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ANZSI Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers

Registration

Background

ANZSI provides a Registration system for its back-of-book indexers. In the absence of formal courses leading to tertiary qualifications in indexing, the Society’s Registration system acts as a credentialling standard for indexers who have demonstrated expertise and gained some experience in indexing. Registration performs a number of functions:

  • It recognises the quality of an indexer’s work as assessed by a panel of experienced indexers.
  • It acknowledges the professionalism of an indexer through its requirement that only published indexes are reviewed.
  • Having an index published attests to the indexer’s ability to perform work under marketplace conditions, constraints and deadlines.
  • It assures potential clients that a Registered Indexer has met established criteria for acceptable indexing.
  • It assures potential clients that a Registered Indexer has current indexing experience, through the requirement that Registration be renewed at set periods.
  • The granting of Registration indicates a general level of competency, measured against accepted indexing practice and agreed criteria.

Assessment

Applicants for Registration are assessed on an index of their choice, by a committee of the Society. Currently only book indexing (including cumulative indexes to single journal titles) is assessed; however this policy does not preclude the granting of Registration for online or database indexers in future if suitable criteria are developed.

Applications are assessed against criteria established by the ANZSI Registration Committee and approved by the ANZSI Council. The assessment process is anonymous, in order to protect the applicant from favour or bias. Unsuccessful applicants may re-apply for Registration, but not within six months of the date of adjudication of their first application. Unsuccessful applications will not be taken into consideration when assessing the new application.

The Society does not guarantee the quality of an indexer’s work through the granting of Registration, nor can it be held responsible for poor performance by an individual indexer.

Requirements for submitting an application

Applicants for admission to the Register are required to:

  1. Complete and submit the approved application form
  2. submit an index, together with the text to which it applies, that in the applicant’s judgement is a sufficient example of the professional status of the applicant’s work. 
    • The index should be substantial in size – as a guide, comprising a minimum of four pages, double columned.
    • The subject matter should be complex, requiring generally more than one category of words/phrases as index entries. 
    • The index should be published by a commercial, academic or scholarly publisher or outside agency. Self-published indexes in any format (print, electronic, online etc) are not acceptable. Indexes published as part of the ANZSI mentoring series are considered training exercises and are not acceptable. Internet published indexes mounted on an individual’s website (either that of the indexer or of any other personal website) are considered self-published and will not be considered, although internet published indexes mounted on commercial or organisational sites are acceptable.
    • Printed indexes are preferable, but electronic indexes will be considered if the item does not exist in any other format. 
    • Valuable and irreplaceable materials should not be submitted for assessment, as the Society treats all material with due care and respect but takes no responsibility for any damage or loss.
  3. Submit detailed notes on any conditions or constraints, inherent or imposed (say, by a publisher) that in the applicant’s view significantly affected the compilation of the index submitted. These will be carefully considered by the Panel in assessing the application. Such notes should be provided on a separate page attached to the application. The title of the text should appear at the top of the page. For the sake of anonymity in assessment, the name of the indexer should not appear on the notes.
  4. Make a non-refundable payment of A$75.00, at the time of application, to the Society to defray the handling and administrative costs of dealing with the application. This cost will be reviewed regularly.

    To apply for registration complete the application forms.

Duration of Registration

Registration is granted for a period of five years. Registration can be renewed for successive five-year periods by providing evidence of continued work in indexing.

Further information

Registration policy and procedure are available in ANZSI Documents in the Members area.Password protected area

Contact: Shirley CampbellEmail link

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