Tools of the Trade, pt.1 briefly discusses thesauruses, with a quick note on why they are useful to indexers, and the More Resources for Writers page, which provides links to freely accessible online resources such as thesauruses, dictionaries, research guides, and more.

And now to discuss another tool that is of crucial importance to indexers…

Dictionaries

When indexing, biographical dictionaries offer information on famous or otherwise relevant people — these can give critical background information or help an indexer distinguish between multiple people who share the same name; language dictionaries present insights into the nuances of words; and subject dictionaries provide specialty knowledge and vocabulary on any given topic — subject dictionaries are of vital importance when a book’s target audience includes subject experts.

A List of Some Dictionaries

Language Dictionaries

• Fowler’s Dictionary of Modern English Usage (Oxford, 2015)

• Merriam-Webster’s English Dictionary (& Thesaurus) free access

Find these dictionaries (and more) at your local library. Contact your librarian, search WorldCat, or contact me for help with finding what you’re looking for.