General principle. The preferred alphabetical filing method is Word by Word (nothing comes before something and spaces are nothing).
- A word is one or more characters set off by spaces and/or marks of significant punctuation.
- File elements in a filing entry in exactly the form and order in which they appear.
- Apply the "file-as-is" principle. Arrange the major components of a filing entry word by word, and then character by character.
- Arrange individual letters according to the order of the English alphabet (A-Z).
- Numbers come before letters
For a more thorough list of rules consult this Library of Congress document:
https://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/G100.pdf
