How to create and tag an index in MS Word:

To tag a single word, a phrase, or a section of text:

  1. Highlight the word or phrase you wish to tag.
  2. Go to ‘Insert’ > ‘Index and Table’ > ‘Mark entry’
  3. Type in the main entry term you wish the word / phrase to appear under, in the box beside ‘Main entry’ (the cell will be populated with the text you have highlighted, so you will have to overwrite it with the correct entry term).
  4. If it is a subentry, type the term into ‘Sub entry’ (A main entry term must also be present.).
  5. Click ‘Mark’ and then ‘Close’.

Once some/all of your terms have been tagged then the index list can be generated. To create the index:

  1. Go to ‘Insert’ > ‘Index and Table’ > click ‘OK’.

To refresh the index / update the page numbers (note page numbering of the index does not update automatically):

  1. Go to ‘Insert’ > ‘Index and Table’ > click ‘OK’.
  2. You will now see a message in the pop-up window asking if it is ok to ‘Do you want to replace the selected index?’; click ‘Yes’.

For index terms that span more than 1 page, please see the below instructions:

  1. select the range of text that you would like to index.
  2. Go to the “Insert” menu and select “Bookmark.”
  3. In theBookmark namefield, type a oneword name for the Bookmark (with no spaces) and click “Add.” Note that theBookmark name does not have to match the index entry or subentry.A bookmark should be used only once while indexing.If you wish to tag the same range of text a second time,a new bookmarknameneeds to be assigned.
  4. Return to the text and click at theend of the range of text you Bookmarked.Do not highlight the range.
  5. Press ALT+SHIFT+X to tag the selection (On a Mac, press APPLE+OPTION+SHIFT+X).
  6. The Indexdialog box will appear. Enter the index term as either a “Main entry” or “Subentry”; select “Page Range”; andchoose the name of your “Bookmark” from the pull-down menu. Click the “Mark” button to complete the tag.

You can see your index tagging by turning on the ‘show all nonprinting characters’ (). This indicates which words you currently have tagged and what index term they are current logged under. If you wish to update or edit existing index terms then this is usually the easiest method. Turn on the feature using the button to see how the below index, containing both main and sub entries, has been tagged:

Index

Stockholm University Press
/ Universitetsv 14 D
SE-106 91 Stockholm SWEDEN / Email:

H

Highlighting...... 1

I

Insert...... 1

Index and Table menu...... 1

U

Updating an index...... 1

W

Word or phrase

phrase...... 1

word...... 1

Stockholm University Press
/ Universitetsv 14 D
SE-106 91 Stockholm SWEDEN / Email:

Stockholm University Press
/ Universitetsv 14 D
SE-106 91 Stockholm SWEDEN / Email: