Work
Samples of specific editions (hover over cover for details). Press refresh for more and please see Amazon Look Inside function, where available. (Other editions of titles may have been indexed by a different indexer).
Samples of specific editions (hover over cover for details). Press refresh for more and please see Amazon Look Inside function, where available. (Other editions of titles may have been indexed by a different indexer).
I enjoy indexing books, journals, law reports and looseleaf works and have completed over 3000 pieces of work.
I have also abstracted journal articles and law reports for online databases.
I work on any length of book and can be available at short notice, depending on my work schedule, since I am one of a small number of indexers who work full-time at indexing.
I only directly work with authors by explicit agreement and for a revised fee.
Indexes are submitted as final products, not as drafts. Please submit preferences in advance, as they cannot be incorporated without negotiation afterwards and would have to be scheduled. I could not guarantee to be available to do extra, unscheduled work and a further fee would be required, except for typos and obvious errors (eg spellings). (This forms part of terms and conditions. Please contact me for clarification, if necessary).
I am happy to index law books at any level, from general to student to professional and academic and have indexed many books in all those categories. I have also indexed numerous books on other social sciences, such as politics and sociology, and general works on topics such as management, business, philosophy and religion.
I supply the indexes as Word documents (using templates, if required) but have also have some experience of embedded indexing with Jordan Publishing.
I work conscientiously, efficiently and professionally (see 'testimonials' page).
My rates are very competitive. Please contact me for details at [email protected]
I also occasionally compile legal tables.
About indexing:
A study conducted by the Bureau of National Affairs on the usability of indexes in law books showed that index users had an 86% success rate compared with a 23% success rate for full text searchers. The study also discovered that the index saved users time.
Index evaluation
Where do indexes come from?
Can computers do the job?
Can you do it yourself?
Why does a book need an index?
My method:
Please note that this section describes my style of indexing and what my indexes look like.
I try to make the index as user-friendly as possible, with the aim that users can find what they need quickly, without second-guessing.
I aim for structural clarity, visual appeal and efficiency of access.
There is not an 'official' way of indexing law books in particular, although there might be some differences, such as the use of paragraph numbers instead of page numbers. There is no rule which says that entries must be embedded (hidden) and difficult to find in law indexes! The key/main word should always come first so entries such as 'relating to aircraft' (under 'r') and 'aims of the law of tort' should be avoided and 'aircraft, relating to' and 'tort law, aims of' should be preferred, despite the contents of many indexes seeming to show otherwise and the aspiration to use natural language. Most people won't think of looking under 'relating to' when trying to find something on 'aircraft' or 'aims of' for tort.
I try to follow the International/British Standard, New Hart's Rules and the general rules of indexing, with flexibility, using my legal background and extensive experience with legal materials. Please see below where I describe my style, with references to the ASI (American Society of Indexers) evaluation checklist and New Hart's Rules.
I do not just index the headings or nouns in books but try and provide in-depth coverage (as appropriate) of concepts and themes. However, every passing mention is not included.
ASI Evaluation: The index should go beyond listing the main headings in each chapter or rearranging the table of contents.
New Hart's Rules 19.2.2. Ignore passing or minor references
Sub-entries:
I try never to use four levels of index. This is to make the index easier to scan, to avoid confusion by hiding entries at a 3rd or 4th level.
ASI Evaluation: Are subheadings overanalyzed? Could they be combined? Does the format provide for ease in visually scanning the index? Is the style consistent throughout? New Hart's Rules 19.2.1
For instance in this entry (part of a much longer entry):
Example 1:
accessories
contemplation test and
and divergence of mens rea
and murder
and residual liability for manslaughter
encouragement and
generally
liability and
mens rea and
and manslaughter
and murder
principal and
victims being accessories and
'Murder' and 'manslaughter' are partly hidden from the user at a 3rd level, making them harder to find, especially in a long entry. I might change this by placing 'murder' and 'manslaughter' at the second level so it would be found more easily and putting the most important word first in the sub-entries (eg 'manslaughter, residual liability for').
ASI Evaluation: Are the subheadings useful? Is the phrasing of entries and subentries clear, with significant terms first?
The 'and's' in subentries are superfluous, in my opinion, as is 'generally'. ASI Evaluation: Unnecessary words and phrases like "concerning" and "relating to" and proliferation of prepositions and articles should be avoided. Is the phrasing of entries and subentries clear?). The association of sub-entries with the main heading is formed by its status as a sub-heading. Particularly, I feel 'and' in front of subentries can distract the eye and have not come across an argument as to how 'and' after entries improves the index or helps the user, although its use may make the index look more complex. (ASI Evaluation: Does the format provide for ease in visually scanning the index?).
Space can still be saved by removing third level entries, if needed, or left in, if that makes sense in this instance. This is not to suggest that example 1 is 'wrong', but is just using a different style.
I also try to avoid the use of filler terms such as 'generally', 'conclusion' and 'introduction' etc. New Hart's Rules 19.2.2. No one will look them up and there is normally a contents page.
So Example 1 would become:
accessories
contemplation test
encouraging or assisting crime
liability
manslaughter
mens rea
murder
principal
victims as accessories
contemplation test
accessories
manslaughter
mens rea, divergence of
murder
Another example (example 2):
Assault
lawful chastisement
mens rea
sexual offences
by penetration
by touching
specific offences
actual bodily harm
battery
with intent to resist arrest
common assault
wounding
If this is a long entry, someone quickly looking for assault by penetration or assault with intent to resist arrest could miss it.
ASI Evaluation: Are subheadings concise, with the most important word at the beginning? Does the format provide for ease in visually scanning the index?
It's possible that a user may not realise 'arrest' etc would be placed under 'specific offences' at all or may miss it under 'with intent to resist arrest' and would expect to find it under 'arrest'.
ASI Evaluation: Are subheadings overanalyzed? Could they be combined?
Example 2 would become:
assault
arrest, with intent to resist
battery
common assault
lawful chastisement
mental element
penetration, by
sexual offences
specific offences
touching, by
wounding
Third level entries may or may not be included, depending on the book.
Another example:
pre-action protocols
effect of admissions
recommended steps
ADR
disclosure
rehabilitation
In a long entry, this could be completely missed. A user might have to guess where it is. It makes more sense to use:
pre-action protocols
admissions, effect of
ADR
disclosure
recommended steps
rehabilitation
The same with:
injunctions
to prevent winding up
which should be:
injunctions
winding up, to prevent
disclosure (this is part of a long entry)
obligation to make reasonable searches
requirements for affidavits
role of legal representatives
use of Form N
'Use of', 'role', 'requirement' and 'obligation' could apply to anything so there is no reason to suppose someone will think to look for an entry of this type under it. So I would use this structure:
disclosure
affidavits, requirements for
Form N, use of
legal representatives, role of
searches, obligation to make reasonable
I provide cleanly structured but comprehensive indexes. The scope of an index isn't in the number of levels of sub-entries used and internal consistency is important.
ASI Evaluation: Are subheadings overanalyzed? Could they be combined?
Double postings:
Users should be able to find what they want at any entry point. Hence I use double postings.
ASI evaluation: For the reader’s convenience, many subheadings should be double posted—that is, they should exist as main headings too. Is there more than one access point to significant concepts? Entries should be “flipped” where necessary or appropriate.
For example
Example 3:
separation of powers
executive
and
executive
separation of powers
Space can be saved by use of cross-references. I would rather use a cross-reference, than have long 3rd level entries.
Page numbers:
I try to avoid long lists of undifferentiated page numbers after subject entries eg not like this:
European Convention on Human Rights 11, 23-7, 41, 53, 77-80, 91-100, 201-17, 333-5, 451-2, 500-1, 612-15, 618-19, 741-2
fair trials 43
independence 53
European Court of Human Rights 23, 55, 79, 90-107, 83-100, 374-5, 450-9, 500-1, 712-13, 800-1, 812-13
judges 11, 41
jurisprudence 101, 201
ASI Evaluation: Do main headings have not more than 5–7 locators (page references)? If more, they should be broken down into subheadings. New Hart's Rules 19.2.2.
I do not use 'f'. and 'ff.' or passim. New Hart's Rules 19.6.
Cross-references
Navigation is added by efficient and thorough use of cross-references. I try to take particular care with this. I do not use cross-references that take up same space as the cross-reference itself. New Hart's Rules 19.2.5.
Legislation
Legislation can be included in the index as a subject but the index is not a table of legislation, therefore a short-form of title may be used. This means that not all mentions of the legislation will be included.
Plurals
I use the plural form, with exceptions as deemed necessary. 'Choose plural forms unless noun is uncountable'. New Hart's Rules 19.2.2
Names
It is standard practice to include all authors/names with a significant mention in the main text, rather than in brackets or in footnotes. If the latter is required, this should be arranged before work starts and would require extra time and therefore an additional charge.
Subject of the book
Generally speaking, main entries should not echo the title of the book because, potentially, everything could be indexed under that main entry. For instance, it would not be very helpful to have a long entry for 'employment law' in an employment law book but 'employment law, definition of' etc would be fine.
Hyphens
In word-by-word sorting, hyphens are treated as spaces, and the two parts of a hyphenated compound are treated as separate words, except where the first element is not a word in its own right (e.g. de-emphasis, iso-osmotic, proto-language).
In the letter-by-letter system alphabetization proceeds across spaces, with separated (and also hyphenated) words being treated as one word. New Hart's Rules 19.3.1 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Example of my work (see slideshow on Home Page and above for others):
(From The Law of Non-International Armed Conflict. Sandesh Sivakumaran)
complementarity 485, 488, 509
compliance see capacity of non-state armed groups for enforcement and compliance; engaging compliance
concerted and sustained military operations 188
conduct of hostilities 336–429 see also targeting
Additional Protocol II 336–7, 428
belligerent reprisals 450–1
common Article 3 336, 428
customary international law 337, 429
humane treatment 336, 429
methods of combat 412–28, 429
weapons 386–412, 428–9
conferences see diplomatic conferences
confidentiality 279–80, 471–2, 566
Congo see Democratic Republic of Congo
conscription 319–20
consent
courts of non-state armed groups 559
displaced persons 289
humanitarian assistance 330–4, 335
International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission 460–1
contamination of land see natural environment
continuous combat function 360–3, 429
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 83, 87
Conventional Weapons Convention 1980
Amended Mines Protocol 62, 404–7, 449, 452
anti-personnel mines 404–7
application to NIACs 429
belligerent reprisals 449, 452
booby traps 404
common Article 3 62–3
domestic criminal courts 495
Explosive Remnants of War, Protocol on 62, 411–12
incendiary weapons 397–9
instructions, codes of conduct and internal regulations 135
international humanitarian law 62–3
laser weapons designed to cause permanent blindness 399–400
non-detectable fragments 410–11
personal scope of application 236
Review Conference 62
scope of application clause 407
unnecessary suffering or superfluous injury 390
conventions see also particular conventions; treaties and conventions
correspondence 295
countermeasures see belligerent reprisals
courts of non-state armed groups 549–62
accountability 556
Additional Protocol II 552–3, 561
belligerency, recognition of 550
births, deaths and marriages, registration of 560
capital punishment 310–11
command responsibility 557, 559
complementarity 485, 488
consent 559
criminal process, persons subject to 75–6, 305–11
differentiation between NIACs and IACs 75–6
due process 75–6, 305, 306–10, 335, 551–3, 557
engaging compliance 549–62
examples 550–5
fair trials 75–6, 485–6, 549, 552–3, 559, 562
human rights 556, 558
importance 555–7
impunity 550, 555
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights 556
International Criminal Court 485–6, 488
international humanitarian law 552–9
legislation and law of non-state armed groups 561
legitimacy 557–62
prize courts 550
regularly constituted courts 75–6, 305–6, 335
state sovereignty 561
summary executions 549–50, 559
territorial control 558–60
training of judges 551
transfers to state systems 559
unrecognized governments 560–1
vigilantism 549
creation and development of non-international armed conflict law 2–3, 5
agreements 443–4
child soldiers 537–8
codes of conduct 563
commitments 106–8, 443–4
early stages, involvement of armed groups at 537–8
'Fundamental Standards of Humanity' initiative 52, 565–7
human rights 2–3
international criminal law 2–3
international humanitarian law 2–3
methodology 65–77, 562–4
national liberation movements 563
non-state armed groups, participation from 106–8, 537–8, 562–4
proposal for instrument binding states and non-state armed groups 565–6
treaties and conventions 564
unilateral declarations 443–4
(From Oxford Handbook of European Islam)
Canada 190, 241, 582, 751
Catholics 3, 6, 626, 634–5, 637, 640–3
Ceuta and Melilla 313, 327, 332, 338
chadors 703–4, 758
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU 701
Chechnya 534–6, 540–2
Black Widows 777
combat jamaats 774
diaspora 555
discrimination 526
elections 542
public opinion/perceptions 551–2
radicalism/radicalization 535–6, 541–2, 549, 551, 772–5, 789
Salafism 536
separatism 519, 536, 772
solidarity structures 540
suicide bombers 546 n.72, 777
wars 520, 529, 534, 536, 540, 548–9, 552–5
children, protection of 678
China 518, 543, 545
Christianity and Christians 11, 620, 631–2 see also Catholics
Circassia 529, 554
citizenship
citizen and Muslim, being a 11–12
culture and cultural heritage 4, 5
Euro-Islam 804
hijab/headscarves 722–4
institutions/organizations 630, 638, 642
‘Islamic problem’ 5
clash of civilizations 745, 757–8, 762, 764
civil law 671–2, 677–86, 693–4, 695
Cold War 358, 477, 519, 521, 760
colonialism 79 n.13, 223, 636, 704–5, 773 see also postcolonialism
commercial disputes, ADR in 694
communist era 3–4, 5, 532, 666
communitarianism 9, 723, 787
comparative approach 2, 5, 9, 634–43
hijab/headscarves 729–30
institutions/organizations 620, 625, 629, 633–52
tables 644–51
types of comparison 643–52
conception of religion see definition of Islam and Islamic conception of religion
conflict of laws 190, 321, 629–30, 677–82, 695
Conseil Français du Culte Musulman (CFCM) 34–6, 37, 39, 41, 47–8
conservatives see traditionalists/conservatives
Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 372
converts 669–70, 710–11, 730, 764, 771, 773–4, 788, 790
corporal punishment 7, 659, 663
Council of Europe (CoE) 518, 624, 748
Crimean War 517
criminal law 7–8, 672–4, 677, 691
criminology 105–6, 109, 133, 775, 777, 780
Croatia/Croats 430, 432–4, 438, 442, 451, 465–7, 499
Crusades 745–6
culture and cultural heritage
acculturation 3, 16, 635, 802
believing, behaving, and belonging 11–12
citizenship 4, 5
culturally sentimental Muslims 10
discrimination and equality 805
diversity 702, 722–4, 729, 803–4
education and schools 724
Euro-Islam 802–4
family law 688–9
hijab/headscarves 702–3, 717, 722–3, 729
identity 8, 793, 803
institutions/organizations 620–2, 624–7, 632, 634-5, 638, 643
Islamophobia 756
judges and administrations, sensitivity of 696
marriage and divorce 690
race and ethnicity 747
radicalism/radicalization 775–7, 782, 785–90
security/securitization 3
shariah law 8, 676, 688–90
values, rejection of European 717
Western superiority 753, 757, 759–65
Cyprus 358, 529
Da’awat-e Islami 127, 378
Dagestan 521–4, 526, 529, 531, 535–6, 540–7, 552–4
Danish Cartoon controversy 189, 753–4
demonstrations and riots 414, 754
freedom of expression 1, 342, 414, 753
Greece 362
Islamophobia 84, 753
Jyllands-Posten 414, 416, 753–4
Norway 416
public opinion/perceptions 10, 334, 416
radicalism/radicalization 774, 779
Sweden 411
terrorism 754
Darqawa tariqa 324–5
Dayton Peace Accords 429, 452, 467
defensive Muslims 10
definition of Islam and Islamic conception of religion 9–16
believing, behaving, and belonging 11–12
citizen and Muslim, being a 11–12
identity building 11–12
Muslim, definition of 10
public opinion/perceptions 10
religiosity of individuals 10–13, 15
Salafism, growth of influence of global 12–16
social media 10, 15
transnationalism 10, 12
email: [email protected]