The Indexer: The International Journal of Indexing

Analysis of Australian Commonwealth annual report indexes

The Indexer: The International Journal of Indexing (2020), 38, (2), 185–206.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3828/indexer.2020.17
Language
English
Pages
22

Abstract

All Australian Commonwealth annual reports presented to the Federal Parliament are mandated to include both an alphabetical index and a list of requirements to aid access. The authors analysed all 175 Commonwealth government department and agency annual reports produced for the 2016–17 financial year to see how well they met the aids-to-access and devised usability criteria. This investigation examined the alphabetical indexes, specifically areas around layout, quality of indexing, depth of indexing and indexing style. Two-thirds of the Commonwealth annual-report indexes were deemed satisfactory. A checklist was also developed for departments and agencies to check the usability of the alphabetical index in their annual reports.

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References

Department of Finance (2019) Annual report for non-corporate Commonwealth entities (2019) (Resource Management Guide No. 135). Canberra: Department of Finance. Available at https://www.finance.gov.au/government/managing-commonwealth-resources/annual-report-non-corporate-commonwealth-entities-rmg-135, accessed 11 April 2020. Google Scholar

Indexes: a chapter from the Chicago manual of style 17th edition (2017). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Google Scholar

Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014 (Compilation No. 18, 23 August 2017). Google Scholar

Russell, M. and McMaster, M. (2010) Indexing your annual report: a guide. Glenferrie South: Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers. Google Scholar

Style manual for authors, editors and printers (2002) 6th edn, revised by Snooks & Co. Brisbane: John Wiley & Sons Australia. Google Scholar

Department of Finance (2019) Annual report for non-corporate Commonwealth entities (2019) (Resource Management Guide No. 135). Canberra: Department of Finance. Available at https://www.finance.gov.au/government/managing-commonwealth-resources/annual-report-non-corporate-commonwealth-entities-rmg-135, accessed 11 April 2020. Google Scholar

Indexes: a chapter from the Chicago manual of style 17th edition (2017). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Google Scholar

Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014 (Compilation No. 18, 23 August 2017). Google Scholar

Russell, M. and McMaster, M. (2010) Indexing your annual report: a guide. Glenferrie South: Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers. Google Scholar

Style manual for authors, editors and printers (2002) 6th edn, revised by Snooks & Co. Brisbane: John Wiley & Sons Australia. Google Scholar

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Details

Author details

Russell, Mary

McMaster, Max