Preparing an Index

Indexing Monographs

ASCSA authors are responsible for supplying all necessary indexes for their monographs, either by creating them themselves or by hiring a freelance indexer. The Publications Office can provide contact information for freelance indexers that have experience with our books.

For general instructions on creating indexes, please refer to Chapter 16 of the Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.). A single, general index is often sufficient for Hesperia Supplements; excavation monographs usually contain multiple indexes. 

Format

All ASCSA indexes are run-in indexes, alphabetized letter by letter (see the sample index below). If an entry (or main heading) must have two levels of subentries, an indented style may be adopted for that particular entry (see “brazier” in the sample index).

Front and back matter should not be indexed, nor are illustrations normally indexed.

Please format your index according to the following:

• Capitalize only those words that are capitalized in the text (i.e., do not capitalize the first word of each entry).
• Italicize only those words that are italicized in the text, except “See” and “See also,” which are italicized.
• Index entries for footnotes are indicated by placing the superscripted footnote number(s) next to the page number.
• No period is needed at the end of index entries, including “See” and “See also” cross-references.
• Cross-references are usually preceded by a period; use semicolons to separate two cross-references.
• All page ranges (i.e., inclusive numbers) should be provided in full. Do not use "ff."
• For Hesperia Supplements, use a comma between an index entry/subentry and its page number; for excavation monographs, use a single tab.
• Insert a single blank line between entries of successive letters of the alphabet.
• There is no need to indent index entries that run over one line; do not insert tabs to indent these runover lines.