Indexing

What is Indexing Online?

Indexing is entering data about a comic, such as the title, page counts, credits and synopses of the stories so that it can be searched in the online database. Most indexes are submitted through our Online Interface, though some people still prefer to use the Flat-File method that is outlined here. The Online Index is a series of web forms that let indexers add data directly into the database.

How do I get started indexing online?

First you need access to the Online Index. If you want access to the ONLINE INDEX (OI), you should supply the following information to the GCD Reservations Coordinator, Matthias Hoffman.

• Your real name
• Your Nationality (especially if not American)
• Your (current) e-mail address
• Your user name (if you want to create your own, otherwise it will be generated for you)
• Your password (if you want to create your own, otherwise it will be generated for you)
• Your interests (not necessary, but we like to know a bit about you so we can pair you up with an editor with similar interests if possible)

The GCD Reservations Coordinator will then set you up on the system and contact you with all information needed to get started.

You can access the Online Index: Login location: http://www.comics.org/admin

How do I learn how to index?

There is a short tutorial to guide you through the basics. For the more detail oriented, the official Format Document is on this wiki as the Formatting Documents. It's separated into Issue level and Series level. For a beginning indexer, don't worry about the Series level part. If there are any discrepancies between the Tutorial and the Formatting Documents, the Formatting Documents win. For example, the Tutorial tells you to leave a field blank if it doesn't apply (like color on the cover in the example), but the proper thing to do is type "none".

How do I do my first index?

• Find out if the comic is available for indexing by searching the database using the search form.
• If the series you want to index is not listed in the database or if the issues are shown in white when you check the "See index matrix" link, then they should be available for you to make a reservation.
• Log in at http://www.comics.org/admin, using the Username and Password you obtained in Step 1.2 above.
• Reserve the issues you need using the "Reserve New Books" button.
• Index the comic, following the directions in the Tutorial and Format Document. Then hit the "Submit Index" button at the bottom of the screen.
• Usually first time indexers will be contacted by one of the Editors at the GCD to help along with some of our more specific formatting. We require the data to be in one format so that it is easily searchable, please don't be put off by some of the seemingly strange things we require to be done, once you've done it a couple of times it becomes old hat!

What happens after I submit my index?

After you submit the index, an editor will check the data for errors and proper formatting, and then approve the index (usually within a week). If there is a problem, you will usually be contacted by e-mail for comment. (Minor errors, such as typos, may be fixed by the editor without contacting you.) Do not be discouraged if you get a list of stuff to be corrected back. The editors can be a picky bunch, and they have to be. We need the data in the database to be consistent for future uses and for searching. After it is approved, you should check your index. After the index has been approved, use the GCD search form at: http://www.comics.org/ and check your index to see if any errors got missed. If there are any errors, contact the Error List.

What are common errors for people's first indexes?

Probably the most common error is to miss the "Edit Issue Data" screen, which is where the price, date and keydate are entered. Mis-entering (or misunderstanding) the keydate is also common. Not putting ?s on data which is not known is common. Not using [] and () correctly. Using unapproved genres. Using commas instead of semi-colons to separate data. Missing page count for one or more sequences. Some of this is covered on the Formatting Documents page.