The New Student's Reference Work/Index: Introduction

ANALYTICAL INDEX.

The purpose of the editors in the preparation of The New Student's Reference Work has been twofold—to give an accurate, up-to-date, and interesting treatment of all subjects of value to teachers, students, and general readers and to make readily available all such information. To complete the work so well begun in the choice and treatment of subjects and in the general arrangement of facts in the various articles, a complete analytical index has been prepared and will be found at the close of Volume V. The advantage of this Index may be briefly stated as follows:

(1) The selection of the subjects, which should be treated in separate articles, is the first task in the making of a reference work. Where a subject is not treated separately, however, information concerning it may be included in an article on another subject. At once it will be seen that without some means of locating such information much that is of value would be lost to the reader. Here the analytical index comes to his aid. An illustration of this point is found in the subject "Mosques" on Page 2477 of the Index. Here is a word of which the full meaning can be determined from any good dictionary. It is not, therefore, necessary to use space for that. There are, however, some important Mosques, the location of which is of value to the reader. These are all mentioned in other articles. By simply grouping in the Index the pages on which reference to "Mosques" is made all the information desired is obtained, needless repetition avoided, and space economized.

(2) There is a saving of time and needless annoyance by the use of the Index in being able to find the subject desired, irrespective of the title under which it is treated. For example, one may desire the biography of an author, but is only familiar with the pen name. Take for illustration "Marion Harland." In the text on Page 1892 the biography is given under the real name, "Mary Virginia Terhune." The Index, however, gives both names and proper page reference as follows:

Page 2455 of the index, Harland, Marion, (Mary Virginia Terhune) : 1892.

Page 2505 of the index, Terhune, Mary Virginia (Marion Harland) : 1892.

Thus one knowing the author under either the pseudonym or real name could find the biography as readily as though both names were known.

(3) An important feature is suggested by the references to "Agriculture," on Page 2414 of the Index. By use of this analytical arrangement one may quickly and with wonderful accuracy formulate a "brief" or an outline of any far-reaching subject such as this, and be fully prepared to take it before the school, to prepare a paper or talk, or to follow a course of reading as the occasion may require. To use "Agriculture" as an example: One would wish to consider first the "History of agriculture," and in that connection "Hebrew agriculture," Medieval agriculture," "Modern agriculture," the development of the science in all the various countries named, "experiment stations," "colleges and schools," etc. Next would come soils, and in this connection "alluvium," "capilarity of soils," "chemistry," "distribution of crops," "rotation of crops," "nitre-gathering crops," etc. Next, one would probably want to classify the different branches of farming, as fruit raising referred to in "apples," "grafting," "spraying mixtures," etc.; and stock raising, "poultry," "stock breeding," "stock raising," "stock feeding," "veterinary science;" and dairying, "butter," creamery," "cream separator," Babcock test," etc. The application of this principle to other subjects may be noted, as in the subject "Art," on Page 2418 of the Index.

(4) Noting carefully the foregoing, another advantage is brought into prominence, the ability on the part of the editors, through use of the Index, to condense their work, to eliminate repetition of facts and so classify subjects on which a great diversity of information is given, as to provide space for a number of highly important special articles and make the volumes a compact, convenient and usable library of reference. It may be stated that, in the opinion of the publishers, no such successful work in this line has ever before been undertaken.

It is the urgent advice of the publishers that reference be always made first to the Index. Even in finding subjects treated under familiar headings this is good counsel, for with the page in mind one may find the article in a fraction of the time needed to locate it by use of the alphabetical arrangement. When it is remembered that in some cases the subjects will be found not specifically treated in a separate article, in some treated under a title unfamiliar to the reader, and in many cases much added information of value on the subject will be found indicated in additional references, one can appreciate not only the Index as a feature of The New Student's Reference Work, but the wisdom of the advice here given.