AutoMarking Entries with a Concordance File

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A concordance file is really a simple table you create to track and enter index entries easily. The table you create is a two-column table: in the first column you enter the text you want Word to mark as the entry and in the second column you enter the index entry you want to use. Here are the steps to create a concordance:

1. Create a table in a new document by clicking the Insert Table button on the Standard toolbar, and then creating a two-column table.

2. In the first column, enter the words or phrases you want Word to mark for the entry.

3. In the second column, type the index entry for the text in the first column. Be sure to type each entry in a separate cell.

4. Save and close the concordance file.

5. Choose File, Open, select the name of the file you want to index in the Open dialog box, and then click Open.

6. Choose Index, Reference, Index And Tables. In the Index And Tables dialog box, click the Index tab.

7. Click the AutoMark button to display the Open Index AutoMark File dialog box.

8. Navigate to and select the concordance file, and then click Open. Word automatically searches your document and locates each entry with the words you specified in the concordance file. (Word marks only the first occurrence of an entry in any one paragraph.)

Inside Out: Creating a lean and effective concordance file

You think you're saving lots of time and trouble by creating a concordance file that lists topics you want to be sure to include in your index. After you finish creating and saving the list, you create the index, but you wind up with all kinds of unnecessary entries. For example, in your publication on contemporary music, you wanted to index references to jazz, but found instead that the word jazz appeared in many different places and contexts. As a result, there are many more references than you need.

A workaround for compiling huge indexes full of unnecessary AutoMarked entries is to create the majority of the index entries manually, using the Mark Index Entry dialog box (which you display by pressing Alt+Shift+X). Then use the concordance file and AutoMark in the Index tab in the Index And Tables dialog box to add to your basic index entries, including only key words or phrases that are used in the sections to which you want to refer your readers.

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