Course - Creating Web Site Indexes

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Hedden Information Management

Creating Web Site Indexes
Self-Paced Online Course for Corporate Clients

Course 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 software tools to create it. 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 is helpful. Participants will need a computer (Window, Mac, or Linux) with Internet access, a web browser, and e-mail.

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

Course 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

Course Basics

Lessons: Lesson texts are comprised of a set of four to eight 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. It is expected to complete one or two lessons per week. The entire set of lessons will be provided at once, and instructor feedback will be available for up to five weeks.

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 to submit for grading/approval as homework assignments. Rather, these are learning exercises. You may choose to e-mail the instructor your work for feedback as an attached file, but it is not required.

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.

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.

Costs and Registration

$175 per individual participant, plus $75 registration fee per group. There is a minimum of two paraticipants in a group.

Please complete the registration form (Word doc), which may be e-mailed or faxed.
Complete both pages and send payment, or complete the first page only and request an invoice and complete the second page (participant signatures) later.

Full pre-apyment is required by check in U.S. dollars, made out to "Hedden Information Management." Credit card payments may be accepted via PayPal.