Indexing refers to representing information from documents in a way that allows searchers to easily retrieve that information. An index acts like an alphabetized list that directs searchers to relevant information. There are two main types of indexing - intellectual and mechanical. Intellectual indexing involves creating controlled vocabularies and keywords, while mechanical indexing involves alphabetizing and formatting index entries using computers. Automatic indexing uses algorithms and keywords to create indexes without human input, while automated indexing uses computers for mechanical tasks and humans for intellectual tasks like analyzing information.