Managing Records: Identifying Records: Indexing

Indexing Procedures Manual Checklist

Same as Appendix C of Indexing Minutes, Pub #78

Master List of Terms

• Main and secondary subjects:
  • Personnel positions in your organization
  • Committees and boards
  • Properties belonging to the organization
  • Geographical features (including roads, bridges, buildings)
  • Businesses, organizations, and government agencies
• List of actions before the board
• List of departments or units with their abbreviations
• Determining when to add terms to the master list of terms
• Updating the master list of terms

Selection Criteria

• Information to index
• Information not to index

Conducting the Indexing

• Adding, revising, and deleting entries
• Determining when to add a memo field
• Selecting subjects
• Cross-referencing

Data Formatting

• Format of dates
• Format for location within minutes (volumes and pages)
• Abbreviations or codes to be used
• Capitalization
• Format of personal names

Updating the Index

• How often to update the index
• Updating to the next version of the software
• Rules for revising subject terms

Backing up the Index

• Frequency of backups
• Location of backups
• Medium used for backups

Retrieving and Reporting Information

• Search procedures
  • How to conduct a search
  • Techniques for narrowing a search
  • Techniques for broadening a search
• Generating reports
  • Standard formats of reports (alphabetical, by department, etc.)
  • Annual or cumulative reports
• Access to the index
  • Who will have access to the index and in what format
  • How staff will handle queries for information

Distributing the Index

• Who will receive updates to the index
• How often to distribute the index

Definitions of Terms

• Terms used in the minutes
• Terms used in the procedures manual