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Web Indexing SIG, a Special Interest Group of the American Society for Indexing

Resources: Web Indexing Awards

Web Indexing SIG Award

To encourage high quality web site indexes and to promote the web indexing work of professional indexers, the Web Indexing Special Interest Group of the American Society for Indexing awards a deserving indexer the annual Web Indexing SIG Award for excellence in web site indexing. The award is announced at the Honors & Awards session of the American Society for Indexing Annual conference each spring. You do not have to be present to win.

2008 Award Winners

First Place
Rebecca Linford, UK
 Index to the English Department at the University of Dundee, Scotland
English Department Web site: www.dundee.ac.uk/english/index.htm
A to Z Index: www.dundee.ac.uk/english/atoz.htm

Selected Comments:

  • Entries and overall indexing of site is consistent
  • Cross references are used where terms have no subentries and used correctly to link main entries with multiple subentries
  • Extensive level of detail enables access to the key information
  • Layout and main headings enable easy online reading
  • Good use of double posting
  • Good use of icons to note access to a secure area

Second Place
Michael Unwalla, UK
 Index to TechScribe
TechScribe Web site: www.techscribe.co.uk
A-Z Index: www.techscribe.co.uk/techw/a-z-index.htm

Selected Comments:

  • Good coverage of topics such as LaTex and DITA
  • Layout enables easy online reading
  • Good use of double posting and cross references
  • Good use of icons for entries to link sub-sections and PDF pages

Award Criteria

Eligibility Requirements

  • The index should be a browsable hyperlinked A to Z index, i.e., similar to a back of the book index
  • Created by humans, either an individual or a team
  • Publicly accessible on the Web at the time of submission, but could have been created at any time in the past
  • There is no minimum size requirement. However, a web site index that is too small cannot adequately demonstrate its quality. A larger web site index is likely to be more highly rated than a small one all other factors being equal.
  • Entries are only open to members of the Web Indexing SIG. Members of other indexing societies are eligible to enter by joining the Web Indexing SIG (ASI, ISC, SI, ANZSI, DNI, NIN, ASAIB, and China Society of Indexers).
  • Up to two web site indexes per indexer is allowed

The nomination entry period for 2009 will begin in November or December 2008.

Evaluation Criteria for the Award

The selection criteria for the Web Indexing SIG Award is based on the SIG's best practices for Web site indexes including the following criteria:

  • Usability/ease of use in navigating within the index and finding information
  • Sufficient coverage of web site content, i.e. indexing depth and completeness
  • Wording of entries and subentries
  • Correct use of cross-references
  • Sufficient and appropriate use of double posting
  • No broken or incorrect links
  • Special features used, e.g., the use of a special method to indicate a page that is particularly important
  • Attractive design

Submission Guidelines

  • Please submit completed form information via email to the Award Coordinator, dorthea.atwater@gmail.com.
  • Submissions are free for Web Indexing SIG members.
  • Members of ASI and affiliated indexing societies who are not yet Web Indexing SIG members should pay US$5.00 with their submission, which also includes one year's membership to SIG. Make checks payable to: Web Indexing SIG, ASI
    Checks should be mailed to the Award Coordinator:
      Dorthea Atwater
      2706 W. Avenue 32
      Los Angeles, CA 90065-2116
    For other payment options, please contact the Award Coordinator.

All submitters to the Award will be acknowledged.

Prize

The winning indexer receives US$75 and a certificate from the ASI Web Indexing Special Interest Group.

Judging of the Award

The Award Coordinator submits the entries anonymously to the judges. Entries are judged by three judges who are experts in web indexing, using the criteria listed above.

The judges are:

Fred Brown
Fred is the recipient of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers We Index Award. An experienced indexer, he has delivered numerous workshops on indexing. He is the owner of Allegro Technical Indexing.

Heather Hedden
Heather is an instructor and presenter on web site indexing, providing conference presentations and online workshops through Simmons College and her own business, Hedden Information Management. She is the author of the book Indexing Specialties: Web Sites and is a past manager of the Web Indexing SIG.

Fred Leise
Fred is an accomplished, experienced indexer, and the owner of ContextualAnalysis, LLC. An information architect, he offers consulting services in metadata/thesaurus design.

No web site indexed by the judges or Award coordinators will be eligible for entry.

Submission Form

Site index URL:
Site Home Page URL:
Name of the site:
Purpose/audience of the web site:
Indexer’s name:
Indexer’s email address:
Indexer’s mailing address:
Indexer’s indexing society affiliation:
Indexing software used (optional):

Please submit the completed information via email to: dorthea.atwater@gmail.com

 

Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers Web Index Award

Since 1996 the Australian Society of Indexers (AusSI), and later the Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers (ANZSI) had been awarding a Web indexing prize or award to the best Web site index submitted. Since 2001 the prize was replaced by an award that is considered an endorsement, which permitted the Web site to bear the ANZSI award logo for two years.

In spring 2006 the ANZSI award system underwent a reevaluation, and it had been decided not to go ahead with a web indexing award as a standalone item

Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers Web Index Award past recipients