Re: Should a glossary be indexed?

["Chuck Martin" <cm -at- writeforyou -dot- com>]

<dmbrown -at- brown-inc -dot- com> wrote in message news:230676 -at- techwr-l -dot-  -dot-  -dot- 
>
> Chuck Martin wrote:
> > ...if readers want a term defined, they will go directly to the
> > glossary and bypass the index entirely.
>
> Not if they don't know there's a glossary to be found.  (It might not be
> right before the index.)
>
So the question is, then, how to readers act? I don't know the answer to
that one.

I remember learning about how readers find information initially within
books. Something like 70-odd percent go to the index first, 20-odd percent
begin in the TOC, etc. It's one big, big reason why indexes are so
incredibly important.

But once in the book how do readers find definition of terms? Shouldn't the
answer to this question drive the answer of whether glossary entries should
be in indexes?

-- 
--
Chuck Martin
User Assistance & Experience Engineer
twriter "at" sonic "dot" net      www.writeforyou.com

"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. The day
may come when the courage of Men fail,  when we forsake our friends and
break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day! This day, we fight!"
                    - Aragorn

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given you."
                    - Gandalf