Technical Writing e Indices, Decisions, & FO0. BAR By Diana P a t t e r s o n Senior E d i t o r Indices I've always had trouble sorting an index, but now I have learned that the U n i v e r s i t y of W a t e r l o o ' s SCRIPT does it as it should. The index is that list at the back of the book -- not the one at the front. It should have every c o n c e i v a b l e entry for items in the book, not just a sorted list of headings. If a c e r t a i n subject is d i s c u s s e d on three d i f f e r e n t pages, there should be one and only one entry, but three d i f f e r e n t pare numbers. S u b h e a d i n g s under an entry should be indented. Here is an example of a good index: w h e t h e r to set of a n u c l e a r bomb. But when it is standards d e c i s i o n m a k i n g time, I have no problem. M e a n w h i l e , the p e r s o n who is r e s p o n s i b l e for the d e c i s i o n d o e s n ' t have any r e a s o n to lean one way or the other b e c a u s e he p r o b a b l y d o e s n ' t use w h a t e v e r it is that's affected. M a k i n g other p e o p l e ' s d e c i s i o n s is easy. One m e m b e r of the s t a n d a r d s c o m m i t t e e told me that she always had an opinion, but was seldom able to bring off what she wanted. She would suggest, but her s u g g e s t i o n s were not taken. I, however, have had n u m e r o u s d e c i s i o n s made on my account, quickly, and p e r m a n e n t l y -- m a n y of them just what I suggested. There isn't m u c h of a trick to it. When you have to write a d o c u m e n t to a c e r t a i n schedule, and n o b o d y ' s c o m i n g across w i t h the answers to your questions, just write up the way you think it ought to be, and hand it out for c o r r e c t i o n s . Once face w i t h a d e c i s i o n , as were a l r e a d y made, the boss has no f i g u r i n g out w h e t h e r he likes it. forced to make a d e c i s i o n , and the p s y c h o l o g i c a l a d v a n t a g e is on your Once s o m e t h i n g is in print, p e o p l e b e l i e v e it. E s p e c i a l l y if you use language. FOO. B A R This f i l e n a m e appears in m a n y e x a m p l e s for v a r i o u s c o m p u t e r systems. The e t y m o l o g y of this famous filename is now clear. It is from an old Royal Air Force saying: Fowled Up Beyond All Recognition The U has g r a d u a l l y double O. changed to the if it trouble He is side. tend to decisive copying facilities 3 copyright See also permissions for dissertations App. E holder of App. F copyright date 31h, 32b copyright page of books 31h of dissertations App. C corporate authors in bibliographies 42d, 42r in notes 32d, 32r corrections abbreviations for 50b cb dissertations App. E in research papers 25 symbols for 50b in writing drafts 8 correspondence See letters in editor and letters, personal N o t i c e that the v a r i e t y of r e f e r e n c e s is impressive, i n c l u d i n g those w i t h none. Some words m u s t be i t a l i c i z e d or u n d e r l i n e d . I have not yet p r o d u c e d my first index u s i n g SCRIPT, and I suspect it will not imitate the index in my example. But! the index will sort u p p e r and lower case correctly. For that I'll be h a p p y e n o u g h for the time being. (The sample index above is from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, New York: Modern Language Association, 1977). I~cisions W h e n it is time to make big d e c i s i o n s that r e a l l y c o n c e r n me deeply, I have as m u c h trouble as a U.S. P r e s i d e n t d e c i d i n g The first use w i t h c o m p u t e r systems has not been firmly established. It has been traced as far back as MIT, 1968. Any a d d i t i o n a l g r e a t l y accepted. information will be -12 -

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