
Chapter 4: HTML Codes for Index Links
Chapter 5: HTML Codes for Subentry Indenting
Chapter 6: Indexing Process

Lesson 2: Indexing tools and practice using XRefHT
An brief overview of the various software tools to help create web site indexes, and specific practice with the freeware tool XRefHT.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Tools
Chapter 2: Using an HTML Editor
Chapter 3: HTML/Prep
Chapter 4: Online Help Authoring Tools
Chapter 5: XRefHT - Extracting Web Page Data
Chapter 6: XRefHT - Adding Anchors
Chapter 7: XRefHT - Editing the Index
Chapter 8: XRefHT - Generating the Web Index

Lesson 3: Indexing practice: HTML Indexer
Instruction and practice using the demo of the commercial tool HTML Indexer.

Chapter 1: Adding Files to a Project
Chapter 2: Viewing Pages and Indexing
Chapter 3: Editing Entries and Creating Anchors
Chapter 4: Cross-references and External URLs
Chapter 5: Project Style Settings

Lesson 4: Indexing style and format
How to word the index entries, when to create subentries, and how to change an index's format and style.

Chapter 1: Index Format
Chapter 2: Index Entry Indenting
Chapter 3: Subentries for Multiple Locators
Chapter 4: Wording of Index Entries

Workshop Basics

Lessons: Weekly lesson texts are comprised of a set of five or six web pages, one for each chapter of the lesson. Each lesson has links, and some have associated graphics of screenshots. It is not necessary to go through an entire lesson at one sitting, but each chapter is designed to be read at one sitting. The lessons and chapters vary in length, depending on the topic.

Exercises/Assignments: Each lesson has exercises or assignments, often at the end of a relevant chapter, rather than always at the end of a lesson. These are not exercises for you to submit for grading/approval as homework assignments. Rather, these are learning exercises.
Although you are not required to submit the assignments, you are welcome to submit them. Feedback is provided for submitted assignments. To submit an assignment, you may send a direct e-mail to the instructor with answers in the body of the e-mail or as an attached file, as the case may be. In some assignments, you are asked to share your observations via the Discussion Group instead.

Discussion Group: A discussion group is part of this workshop. Students are encouraged to post lesson comments and questions to the Discussion Board first before e-mailing the instructor directly, for other students might have similar issues.

Software: No special software needs to be purchased to complete the workshop. Rather, you will download demo versions or other free software from the Internet. The freeware has both a Windows version an a Java version that can run on any platform (Mac, Linux, etc.) as long as you have the Java Runtime Environment. The other software tool is Windows only. It is not necessary to use the Windows program to complete the workshop, but one lesson is devoted to it. If you choose to purchase the Windows tool HTML Indexer, you are entitiled to the 15% student discount from the vendor. You will also need a web browser, e-mail, and Notepad or other text editor.

Additional texts: No textbook is required, but several books are recommended:

Hedden, Heather. Indexing Specialties: Web Sites. Medford, New Jersey: Information Today Inc., 2007. ISBN 978-1-57387-302-4. 165 pages.
Brown, Glenda, and Jonathan Jermey. Website Indexing: Enhancing Access to Information within Websites, 2nd edition, 2004.
Lamb, James. Website Indexes: Visitors to Content in Two Clicks. Ardleigh, Essex, England: Jalamb.com Ltd., 2006. ISBN: 978-1-4116-7937-5. 144 pages.

Hours Expected: The number of hours put in depends on the extent that you work on a web site indexingproject of your own and how much optional reading you want to do. Past students have usually spent 3 to 6 hours per week.

Registration

Simmons Continuing Education online registraton form (external link)

Cost is $250 full price, or $200 for Simmons GSLIS alumni.
Payment may be made by credit card, electronic bank payment, or check.

If paying by check, make it out to “Simmons College” and mail it to:

Kris Liberman, Program Manager
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
The Office of Continuing Education
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115-5898
P: 617-521-2803
F: 617-521-3192
gslisce@simmons.edu

All registration questions should be directed to Kris Liberman.

Continuing Education/Professional Development

All enrolled attendees will receive a Certificate of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for one unit, which will be mailed to them after the workshop.

Simmons College provides Professional Development Points (PDPs) according to the Massachusetts Department of Education requirements for certification. Attendees who request PDPs for (re)certification will earn 15 PDPs for this 4-week workshop.

Comments from Past Students

Lessons were very well written and self-explanatory.

Good intro to web indexing and web indexing tools.

I enjoyed learning about web indexing tools and think I will feel prepared to include web site indexing in my future freelance indexing career.

Clear communication, teaching style, and attentiveness of the instructor. I liked that I was introduced to freeware that is relatively simple to use. I feel like I got a good balance of indexing style and tools.

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