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Society of Indexers announce new grading structure for professional indexers

 

January 2010

 

 

The Society of Indexers’ online directory, Indexers Available, is the essential reference source for anyone needing a professional indexer. Clients consulting the directory will notice a number of changes during 2010 as a new membership grading structure is implemented. ‘We now have a logical, stepwise progression from student membership through to Fellowship and the membership grades more clearly associate professional indexers with the name of the Society,’ said SI Chair Ann Kingdom. The new structure also encourages continuing professional development (CPD) and recognises the acquisition of practical skills and experience.

 

There will now be three grades for qualified members:

• The new designation Professional Member (MSocInd) indicates an indexer who has successfully completed initial training and is working as a professional indexer (or has many years’ continuous experience).
• A new grade of Advanced Professional Member (MSocInd(Adv)) will come into force from April 2010. This will recognise skills and experience gained following initial training and act as a stepping stone between the basic professional grade and Fellowship.
• Fellows of the Society of Indexers (FSocInd) are indexers whose work has been through a rigorous assessment procedure and is judged as achieving exemplary professional quality.

 

Members of the society who are currently undertaking the Society’s training course will be designated Student Members, although of course they won’t have an entry in the directory until they qualify.

 

Identifying an indexer with the appropriate subject expertise is an essential part of the commissioning process. This is a point Ann Kingdom is quite emphatic about: ‘No matter how skilled and experienced the indexer, they must also be familiar with the subject matter.’ Apparently this is something that editors don’t always seem to rate sufficiently highly and she’s been surprised at the number of times she’s been approached to index books in specialist areas she knows absolutely nothing about. Hopefully this will soon be a thing of the past. ‘We’re planning a major overhaul of Indexers Available during 2010–11,’ said Ann. ‘The idea is to make it much easier for an editor or author to choose an indexer with the relevant subject background.’

 

Further information about the Society, about training as an indexer and about indexing in general can be found on its website (www.indexers.org.uk), together with the online directory of freelance indexers (Indexers Available) and extensive advice for anyone commissioning an index.

 

 

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