Internal Quality Audit of Indexing: A New Application of Interindexer Consistency

ABSTRACT This article describes a methodology that combines interindexer consistency with a method for an internal quality audit, based on a control chart usually employed in technological and industrial organizations. The methodology shows the consistency and variation of a given group of indexers, reflecting the degree of conformity to indexing standards and procedures. It also facilitates the identification of variation causes, and the application to training and corrective actions, leading to a continuous improvement of the process. It is practical and produces reliable, appropriate, and comparable data.