Indexing

Indexing is an essential part of filing. An indexing is a ready guide to find out exact locations of letters, documents, missiles, files, etc. Whereabouts of names, subjects, files, figures and topics can be traced easily and quickly without loss of time whenever they are required for reference. It makes readily available up-to-date information regarding names of individuals, their addresses, telephone numbers, telegraphic address, e-mail address, bank references, file numbers and other necessary information’s. Filing preserves all the papers in a systematic manner and indexing provides key to the location of those papers.

Importances of Indexing 

The importances and requirement of indexing in an office are as follows:

i)  It ensures quick and easy finding of papers and files and other records.

ii)  It saves time due to increase in speed of work.

iii)  It increases efficiency of office staff and decreases cost in management of office records.

iv)  Indicates the location of a particular file in an office, a particular word in a dictionary, a particular topic in a book and a particular paper in a file.

v)  It helps to avoid wastage of time and energy.

vi)  It makes scientific and detailed analysis of office records easy and convenient.

Different types of indexing are:

i) Book index

ii) Card index

iii) Cabinet index

iv) Dictionary index

v) Visible index

i)  Book index:- Under book index the index is maintained in the form of a thick register book. The papers of the thick register book are arranged alphabetically into several parts. At the outer margin of the pages, the letter groups are shown by cut-outs. The style of making index is writing letters at the right edge of one or some pages in the beginning of the register book. The left part of each paper is used for writing information of those persons whose names just start with the alphabetic letter given at the right edge. In such books, surnames of persons are written first, then names and lastly position and title.

ii)  Card index:- Card index system is considered as an improved system upon the other system. So, this method is most advanced form of indexing. It was introduced by a French citizen named Abbe Jean Rozer. In this system a card is allotted to each correspondent and all details about him such as name, address, phone number, file number etc. are entered in it. These cards are arranged in drawers or tray alphabetically. The size of the card may be 3″ by 3″ or 4″ by 6″ or 5″ by 8″ or it may be according to the necessity of an office. Guide cards are also used to find out the index card.

iii)  Cabinet index:- Index made in filing cabinet itself a cabinet index. Under this system indices are put together with the files in the cabinet or drawer. Files are kept in standing position and arranged in alphabetic order. Thick paper folders are especially designed having flat bottom to show index and arch or liver or clip inside it to hold documents. Index labels are pasted on the flat bottom of each file which are visible.

iv)  Dictionary index:- Indexing made according to dictionary method is dictionary index. In dictionary words are arranged in order of alphabetic letters. The meaning and use of a word can be found under the main word. Usually, in office list of the names of files is kept showing the details such as name, address, telephone number, file number etc. about a person in alphabetic order. So, under this system names of persons and organizations are arranged alphabetically and their details are written under each name. Telephone directory is an example of this type of index.

v)  Visible index:- In this system index can be openly seen. Different techniques can be used under this system according to the necessity of an office. Among different techniques visible card index is one of them. In it a series of cards are arranged in a metal frame or tray in such a way that each card overlaps the other as a result of which a strip of each remains exposed and visible. The exposed portion serves as an index. The other methods are strip index, rotary card index.