Alphabetizing & Filing - Study Notes
Alphabetizing and filing are fundamental clerical skills essential for civil service examinations and professional office work. This comprehensive guide covers the systematic rules for arranging names of persons, business establishments, and government agencies in proper alphabetical order. Understanding these principles is crucial for efficient record management, document organization, and clerical operations in both government and private sectors.
Basic Rules for Alphabetizing Names of Persons
When alphabetizing names of persons, we follow a specific hierarchical structure that prioritizes Last Name, then Given Name, then Middle Name, followed by Suffix, and finally Title. The fundamental rule is to disregard all spaces and symbols when arranging names. For example, 'Ang-Sy' becomes 'Angsy', 'O'neal' becomes 'Oneal', and 'Dela Cruz' becomes 'Delacruz'. All abbreviations must be spelled out completely - 'Dr.' becomes 'Doctor', 'Hon.' becomes 'Honorable', 'Atty.' becomes 'Attorney', and 'St.' becomes 'Saint'. The proper filing structure follows this format: Last Name, Given Name, Middle Name, Suffix, Title. For instance, 'Hon. Rue A. Sy' is filed as 'Sy, Rue A., Honorable'.
Examples
- Dr. Maria Santos-Cruz → Santos-Cruz, Maria, Doctor
- Atty. Jose B. Reyes Jr. → Reyes, Jose B. Jr., Attorney
- Hon. Ana De La Cruz → De La Cruz, Ana, Honorable
Key points
- Disregard all spaces, hyphens, apostrophes, and other symbols
- Spell out all abbreviations completely
- Follow the hierarchy: Last Name → Given Name → Middle Name → Suffix → Title
- Title has the least priority in alphabetizing
- Names are filed in inverted order with commas separating each element
Advanced Rules for Same Surnames
When dealing with identical surnames, specific rules apply to determine the correct alphabetical order. First, alphabetize by the first name or initial. If first names start with the same letter, the name containing only the initial comes before the full name. For example, 'Yap, Z.' comes before 'Yap, Zarah'. Names without middle initials precede those with middle initials when first and last names are identical. If middle names start with the same letter, the name with only the middle initial comes first. When first names share the same beginning letters, the shorter name takes precedence.
Examples
- Santos, Ed comes before Santos, Ed H.
- Valencia, J. comes before Valencia, Jose
- Martinez, Bo comes before Martinez, Bong comes before Martinez, Bonggie
Key points
- Alphabetize by first name when surnames are identical
- Initial-only names come before full first names
- Names without middle initials come first
- Middle initial comes before full middle name
- Shorter names precede longer names when beginning letters match
Rules for Business Names and Establishments
Business names and establishments follow different alphabetizing rules depending on their structure. If a business name does not contain a person's full name, file it exactly as written after applying standard modifications. Always drop symbols like apostrophes and hyphens, and spell out all abbreviations. Articles such as 'a', 'an', 'the', 'of', and '&' are completely disregarded during alphabetizing. When a business name contains a person's full name, apply the rules for filing persons' names. Names with initials are treated as separate units, and all numerals must be spelled out completely.
Examples
- The 5th Element → Fifth Element
- St. Jude's Parish → Saint Judes Parish
- Michael Romano Law Firm → Romano, Michael Law Firm
- ABC Corp. → ABC Corporation
Key points
- File business names as written unless they contain person's full names
- Drop all symbols and spell out abbreviations
- Disregard articles: a, an, the, of, and (&)
- Treat initials as separate alphabetical units
- Spell out all numbers completely
- Same business names are arranged by location
Government Agencies and Department Filing
Government departments, agencies, and bureaus follow a specific filing system based on their organizational purpose rather than strict alphabetical order of the first word. All departments are filed under 'Department of...' followed by their specific function. Similarly, bureaus are filed under 'Bureau of...' and agencies under their respective designations. This system ensures logical grouping of related government entities while maintaining alphabetical order within each category.
Examples
- Department of Budget and Management
- Department of Education
- Department of Foreign Affairs
- Bureau of Internal Revenue
- National Bureau of Investigation
Key points
- File government entities by their primary function
- Group similar agencies together (all departments, all bureaus)
- Maintain alphabetical order within each category
- Use full official names, not abbreviations
- Consider the complete organizational structure
Special Cases and Complex Names
Special situations require careful attention to detail. Names with prefixes like 'De', 'Dela', 'Mac', 'Mc', 'San', 'O'' are alphabetized as written without separation. Hyphenated surnames are treated as single units. When dealing with titles alone (like 'Mayor Binay' or 'St. Mark'), file exactly as written after spelling out abbreviations. For establishments with identical names but different locations, arrange by city or town name alphabetically. Numbers in business names must always be spelled out completely for proper alphabetical placement.
Examples
- McDonald's Manila comes before McDonald's Quezon City
- 21st Century Fox → Twenty-first Century Fox
- Dr. Jose P. Rizal Memorial Hospital → Rizal, Jose P. Memorial Hospital Doctor
Key points
- Keep prefixes attached to surnames (Dela Cruz, not De La Cruz)
- Treat hyphenated names as single units
- File title-only names as written
- Arrange identical business names by location
- Always spell out numbers in business names
- Consider branch locations for identical establishments
Diagrams
Alphabetizing Rules Overview
This mind map shows the complete hierarchy and relationships between different alphabetizing rules for personal names, business names, and special cases.
Step-by-Step Alphabetizing Process
This flowchart demonstrates the systematic decision-making process for correctly alphabetizing any type of name or entry.
Name Processing Sequence
This sequence shows how names flow through the alphabetizing process from input to final ordered output.
Filing System States
This state diagram shows the different processing paths for various types of names in the filing system.
In summary
Mastering alphabetizing and filing requires understanding the hierarchical structure for names (Last Name → Given Name → Middle Name → Suffix → Title), properly handling symbols and abbreviations, and applying specific rules for businesses and government entities. Remember to disregard spaces and symbols, spell out all abbreviations and numbers, and prioritize shorter names when beginnings are identical. For business names, drop articles and treat initials as separate units. Government agencies are filed by function, maintaining alphabetical order within categories. These skills are essential for efficient clerical operations and civil service examination success.