To contribute with a reflection on the indexer's practice, having in mind the evolution of the indexing process, the authors of this paper sought to assess the theoretical and methodological development of such process, through a survey of the literature, extracting from it the main trends and influences. The scrutiny of the relevant literature was systematized in two types of analyses: one, the analysis of fundamental literature in the area, and the other, that of experience stories. The first analysis was divided in three categories: theoretical and methodological definition, history, and aspects of indexing. These have allowed the authors to substantiate a constant concern on the part of the scholars, regarding the approach to the document as a subject and having in mind its recovery. The authors conclude that the emphasis in this process rests in the academic indexing-resultant of the outset of subject analysis carried out by the indexer. This second type of analysis is more directly influenced by the interfacing areas of Documentation Analysis - Linguistics, Logic and more recently, of sciences such as the Cognitive Psychology, which was approached in theoretical studies that did not prove deep enough yet. Once the logical, linguistic and cognitive aspects affecting document contents be better clarified, they will assist the indexing professionals in determining the topics actually involved in a document, and will allow them to accomplish a more effective conceptual analysis of such document.
indexation; history of the indexation; methodology of indexation; documentary analysis; documentary reading