This encyclopedia depends upon the willingness of experts to share their knowledge about Indianapolis. Most of the entries are written by citizen-experts, not scholars, although all the information meets the same high standards for accuracy and reliability.

We invite you to contribute your knowledge about people, places, organizations, events, and topics, as well as to offer corrections and make suggestions regarding existing entries. On every page, you will find a box marked Contribute . Click it and complete the form. A member of the editorial staff will respond to your suggestions and corrections.

Entries include People, Places, Organizations, Events, and Topics. Timelines often are a good way to identify information that traces the development of a place or organization. 

Regardless of the type, all entries will need to satisfy the following selection criteria and principles. 

Selection criteria: 

All proposed entries must meet the following criteria to be considered for inclusion in the Encyclopedia:  

  • Organizations and businesses must have a substantial connection to Indianapolis and have made a significant impact on its culture.
  • Structures and places must have played a significant role in the city’s development, influenced it culture, or have been a site where a significant change of policy or practice occurred.
  • Events must have made a significant impact on the culture of the city, fit into the context of a larger initiative, or have impacted changes in policy or practice.
  • People must have a significant connection and/or have made a measurable impact on the city or to the region. Impact can be defined in various ways, including reputational impact, but mere presence in the city generally will not be sufficient to sustain a claim of significance.  Individuals must be deceased to warrant an entry. Accomplishments of living individuals can and should be recognized in entries associated with their achievements.

Principles:

Objectivity, neutrality, inclusiveness, and fairness are inviolable principles embraced by the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. The encyclopedia is not an appropriate forum for editorializing, nor is it the place for advocacy or for promotions.

Other considerations:

  • Entries must be reliable.  Verify all facts that appear in your entry and double-check spellings and dates. You will be asked to provide your references.
  • Originality.  Entries must be original, previously unpublished work.  
  • Length. Most entries will be approximately 250-500 words in length.  

If you wish to propose an entry or construct a timeline, please complete the following form. Once submitted, the editorial staff will contact you. They will work with you to enhance this encyclopedia and make it even more useful to the residents of Indianapolis and Central Indiana.