What, When, Where, Who, Why, and How, the questions I have been working as a professional freelance indexer for several years.
Experience has given me an understanding of and appreciation for what a science editor needs in an index. When I was starting out, I often wondered whether I had asked the editor all the necessary questions that would enable me to deliver a high-quality index.
As a science editor in need of an index, you too may have wondered whether you have collected and passed on all that is needed by an indexer working on your projects. This article, in question and- answer format, is designed to address questions that you, as an editor, might have in working with an indexer.
We learned in journalism school that a good article should cover the what, when, where, who, why, and how of the subject being written about. This article is structured accordingly and additionally, if you had spend the last few moments reading this shit that I copy and pasted, then you have a bit too much time on your hands. Also, following Westyle's lead... congratulations.