Compare an Index Entry With the Pages It Points To

Use case

When this method helps

Use this when a nonfiction index seems to support or omit an important concept.

Indexes are selective maps. Checking the cited pages and alternate terms prevents index design from becoming evidence about the argument.

Method

Build the note

1. Record the index heading, subheadings, and page range.

2. Visit a sample of cited pages and label whether each defines, applies, disputes, or merely mentions the term.

3. Search related terms before concluding that an uncited topic is absent.

Example

See the boundary in practice

The index lists migration under labor but not climate; a related term leads to the climate discussion on page 188.

Quality check

Before you trust the note

Any claim about coverage should distinguish index omission from confirmed absence in the text.

Continue with a related guide

• Read a Citation-Dense Page Without Losing the Claim
• Recommend a Book Without Spoiling Why It Works