Writing Tips
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Index I
- I
- Ibero-
- ice
- iced
- icono-
- ideal
- ideo-
- idioms: blue-sky
- idioms: get your ducks in a row
- idioms: hat trick
- idioms: in a jiffy
- idioms: pushing the envelope
- i.e.
- if
- if and when
- if I was
- if I were
- if not
- igni-
- ignitable
- ignitible
- il-
- Île-à-la-Crosse
- Îles-de-la-Madeleine
- illegal
- illegible
- illicit (1)
- illicit (2)
- illusion
- im-
- imbue
- immanent
- immigrate
- imminent (1)
- imminent (2)
- immune from
- immune to
- impinge on
- impinge upon
- imply
- imports
- impress by
- impress on
- impress upon
- impress with
- impulse
- in
- in-
- in accordance to
- in accordance with
- in all probability
- inasmuch as
- incapable
- incapable of
- incidence
- incidents
- include
- inclusive
- inclusively
- in conjunction with
- in connection with
- in consequence
- in contrast to
- inculcate
- indefinite pronouns
- indexes: abbreviations and other reference tools
- indexes: alphabetical arrangement
- indexes: blind references
- indexes: capitalization
- indexes: choice of terms
- indexes: combined entries
- indexes: complex entry
- indexes: continued headings
- indexes: cross-references
- indexes: "dangling" entries
- indexes: definition
- indexes: double posting
- indexes: entry versus subentry
- indexes: geographical names
- indexes: government departments and agencies
- indexes: homonyms
- indexes: length
- indexes: listing of subentries
- indexes: newspapers and periodicals
- indexes: personal names
- indexes: referenced material
- indexes: scientific names
- indexes: scope and complexity
- indexes: simple entry
- indexes: syntax of heading
- indifferent to
- indifferent toward(s)
- indirect objects
- indiscriminate
- indispensable for
- indispensable to
- individual
- Indo-
- inequity
- in excess of
- in fact
- infer
- infest
- infested by
- infested with
- infinitive
- infinitive phrase
- inflammable
- influenza
- inform (1)
- inform (2)
- infra-
- infringe
- infringe on
- infringe upon
- infuse
- ingenious
- ingenuous
- ingratiate
- iniquity
- initiative
- initiative (on one’s own)
- innovation
- in preference to
- in proximity to
- in receipt of
- in regard to
- insanitary
- inside of
- insight about
- insight as to
- insight into
- insight regarding
- insinuate
- insinuate into
- insofar as
- in spite of the fact that
- instil
- instill
- insure
- integrate
- integrate into
- integrate with
- intense
- intensive
- intensive pronouns
- inter
- inter-
- intercede for
- intercede on behalf of
- intercede with
- interjections
- interment
- intern
- internecine
- internet
- Internet (1)
- Internet (2)
- internment
- internship
- in the absence of
- in the amount of
- in the circumstances
- in the event that
- in the near future
- in the neighbourhood of
- in the order of
- in the sum of
- in the wake of
- into
- into effect
- intra-
- intranet
- intro-
- Inuit
- Inuk (Linguistic recommendation from the Translation Bureau)
- inukshuk
- inukshuks
- inuksuit
- inuksuk
- invalid
- invest
- invested as
- invest in
- invest with
- in view of the fact that
- invigorating
- in virtue of
- Iqaluit
- Iqalummiuq
- Iqalummiut
- ir-
- Iranian
- irregardless
- irrespective
- italics: emphasis
- italics: French and foreign words
- italics: identifying matter
- italics: introduction
- italics: legal references
- italics: letters and words cited
- italics: mathematical and scientific material
- italics: modes of transportation
- italics: peripheral matter
- italics: titles of works
- its
- it’s
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Search and Functionalities Area
indexes: alphabetical arrangement
Headings may be alphabetized letter by letter or word by word:
| Letter by letter | W.ord by word |
|---|---|
| Laurence, Margaret | Laurence, Margaret |
| Leacock, Stephen | Le Jeune, Père |
| Leechman, Douglas | Le Pan, Douglas |
| Le Jeune, Père | Leacock, Stephan |
| Le Pan, Douglas | Leechman, Douglas |
As shown above, in the word-by-word listing, the position of the two-word names is determined by the first word (Laurence comes before Le, which comes before Leacock). The second part of the surname comes into play in determining which of the two names beginning with Le is listed first (Le + J comes before Le + P).
In the letter-by-letter arrangement, the number of words in the heading is irrelevant. (L-a comes before L-e; and L-e-a comes before L-e-e, which comes before L-e-J, etc.)
Uses
One method of alphabetizing may be better than the other for certain uses.
Letter by letter
Use the letter-by-letter format for an index of acronyms, letters and symbols with technical meanings, as in a scientific work.
List organizations by their acronyms or abbreviations if they are usually referred to in that way. The short form should be alphabetized letter by letter and followed immediately by the full title in parentheses or a cross-reference to that title.
Word by word
A word-by-word arrangement is often used in a proper noun listing of geographical names:
- North Umpqua
- North Valley Stream
- North Vancouver
- North Vernon
- North Versailles
- Northumberland Strait
- Northumbria
- Northvale
- Northville
In a letter-by-letter listing, the entries with the word North would not have been grouped together.
Advantages and disadvantages
The word-by-word listing provides for a clear grouping of related headings, e.g. book, book jacket, book label and book list, which would otherwise be separated by a heading such as bookkeeping.
Its disadvantage is that a related term may have to be separated from the grouping because it is one word (hyphenated or unhyphenated). For example, words such as booklet and bookmark might well be separated from the above group, even though they belong to the same subject field.
This shows the advantage of a letter-by-letter listing: a compound occupies the same position, whether it is unhyphenated, hyphenated or written as two words.
Prepositions
Note that, whichever arrangement is adopted, prepositions at the beginning of a subentry or sub-subentry must be disregarded for alphabetization purposes.
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