United States
Hong KongBuilding your own index
Beyond tabs, write an index in the front of each book listing topics in your own words with page numbers. Tabs get you to a region; the index gets you to a page.
Tabs are physical and coarse. An index is written and precise, and together they are much faster than either alone.
What an index adds
A tab says roughly where. An index says exactly where, in words you chose.
The book's own index uses the author's vocabulary. Yours uses the vocabulary the questions use, which is not always the same.
How to build it
- Work practice questions with the book open
- When you find an answer, write the topic in your own words and the page number
- Group entries by category rather than alphabetically
- Keep it in the front of the book it belongs to
- Review it before a practice session so the entries stay familiar
Permanent index tabs and highlighting are permitted. An index written into the book is a different thing, and the current bulletin governs. Verify before you write anything, because a book refused at the door is a book you sit without.
Use the question's words
If a question asks about a limited access zone, your index should say limited access zone, not masonry wall protection.
The whole point is retrieval under pressure, and under pressure you will search for the words in front of you.
Cross-references
Note where a topic spans books. Rebar impalement is a concrete topic answered in the OSHA standards, and an index entry in the concrete book pointing at OSHA saves the wrong-book search.
Keep it short
An index nobody can scan is a second book. One page per reference, ordered by category, is the target.
Common questions
Why build an index as well as tabbing?
Tabs get you to a region; an index gets you to a page, using your own vocabulary rather than the author's.
How do I build one?
Work questions with the book open and write down the topic in your own words with the page number whenever you find an answer.
Am I allowed to write an index in the book?
Tabs and highlighting are permitted. Check the current bulletin before writing anything else.
What words should I use?
The words the questions use, because under pressure you search for what is in front of you.
How long should it be?
About a page per reference, ordered by category. An index nobody can scan is a second book.