Textbooks
Standard textbooks for indexers include:
- Booth, Pat F. 2001 Indexing: The manual of good practice, München: KG Saur
- Mulvany, Nancy C. 2005. Indexing books, 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press
- University of Chicago Press. Indexes: A chapter from the Chicago Manual of Style. Chicago: University of Chicago Press [usually available online or for purchase as a separate chapter form the latest edition]
Other useful guides are:
- Browne, Glenda, and Jon Jermey, 2007. The indexing companion, Port Melbourne, VIC: Cambridge University Press
- Perlman, Janet, 2016, Indexing tactics & tidbits: An A to Z guide, Medford, NJ: Information Today in association with ASI
- Stauber, Do Mi. 2004. Facing the text: Content and structure in book indexing, Eugene, Oregon: Cedar Row Press
- Towery, Margie. 2016. Ten characteristics of quality indexes: Confessions of an award-winning indexer, Medford, NJ: Information Today in association with ASI
and the ‘Index it Right’ series:
- Zafran, Enid L., ed. 2005. Index it right! Advice from the experts v.1, Medford, NJ: Information Today in association with ASI
- Perlman, Janet, and Enid L. Zafran (eds). 2010. Index it right! Advice from the experts v.2, Medford, NJ: Information Today in association with ASI
- Zafran, Enid L., ed. 2014, Index it right! Advice from the experts v.3, Medford, NJ: Information Today in association with ASI
Classics
- Knight, G. Norman. 1979. Indexing, the art of; a guide to the indexing of books and periodicals. London: George Allen & Unwin.
- Wellisch, Hans H. 1995. Indexing from A to Z, 2nd edition, New York: H. W. Wilson
Standards
Standards for indexing:
- ANSI/NISO Z39.4-2021 Criteria for Indexes
- AS/NZS 999-1999(R2013) AS/NZS 999–1999(R2013), Information and documentation — Guidelines for the content, organization and presentation of indexes¸ which is identical with ISO 999:1996
Guidance on indexing is also provided in style manuals such as the Chicago Manual of Style online (CMOS17) (Chapter 16) and the Style Manual for authors, editors and printers, 6th ed, John Wiley & Sons Australia, 2002 (Chapter 15). Note that the digital Australian Government Style Manual does not cover indexing.