Keeping a useful index

A simple system for arranging references so they remain easy to find months later.

The observation

Start with the question the collection must answer. A useful structure is a route back to something, not a display of every possible category. Give each item one ordinary home, then add cross-references only when they prevent real searching.

Keeping a useful index is less a rule than a useful test: does the arrangement make the next encounter clearer?

In practice

Use names that a tired future reader would understand. Review the edges of the system occasionally: merge near-duplicates, retire broken references, and leave a short note when an unusual decision needs context.

A closing note

A small maintained index outperforms a large forgotten one. The measure is not how much it contains, but how reliably it returns the right thing.