Courses in Website Indexing

Hedden Information Management

Web Site Indexing Online Courses

Hedden Information Management offers individualized, self-paced online training sessions in web site indexing. These sessions supplement the Simmons course, and the content is generally not duplicated, except for Session 4. (In cases of slight duplication, a discount to former Simmons course students is offered: $130 for session 1, and $120 for session 3.) The sessions may taken in any combination over time.

Sessions are offered at any time. They are intended to be completed at a pace of one lesson per week, but students may choose to proceed at a faster or slower pace.

1 - HTML for Indexers
A session for indexers who do not yet know HTML. It covers all the needed coding for creating HTML indexes and for creating your own simple web site and as a preparation for other web site indexing sessions.
Length: 3 lessons Cost: $100
Course outline and registration

2 - Web Site Indexing for Freelance Indexers
A session for indexers who already know the basics of HTML. It provides an overview of the web index types, tools to use, the market and marketing, and an introduction to related topics of taxonomies and metadata. Students create indexes in commercial indexing software and convert them to HTML.
Length: 5 lessons Cost: $175
Course outline and registration

3 - Indexing Techniques for Web Sites and Intranets
A session for those who know HTML or work with web sites (webmasters, information architects, web designers, web developers, web content writers and editors). Experience in indexing is not needed, however, those with experience in book indexing will also benefit from this session, as web indexing is slightly different. The emphasis is on creating appropriate index entries, rather than on the technical aspects of HTML indexing.
Length: 4 lessons Cost: $150
Course outline and registration

4 - HTML Indexing Tools
A session focused on how to use each of the two dedicated web site indexing tools: HTML Indexer (with a free demo) and XRefHT32 (freeware). This session may be combined with Session 1 for freelance indexers, or combined with Session 3 for webmasters not experienced in indexing, or taken on its own.
Length: 3 lessons Cost: $100
Course outline and registration

All training sessions include original lesson texts with graphic screenshots, resource links, exercises with feedback offered, and individual direct e-mail support.

Software:
No special software needs to be purchased to complete the courses. Rather, students will use what they have or download demo versions or other free software from the Internet. Both Windows and Mac users may take these courses. For Course 4, the freeware XRefHT 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, HTML Indexer is Windows only, for which one lesson is devoted. Non-Windows users may take a shortened version of Course 4 for a discount. All students will also need a web browser, e-mail, and Notepad or other text editor.

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

Hedden, Heather. Indexing Specialties: Web Sites. Medford, New Jersey: Information Today Inc., 2007. ISBN 978-1-57387-302-4. 165 pages. $40.00, $32.00 for ASI members through Information Today. $26.80 through Amazon.com, $28 members price through Barnes & Noble.

Brown, Glenda, and Jonathan Jermey. Website Indexing: Enhancing Access to Information within Websites, 2nd edition, 2004. 148 pages. Available throughPDF book without a discount through Lulu.com for $27.66, or as a PDF download for $20.00.

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. $34.99.

Course payment options:
Hedden Information Management course payment is accepted by checks in U.S. dollars, credit card (via PayPal), or direct PayPal transfers. Paperwork (tax ID, etc.) can be provided to accept direct payment from employers or other agencies.

Course review article:
Hedden Information Management. “Creating Web Site Indexes” , by Wendy Catalano, in Key Words, The Bulletin of the American Society for Indexing, Vol. 13. No. 4, October - December 2005.

Comments from previous students:

Thanks again for the course. It was very stimulating and I learned a lot.

I also forgot to mention that one of my favorite things about your course was all the links.

I am very happy with the course.

I'm still plugging away at the course and learning so much! It's just really well organized and seems like it leaves no stone unturned.

Heather: This is great.

I was very impressed by how well you've organized and presented the course material and the ease in which I could follow the discussion.

I thought I knew the basics of HTML, but I learned a few things today about that subject as well as a few others.

Very easy to follow.

I finally looked through all the lessons you sent and they are wonderful.
So much good information!