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How to Write a Table of Contents: Basic, MLA, and APA Styles

Usually, tables of contents are used in documents that consist of several chapters or sections. Creating a table of contents may seem to be a simple task, however, different formatting styles and rules regarding spacing may cause some problems if students are not familiar with these standards.

College-Writers.com decided to help you prepare a good table of contents by explaining the features of the most common styles: MLA and APA. The MLA style is popular in literature, while APA is used in social sciences. If there’s no particular style specified by your professor, you may need to create a basic table of contents.

Basic Table of Contents

First, let’s see what a basic table of contents looks like. This table should demonstrate how your paper is organized, and what topics are addressed in it. You should include every section of your paper and provide a corresponding page number. If your work has big sections, you can benefit from making descriptive headlines so that your audience could easily find the necessary information on any specific subtopic. For example, if this article was several pages long, its table of contents would look like this:

Introduction……………………………………………………….1

Basic Table of Contents…………………………………………3

APA Style Table of Contents……………………………………5

MLA Style Table of Contents……………………………………6

Entries in your table of content should be written using capital letters, just like headlines in your paper. To make your table easy to read, line up page numbers. You can do it manually or use various programs that can format your text documents automatically. These programs can also help with spacing.

APA Table of Contents

You may or may not use the APA style in your papers, depending on your field of study, the type of your paper, and requirements of your school. Literature reviews traditionally don’t have a table of contents, having only a standard title page. In this case, you should also include an introduction and a reference list. If your paper has several major sections, its table of contents may look like this:

Abstract………………………………………………………….2

Introduction…………………………………………………….5

Method…………………………………………………………..6

Results……………………………………………………………9

Tables……………………………………………………………11

References………………………………………………………14

The title shouldn’t be underlined or written in bold font. An APA table of contents should also include an abstract and a list of references. Obviously, you should also follow the general guidelines of the APA style. When creating a table of contents according to the APA style, you may also benefit from making descriptive headlines.

MLA Table of Contents

Your MLA style paper may have a table of contents if it’s long enough. The MLA format doesn’t have any strict requirements regarding breaking up the text so you can approach this issue as you like, taking into account the type of content. Here’s a list of suggested sections for an MLA paper:

• Acknowledgments;
• Introduction;
• Body (three parts);
• Conclusion (Summary);
• Explanatory Notes;
• Appendices;
• Contact Organizations;
• Endnotes (if you don’t use citations in parentheses or footnotes);
• Bibliography;

You should also include a title page, however, there’s no need to number it, unless your title is on the main page of your paper. Don’t forget that the MLA style also requires you to provide a list of tables and illustrations. Here’s an example of a table of contents written according to the MLA format:

Introduction……………………………………………………..2

Arts………………………………………………………………..5

Government……………………………………………………..8

Works Cited……………………………………………………..10

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• Writing Tips

How to Structure the Table of Contents for a Research Paper

4-minute read

• 16th July 2023

So you’ve made it to the important step of writing the table of contents for your paper. Congratulations on making it this far! Whether you’re writing a research paper or a dissertation , the table of contents not only provides the reader with guidance on where to find the sections of your paper, but it also signals that a quality piece of research is to follow. Here, we will provide detailed instructions on how to structure the table of contents for your research paper.

Steps to Create a Table of Contents

• Insert the table of contents after the title page.

Within the structure of your research paper , you should place the table of contents after the title page but before the introduction or the beginning of the content. If your research paper includes an abstract or an acknowledgements section , place the table of contents after it.

• List all the paper’s sections and subsections in chronological order.

Depending on the complexity of your paper, this list will include chapters (first-level headings), chapter sections (second-level headings), and perhaps subsections (third-level headings). If you have a chapter outline , it will come in handy during this step. You should include the bibliography and all appendices in your table of contents. If you have more than a few charts and figures (more often the case in a dissertation than in a research paper), you should add them to a separate list of charts and figures that immediately follows the table of contents. (Check out our FAQs below for additional guidance on items that should not be in your table of contents.)

• Paginate each section.

Label each section and subsection with the page number it begins on. Be sure to do a check after you’ve made your final edits to ensure that you don’t need to update the page numbers.

• Format your table of contents.

The way you format your table of contents will depend on the style guide you use for the rest of your paper. For example, there are table of contents formatting guidelines for Turabian/Chicago and MLA styles, and although the APA recommends checking with your instructor for formatting instructions (always a good rule of thumb), you can also create a table of contents for a research paper that follows APA style .

• Add hyperlinks if you like.

Depending on the word processing software you’re using, you may also be able to hyperlink the sections of your table of contents for easier navigation through your paper. (Instructions for this feature are available for both Microsoft Word and Google Docs .)

To summarize, the following steps will help you create a clear and concise table of contents to guide readers through your research paper:

1. Insert the table of contents after the title page.

2. List all the sections and subsections in chronological order.

3. Paginate each section.

4. Format the table of contents according to your style guide.

5. Add optional hyperlinks.

If you’d like help formatting and proofreading your research paper , check out some of our services. You can even submit a sample for free . Best of luck writing your research paper table of contents!

What is a table of contents?

A table of contents is a listing of each section of a document in chronological order, accompanied by the page number where the section begins. A table of contents gives the reader an overview of the contents of a document, as well as providing guidance on where to find each section.

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What should I include in my table of contents?

If your paper contains any of the following sections, they should be included in your table of contents:

●  Chapters, chapter sections, and subsections

●  Introduction

●  Conclusion

●  Appendices

●  Bibliography

Although recommendations may differ among institutions, you generally should not include the following in your table of contents:

●  Title page

●  Abstract

●  Acknowledgements

●  Forward or preface

If you have several charts, figures, or tables, consider creating a separate list for them that will immediately follow the table of contents. Also, you don’t need to include the table of contents itself in your table of contents.

Is there more than one way to format a table of contents?

Yes! In addition to following any recommendations from your instructor or institution, you should follow the stipulations of your style guide .

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A Table of Contents in APA Format

General guidelines.

• Table of Contents

APA style does not require a table of contents, but there are cases where you may need to include one. For example, your instructor may specify that your paper must be submitted with a table of contents. A table of contents can be particularly helpful in cases where your paper is lengthy or covers a lot of material, such as a thesis paper or dissertation. Research papers, in particular, may benefit from the addition of a table of contents.

APA style is the official publication style of the American Psychological Association. APA style is used in psychology courses as well as other social science classes including those in social science, behavioral sciences, and education.

The table of contents serves as a basic roadmap of your paper. It should list all of the major headings and subheadings within the body of your paper. For a standard psychology paper, it might include listings for the introduction, method, results, and discussion sections of your paper.

While the APA may not specify guidelines for a table of contents, you should use the basic APA format for formatting your table of contents:

• Use one-inch margins on all sides
• Use 12-point Times New Roman font
• Double-space

Since APA does not require a table of contents, you should always refer to your instructor’s guidelines when deciding whether or not to include one.

It is also important to note that the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association was published in 2020, and included updated guidelines on many topics.

For example, while the previous edition of the style manual required a running head on each page of a paper, the 7th edition has eliminated that requirement on student papers unless your instructor specifies to include it. Always ask first.

If you are using a standard APA paper format, your table of contents should include the following sections:

• Introduction

The above format may work well for a standard lab report or research paper. However, your table of contents will look much different if you are writing something such as a critique, essay, or case study.

Notice, that the table of contents does not include the abstract or acknowledgments pages. When applicable, it should list the appendices and the lists of tables and figures.

The exact order of your paper depends largely on the type of paper you are writing. In general, your paper should be presented in the following order:

• Main Body of Paper

Table of Contents Format

Because there is no standard format for a table of contents in APA style, you should always defer to the provided guidelines for your assignment.

If your instructor does not have a preferred format, consider using the following:

• Title the page “Table of Contents” and center the title at the top of the page.
• Most papers should include at least two levels of headings, up to five levels.
• Level one headings will be for main topics, such as chapter titles like "Chapter One; Name of Chapter," or research sections like "Method," "Results," and "Discussion."
• All level-one headings should be flush-left and sub-headings should be indented five spaces deeper than the last. 
• All heading levels should be in title case, capitalizing the first letter of each word. The font type, style, and size stay the same for each level.
• The page number for each heading is formatted flush-right. Include dot leaders between the headings and the page number to improve readability.

While you might not think that following APA format is important, it is one of those areas where students can lose points for making small errors. It pays to spend a little extra time and attention making sure that your paper is formatted in proper APA style.

• If you need help, you can get assistance from your school's writing lab.
• Getting your own copy of the latest edition of the APA publication manual can be very helpful.
• Always refer to any instructions or guidelines that were provided by your course instructor.
• There is a helpful feature in most word processors that you can use to pre-format your paper in APA style. It takes a little effort to set it up, but well worth it in the end, especially for longer documents. You can save the style to apply to your future papers saving you the effort next time.

For those writing a paper to submit for publication, check with the publisher for any specific formatting requirements that they may have.

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) ; 2020.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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How to Write a Table of Contents

Last Updated: June 16, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Stephanie Wong Ken, MFA . Stephanie Wong Ken is a writer based in Canada. Stephanie's writing has appeared in Joyland, Catapult, Pithead Chapel, Cosmonaut's Avenue, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Fiction and Creative Writing from Portland State University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,064,106 times.

The Table of Contents in a document acts as a map for the reader, making it easier for them to find information in the document based on title and page number. A good Table of Contents should be organized, easy to read and simple to use. You can write a Table of Contents manually on your computer or have a word processing tool create it for you. Make sure the Table of Contents is formatted properly in your final document so it is as accurate and accessible as possible.

Writing a Table of Contents

To write a simple table of contents, create a new page in your document and type the names of the chapters or sections of your piece of writing. Then, use your word processing program to insert the page number where each section starts. If you move things around, the page number in your table of contents will automatically update.

Sample Tables of Contents

Creating the Table of Contents on a Word Processor

• The Table of Contents should be on its own page. Do not include the introduction or a dedication on the same page as the Table of Contents.

• For example, you may write down main headings like, “Introduction,” “Case Study 1,” or “Conclusion.”

• For example, under the main heading “Introduction” you may write the subheading, “Themes and Concepts.” Or under the main heading “Conclusion” you may write, “Final Analysis.”
• You can also include sub-subheadings underneath the subheadings, if applicable. For example, under the subheading “Themes and Concepts” you may have the sub-subheading, “Identity.”
• Some papers do not have subheadings at all, only main headings. If this is the case, skip this step.

• For example, if the “Introduction” section begins on page 1, you will attach “page 1” to the Introduction heading. If the “Conclusion” section begins on page 45, attach “page 45” to the Conclusion heading.

• Check that the subheadings are located underneath the correct headings, indented to the right.
• Make sure there are page numbers for the subheadings listed as well.
• You can center the content in the table using the table options if you want the content to appear a few spaces away from the lines of the table. You can also leave the content indented to the left if you'd prefer.

• You can put the title above the table or in a separate row on the top of the rest of the content.

Using a Word Processing Tool

• You should also confirm the page numbers are correct in the document. Each page should be numbered in order. Having the correct page numbers will ensure the Table of Contents is created correctly when you use the word processing tool.

• If there are subheadings in your document, label them “Heading 2.” Highlight each subheading and click on “Heading 2” in the Styles tab.
• If there are sub-subheadings in your document, label them “Heading 3.” Highlight each subheading and click on “Heading 3” in the Styles tab.
• The text and font for each main heading may change based on the settings for “Heading 1,” “Heading 2,” and “Heading 3.” You can choose your preferred text and font for each main heading so they appear as you like in the Table of Contents.

• You can choose the built-in Table of Content options, where the tool will automatically choose a font size and style for you.
• You can also go for from a list of custom Table of Contents, where you choose the font color and size based on your preferences.

Polishing the Table of Contents

• You should also check the subheadings or sub-subheadings in the Table of Contents, if applicable, to ensure they match those in the document.

• If you created the Table of Contents manually, do this by going in and adjusting the headings and/or the page numbers when they change.
• If you created the Table of Contents with a word processing tool, update it by clicking the Update option by the Table of Contents option on the Reference tab. You can side clicking on the Table of Contents and choosing “update” that way.

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• ↑ https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/word-tips/how-to-create-a-table-of-contents-in-word/1/#
• ↑ https://examples.yourdictionary.com/reference/examples/table-of-content-examples.html
• ↑ http://bitesizebio.com/21549/using-word-to-write-your-thesis-making-a-table-of-contents-inserting-captions-and-cross-referencing/
• ↑ https://guides.lib.umich.edu/c.php?g=283073&p=1886010
• ↑ https://nsufl.libguides.com/c.php?g=413851&p=2820026

About This Article

To write a table of contents, open a new document and list the major headings, titles, or chapters of the project in chronological order. Next, insert subheadings or subtopics if your project has those. Fill in the page number where each heading starts, then format the content in a table with 2 columns. Place the headings and subheadings in order in the first column, then put the page numbers in the second column. Don't forget to add a "Table of Contents" title at the top of the document! To learn more about polishing your Table of Contents, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Extended Essay - Criteria: Table of Contents

• Criterion A: Focus and Method
• Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding
• Criterion C: Critical Thinking
• Table of Contents
• Citations and Referencing
• Appendices (Optional)
• Initial reflection
• Interim reflection

Table of Contents Formatting

Extended essays MUST contain a Table of Contents, which is placed after the cover page and before the introduction.

The page numbers of the sections in the body of the paper much match those in the Table of Contents.

Sample Table of Contents

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Home » Table of Contents – Types, Formats, Examples

Table of Contents – Types, Formats, Examples

Table of Contents

Definition:

Table of contents (TOC) is a list of the headings or sections in a document or book, arranged in the order in which they appear. It serves as a roadmap or guide to the contents of the document, allowing readers to quickly find specific information they are looking for.

A typical table of contents includes chapter titles, section headings, subheadings, and their corresponding page numbers.

The table of contents is usually located at the beginning of the document or book, after the title page and any front matter, such as a preface or introduction.

Table of Contents in Research

In Research, A Table of Contents (TOC) is a structured list of the main sections or chapters of a research paper , Thesis and Dissertation . It provides readers with an overview of the organization and structure of the document, allowing them to quickly locate specific information and navigate through the document.

Importance of Table of Contents

Here are some reasons why a TOC is important:

• Navigation : It serves as a roadmap that helps readers navigate the document easily. By providing a clear and concise overview of the contents, readers can quickly locate the section they need to read without having to search through the entire document.
• Organization : A well-structured TOC reflects the organization of the document. It helps to organize the content logically and categorize it into easily digestible chunks, which makes it easier for readers to understand and follow.
• Clarity : It can help to clarify the document’s purpose, scope, and structure. It provides an overview of the document’s main topics and subtopics, which can help readers to understand the content’s overall message.
• Efficiency : This can save readers time and effort by allowing them to skip to the section they need to read, rather than having to go through the entire document.
• Professionalism : Including a Table of Contents in a document shows that the author has taken the time and effort to organize the content properly. It adds a level of professionalism and credibility to the document.

Types of Table of Contents

There are different types of table of contents depending on the purpose and structure of the document. Here are some examples:

Simple Table of Contents

This is a basic table of contents that lists the major sections or chapters of a document along with their corresponding page numbers.

Example: Table of Contents

I. Introduction …………………………………………. 1

II. Literature Review ………………………………… 3

III. Methodology ……………………………………… 6

IV. Results …………………………………………….. 9

V. Discussion …………………………………………. 12

VI. Conclusion ……………………………………….. 15

Expanded Table of Contents

This type of table of contents provides more detailed information about the contents of each section or chapter, including subsections and subheadings.

A. Background …………………………………….. 1

B. Problem Statement ………………………….. 2

C. Research Questions ……………………….. 3

II. Literature Review ………………………………… 5

A. Theoretical Framework …………………… 5

B. Previous Research ………………………….. 6

C. Gaps and Limitations ……………………… 8 I

II. Methodology ……………………………………… 11

A. Research Design ……………………………. 11

B. Data Collection …………………………….. 12

C. Data Analysis ……………………………….. 13

IV. Results …………………………………………….. 15

A. Descriptive Statistics ……………………… 15

B. Hypothesis Testing …………………………. 17

V. Discussion …………………………………………. 20

A. Interpretation of Findings ……………… 20

B. Implications for Practice ………………… 22

VI. Conclusion ……………………………………….. 25

A. Summary of Findings ……………………… 25

B. Contributions and Recommendations ….. 27

Graphic Table of Contents

This type of table of contents uses visual aids, such as icons or images, to represent the different sections or chapters of a document.

I. Introduction …………………………………………. [image of a light bulb]

II. Literature Review ………………………………… [image of a book]

III. Methodology ……………………………………… [image of a microscope]

IV. Results …………………………………………….. [image of a graph]

V. Discussion …………………………………………. [image of a conversation bubble]

Alphabetical Table of Contents

This type of table of contents lists the different topics or keywords in alphabetical order, along with their corresponding page numbers.

A. Abstract ……………………………………………… 1

B. Background …………………………………………. 3

C. Conclusion …………………………………………. 10

D. Data Analysis …………………………………….. 8

E. Ethics ……………………………………………….. 6

F. Findings ……………………………………………… 7

G. Introduction ……………………………………….. 1

H. Hypothesis ………………………………………….. 5

I. Literature Review ………………………………… 2

J. Methodology ……………………………………… 4

K. Limitations …………………………………………. 9

L. Results ………………………………………………… 7

M. Discussion …………………………………………. 10

Hierarchical Table of Contents

This type of table of contents displays the different levels of headings and subheadings in a hierarchical order, indicating the relative importance and relationship between the different sections.

    A. Background …………………………………….. 2

      B. Purpose of the Study ……………………….. 3

      A. Theoretical Framework …………………… 5

             1. Concept A ……………………………….. 6

                    a. Definition ………………………….. 6

                     b. Example ……………………………. 7

              2. Concept B ……………………………….. 8

       B. Previous Research ………………………….. 9

III. Methodology ……………………………………… 12

       A. Research Design ……………………………. 12

             1. Sample ……………………………………. 13

               2. Procedure ………………………………. 14

       B. Data Collection …………………………….. 15

            1. Instrumentation ……………………….. 16

            2. Validity and Reliability ………………. 17

       C. Data Analysis ……………………………….. 18

          1. Descriptive Statistics …………………… 19

           2. Inferential Statistics ………………….. 20

IV. Result s …………………………………………….. 22

    A. Overview of Findings ……………………… 22

B. Hypothesis Testing …………………………. 23

V. Discussion …………………………………………. 26

A. Interpretation of Findings ………………… 26

B. Implications for Practice ………………… 28

VI. Conclusion ……………………………………….. 31

A. Summary of Findings ……………………… 31

B. Contributions and Recommendations ….. 33

Table of Contents Format

Here’s an example format for a Table of Contents:

I. Introduction

C. Methodology

II. Background

A. Historical Context

B. Literature Review

III. Methodology

A. Research Design

B. Data Collection

C. Data Analysis

IV. Results

A. Descriptive Statistics

B. Inferential Statistics

C. Qualitative Findings

V. Discussion

A. Interpretation of Results

B. Implications for Practice

C. Limitations and Future Research

VI. Conclusion

A. Summary of Findings

B. Contributions to the Field

C. Final Remarks

VII. References

VIII. Appendices

Note : This is just an example format and can vary depending on the type of document or research paper you are writing.

When to use Table of Contents

A TOC can be particularly useful in the following cases:

• Lengthy documents : If the document is lengthy, with several sections and subsections, a Table of contents can help readers quickly navigate the document and find the relevant information.
• Complex documents: If the document is complex, with multiple topics or themes, a TOC can help readers understand the relationships between the different sections and how they are connected.
• Technical documents: If the document is technical, with a lot of jargon or specialized terminology, This can help readers understand the organization of the document and locate the information they need.
• Legal documents: If the document is a legal document, such as a contract or a legal brief, It helps readers quickly locate specific sections or provisions.

How to Make a Table of Contents

Here are the steps to create a table of contents:

• Organize your document: Before you start making a table of contents, organize your document into sections and subsections. Each section should have a clear and descriptive heading that summarizes the content.
• Add heading styles : Use the heading styles in your word processor to format the headings in your document. The heading styles are usually named Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, and so on. Apply the appropriate heading style to each section heading in your document.
• Insert a table of contents: Once you’ve added headings to your document, you can insert a table of contents. In Microsoft Word, go to the References tab, click on Table of Contents, and choose a style from the list. The table of contents will be inserted into your document.
• Update the table of contents: If you make changes to your document, such as adding or deleting sections, you’ll need to update the table of contents. In Microsoft Word, right-click on the table of contents and select Update Field. Choose whether you want to update the page numbers or the entire table, and click OK.

Purpose of Table of Contents

A table of contents (TOC) serves several purposes, including:

• Marketing : It can be used as a marketing tool to entice readers to read a book or document. By highlighting the most interesting or compelling sections, a TOC can give readers a preview of what’s to come and encourage them to dive deeper into the content.
• Accessibility : A TOC can make a document or book more accessible to people with disabilities, such as those who use screen readers or other assistive technologies. By providing a clear and organized overview of the content, a TOC can help these readers navigate the material more easily.
• Collaboration : This can be used as a collaboration tool to help multiple authors or editors work together on a document or book. By providing a shared framework for organizing the content, a TOC can help ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.
• Reference : It can serve as a reference tool for readers who need to revisit specific sections of a document or book. By providing a clear overview of the content and organization, a TOC can help readers quickly locate the information they need, even if they don’t remember exactly where it was located.

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How To Write a Table of Contents for Academic Papers

Posted by Rene Tetzner | Mar 17, 2021 | How To Get Published | 0 |

How To Write a Table of Contents for Academic Papers Although every author begins a writing project with the best of intentions and an ideal outline in mind, it often proves difficult to stick to one’s initial plans as the text begins to unfold and its complexities grow in number and depth. Sometimes a document quickly exceeds the word limits for a project, and at others certain important aspects are neglected or turn out a good deal shorter than intended. Drafting a working table of contents for your writing project can provide an excellent tool for keeping your discussion on track and your text within length requirements as you write.

A working table of contents should begin with a title. This title may change as you draft your text, but a working title will help you focus your thoughts as you devise the headings and plan the content for the main parts, chapters, sections and subsections that should be added beneath it. All headings, whether numbered or not, should be formatted in effective and consistent ways that distinguish section levels and clearly indicate the overall structure of the text. These headings can also be altered as your writing advances, but they will provide an effective outline of what you need to discuss and the order in which you think the main topics should be presented. At this initial stage, it is also a good idea to write under each heading a brief summary of or rough notes about what you hope to include in that part of the document, and you can continue to add, adjust and move material around within and among the sections as your table of contents and ultimately your text progresses. Reminders of how long (measured in words, paragraphs or pages) the entire text and each of its parts should ideally be may also prove helpful.

Once you have your annotated table of contents drafted, it will serve as an informative list of both content and order that can be productively consulted as you write. Assuming you construct your working table of contents as a computer file in the same program you intend to use for writing the entire document, you can also use the table of contents as a template for composing the text as a whole, replacing your rough notes under each heading with the formal text as you draft it. This practice lends an immediate physical presence to the guidance provided by your table of contents because you are literally working within that outline, which can be especially wise if you tend to run on or become distracted by new ideas as you write.

Finally, your working table of contents can become your final table of contents if one is required for your project. If you would like to use the working table of contents in this way and are also using it as a template, be sure to rename the file and save a separate copy before you begin adding the formal text of your document. Then you can simply delete your summaries and rough notes from the original table of contents to make your final one, leaving only the headings, to which you can add relevant page numbers as required.

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• Dissertation Table of Contents in Word | Instructions & Examples

Dissertation Table of Contents in Word | Instructions & Examples

Published on 15 May 2022 by Tegan George .

The table of contents is where you list the chapters and major sections of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper, alongside their page numbers. A clear and well-formatted table of contents is essential, as it demonstrates to your reader that a quality paper will follow.

The table of contents (TOC) should be placed between the abstract and the introduction. The maximum length should be two pages. Depending on the nature of your thesis, dissertation, or paper, there are a few formatting options you can choose from.

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Table of contents

What to include in your table of contents, what not to include in your table of contents, creating a table of contents in microsoft word, table of contents examples, updating a table of contents in microsoft word, other lists in your thesis, dissertation, or research paper, frequently asked questions about the table of contents.

Depending on the length of your document, you can choose between a single-level, subdivided, or multi-level table of contents.

• A single-level table of contents only includes ‘level 1’ headings, or chapters. This is the simplest option, but it may be too broad for a long document like a dissertation.
• A subdivided table of contents includes chapters as well as ‘level 2’ headings, or sections. These show your reader what each chapter contains.
• A multi-level table of contents also further divides sections into ‘level 3’ headings. This option can get messy quickly, so proceed with caution. Remember your table of contents should not be longer than 2 pages. A multi-level table is often a good choice for a shorter document like a research paper.

Examples of level 1 headings are Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, and Bibliography. Subsections of each of these would be level 2 headings, further describing the contents of each chapter or large section. Any further subsections would be level 3.

In these introductory sections, less is often more. As you decide which sections to include, narrow it down to only the most essential.

Including appendices and tables

You should include all appendices in your table of contents. Whether or not you include tables and figures depends largely on how many there are in your document.

If there are more than three figures and tables, you might consider listing them on a separate page. Otherwise, you can include each one in the table of contents.

• Theses and dissertations often have a separate list of figures and tables.
• Research papers generally don’t have a separate list of figures and tables.

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All level 1 and level 2 headings should be included in your table of contents, with level 3 headings used very sparingly.

The following things should never be included in a table of contents:

• Your acknowledgements page
• Your abstract
• The table of contents itself

The acknowledgements and abstract always precede the table of contents, so there’s no need to include them. This goes for any sections that precede the table of contents.

To automatically insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word, be sure to first apply the correct heading styles throughout the document, as shown below.

• Choose which headings are heading 1 and which are heading 2 (or 3!
• For example, if all level 1 headings should be Times New Roman, 12-point font, and bold, add this formatting to the first level 1 heading.
• Highlight the level 1 heading.
• Right-click the style that says ‘Heading 1’.
• Select ‘Update Heading 1 to Match Selection’.
• Allocate the formatting for each heading throughout your document by highlighting the heading in question and clicking the style you wish to apply.

Once that’s all set, follow these steps:

• Add a title to your table of contents. Be sure to check if your citation style or university has guidelines for this.
• Place your cursor where you would like your table of contents to go.
• In the ‘References’ section at the top, locate the Table of Contents group.
• Here, you can select which levels of headings you would like to include. You can also make manual adjustments to each level by clicking the Modify button.
• When you are ready to insert the table of contents, click ‘OK’ and it will be automatically generated, as shown below.

The key features of a table of contents are:

• Clear headings and subheadings
• Corresponding page numbers

Check with your educational institution to see if they have any specific formatting or design requirements.

Write yourself a reminder to update your table of contents as one of your final tasks before submitting your dissertation or paper. It’s normal for your text to shift a bit as you input your final edits, and it’s crucial that your page numbers correspond correctly.

It’s easy to update your page numbers automatically in Microsoft Word. Simply right-click the table of contents and select ‘Update Field’. You can choose either to update page numbers only or to update all information in your table of contents.

In addition to a table of contents, you might also want to include a list of figures and tables, a list of abbreviations and a glossary in your thesis or dissertation. You can use the following guides to do so:

• List of figures and tables
• List of abbreviations

It is less common to include these lists in a research paper.

All level 1 and 2 headings should be included in your table of contents . That means the titles of your chapters and the main sections within them.

The contents should also include all appendices and the lists of tables and figures, if applicable, as well as your reference list .

Do not include the acknowledgements or abstract   in the table of contents.

To automatically insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

• Apply heading styles throughout the document.
• In the references section in the ribbon, locate the Table of Contents group.
• Click the arrow next to the Table of Contents icon and select Custom Table of Contents.
• Select which levels of headings you would like to include in the table of contents.

Make sure to update your table of contents if you move text or change headings. To update, simply right click and select Update Field.

The table of contents in a thesis or dissertation always goes between your abstract and your introduction.

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George, T. (2022, May 15). Dissertation Table of Contents in Word | Instructions & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 21 August 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/contents-page/

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When do you put a table of contents in an APA style paper?

APA does  not  require a table of contents.

If the instructor requires it, follow these guidelines for an  APA paper :

• Start a new page
• Times New Roman - 12pt
• Calibri - 11pt
• Arial - 11pt
• Georgia - 11pt
• Lucida Sans Unicode - 10pt
• Computer Modern - 10pt
• Type Table of Contents (centered; no bold or underline )

To create a table of contents in Microsoft Word, click on  References , then click on Table of Contents .

The order of the APA style paper should be:

• Table of Contents (if required by instructor)
• Body of paper
• Appendix (if required by instructor)

For an example, go to the APA Help guide and click on Sample Paper .

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Table of Contents: Guidelines for an A+ Dissertation

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Rules that guide academic writing are specific to each paper format. However, some rules apply to all styles – APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, and Harvard. Basically, one of these rules is the inclusion of a table of contents (TOC) in an academic text, particularly long ones, like theses, dissertations, and research papers. Before starting a TOC, students or researchers should observe some practices regardless of different paper formats. Moreover, the process includes putting a particular TOC on a new page after the title page, numbering the first-level and corresponding second-level headings, and indicating the page number of each entry. Hence, scholars need to learn how to write a good table of contents in APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, and Harvard styles.

General Guidelines

When organizing academic texts, such as theses, dissertations, and other research papers, students observe academic writing rules as applicable. Generally, the different paper formats – APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, and Harvard – have specific standards that students must follow strictly. In this case, one of the rules is the inclusion of a table of contents (TOC) in the document. By definition, a TOC is a roadmap that scholars provide in their composition, outlining each portion of a paper. In other words, it enables readers to locate specific information in documents or revisit favorite parts within completed texts. To make a good table of contents, writers ensure it is accurate, consistently formatted, clearly organized with proper headings and subheadings, and includes correct page numbers for all major sections and subsections. Moreover, this part of academic papers provides readers with a preview of the document’s text.

What Is a Table of Contents and Its Purpose

According to its definition, a table of contents (TOC) is a structured list that can be found at the beginning of books, reports, or other documents and provides key details on their chapters, sections, and major topics, along with their corresponding page numbers. The main purpose of writing a table of contents is to provide a clear and organized overview of a document’s text and help readers to understand its organization and flow of a material, making it easy to navigate (Heard, 2022). In this case, writers place their table of contents immediately after the title page and acknowledgments but before the main body of an entire work. Moreover, in lengthy or complex compositions, such as essays, research papers, theses, or dissertations, scholars often need to reference only specific information without reading them (Lewis et al., 2021). To achieve this purpose, they review a TOC page of a particular work under analysis and efficiently access the parts they need. Overall, a well-designed table of contents significantly improves the reader’s experience by providing a valid roadmap to a particular document’s text (Stadtlander, 2022). Besides, a dissertation table of contents should include all major sections, such as the introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, references, and appendices, along with their respective subsections and corresponding page numbers. In turn, here is an example template for writing a dissertation table of contents:

Difference Between a Table of Contents and an Outline

In essence, a TOC is a description of first-level headings (topics) and second-level headings (subtopics) within the paper’s body. For a longer document, writers may also include third-level titles to make the text good to read. To create a table of contents in Word, writers use the “References” tab to select “Table of Contents” and choose a style, ensuring that their document’s headings are formatted with the appropriate heading styles. Ideally, the length of papers determines the depth that authors go into detailing their writing in TOCs. For example, popular table of contents designs include hierarchical lists with indented subsections, dot leaders connecting titles to page numbers, and clear, consistent formatting with bold or italicized headings to distinguish different levels (Fitzpatrick, 2021). Basically, this feature means that shorter texts may not require third-level headings. In contrast, an essay outline is a summary of the paper’s main ideas with a hierarchical or logical structuring of the text. Unlike a TOC that only lists headings and subheadings, outlines capture these headings and then describe a written composition briefly under each one. As such, an outline provides a more in-depth summary of essay papers compared to a TOC.

• Easing a Document Navigation: Allows readers to quickly locate specific sections or chapters without having to search through an entire work.
• Providing an Overview: Offers a clear and structured outline of a paper’s text, helping readers understand the scope and organization at first glance.
• Improving Readability: Breaks down a written document into manageable sections, helping readers to follow and comprehend its content.
• Promoting Easy Reference: Enables readers to reference specific parts of a document easily, which is particularly useful for lengthy works, like dissertations, reports, or manuals.
• Making a Professional Presentation: Adds a level of professionalism and polish to a completed work, demonstrating attention to detail and careful organization.
• Aiding in Document Structuring: Helps writers to organize their thoughts and structure their papers logically, ensuring a coherent flow of information.
• Saving Time: Saves readers time by providing direct access to the sections they are interested in, improving overall efficiency.
• Supporting Academic and Technical Standards: Meets the requirements of academic and technical writing standards, which often mandate a TOC for comprehensive documents.
• Facilitating Review and Editing: Assists reviewers and editors in navigating a completed paper quickly, making the review and editing process more efficient.
• Enhancing Accessibility: Makes an entire document more accessible to a wider audience, including those who may need to find information quickly for research or reference purposes.

General Format

How to Write a Table of Contents in APA

When writing a TOC in the APA format, writers should capture all the headings in the paper – first-level, second-level, and even third-level. Besides this information, they should also include an abstract, references, and appendices. The correct way to format a table of contents is to list all main sections and subsections in a logical order, use clear and consistent headings, indent subsections, align page numbers to the right with dot leaders connecting the titles to them, and ensure it matches the overall document style and layout (Lang, 2017). Notably, while a TOC in the APA style has an abstract, this section is not necessary for the other formats, like MLA, Chicago/Turabian, and Harvard. Hence, an example of a TOC written in APA format is indicated below:

How to Write a Table of Contents in MLA

Unlike papers written in the APA style, MLA papers do not require a table of contents unless they are long enough. In this case, documents, like theses, dissertations, and books organized in the MLA format should have a TOC. For example, a table of contents in a book is a list of the chapters and major sections, along with their corresponding page numbers, providing an organized overview of its structure and text (Silvia, 2015). Even where a TOC is necessary, there is no specific method that a writer should use when writing it, and its structure is left to the writer’s discretion. To write a table of contents, writers list the main sections and subsections of their documents in the order they appear, using consistent formatting and including corresponding page numbers for each entry. However, when they have to include a TOC in their compositions, the information they capture should be much more than what would appear in the APA paper. Hence, an example of writing a TOC in MLA format is:

To create a good table of contents, writers ensure it is well-organized, accurately lists all sections and subsections with corresponding page numbers, and is formatted consistently for clarity and ease of navigation. In the case of writing a research paper, an example of an MLA TOC should be:

How to Write a Table of Contents in Chicago/Turabian

Like the MLA style, a Chicago/Turabian paper does not require writing a table of contents unless it is long enough. When a TOC is necessary, writers should capitalize on major headings. In this case, authors do not need to add a row of periods (. . . . . . . .) between the heading entry and the page number. Writers should use a table of contents format that lists all main sections and subsections in proper order, with clear headings, correct indentation for hierarchy, dot leaders connecting titles to right-aligned page numbers, and consistent formatting throughout (Stadtlander, 2022). Then, the arrangement of the text should start with the first-level heading, then the second-level heading, and, finally, the third-level title, just like in the APA paper. In turn, all the information that precedes the introduction part should have lowercase Roman numerals. Besides, the row of periods is only used for major headings. Therefore, an example of writing a TOC in Chicago/Turabian format is:

How to Write a Table of Contents in Harvard

Like in the other formats, writing a table of contents in the Harvard style is captured by having the title “Table of Contents” at the center of the page, in the first line. Basically, it comes after the title page and captures all the sections and subsections of Harvard papers. In other words, writers must indicate first-level headings in a numbered list. For example, to create a good table of contents, writers list the document’s main sections and subsections in the order they appear, apply consistent formatting, and include corresponding page numbers for each heading (Heard, 2022). Further on, scholars should align titles to the left side and capitalize them. In turn, if there is a need to show second-level headings, authors should list them under corresponding first-level headings by using bullet points. However, it is essential for students not to disrupt the numbering of first-level headings. Besides, writers should align second-level headings to the left side and indent them by half an inch and capitalize on a choosen piece. As a result, an example of writing a TOC in Harvard format should appear as below:

Common Mistakes

• Inconsistent Formatting: Using different fonts, sizes, or styles within a single TOC.
• Incorrect Page Numbers: Page numbers in a TOC do not match actual text pages.
• Missing Sections: Omitting important sections or subsections from a TOC.
• Overly Detailed Entries: Including too much detail makes a particular TOC hard to read.
• Lack of Subheadings: Not breaking down major sections into subheadings for clarity.
• Unclear Section Titles: Using vague or unclear titles does not reflect a completed text accurately.
• Improper Indentation: Incorrectly indenting headings and subheadings makes their hierarchy unclear.
• Inconsistent Capitalization: Using different capitalization styles for headings and subheadings.
• Failure to Update: Not updating a completed TOC after making changes to some sections of a final work.
• Missing List of Figures/Tables: Not including lists for figures and tables if they are present in a research paper.
• Ignoring Styles/Templates: Not using document styles or templates for doing a good TOC leads to inconsistency.
• Overly Long Titles: Including overly long section titles makes an entire TOC difficult to read.

Any TOC is an essential component of any academic paper, particularly for long documents, like theses, dissertations, and research papers. When students are writing a TOC, they should be careful to follow the applicable format’s rules and standards. Regardless of the format, writers should master the following tips when doing a TOC page:

• Write a TOC on a new page after the title page.
• Indicate first-level headings of the document in a numbered list.
• Indicate second-level headings under the corresponding first-level heading.
• If applicable, indicate third-level headings under the corresponding second-level heading.
• Write a specific page number for each heading.
• Put the provided content in a two-column table.
• Title the page with “Table of Contents.”

Fitzpatrick, R. (2021). Write useful books: A modern approach to designing and refining recommendable nonfiction . Useful Books Ltd.

Heard, S. B. (2022). The scientist’s guide to writing: How to write more easily and effectively throughout your scientific career . Princeton University Press.

Lang, T. A. (2017). Writing a better research article. Journal of Public Health and Emergency , 1 , 1–13. https://doi.org/10.21037/jphe.2017.11.06

Lewis, K. B., Graham, I. D., Boland, L., & Stacey, D. (2021). Writing a compelling integrated discussion: A guide for integrated discussions in article-based theses and dissertations. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship , 18 (1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2020-0057

Silvia, P. J. (2015). Write it up: Practical strategies for writing and publishing journal articles . American Psychological Association.

Stadtlander, L. (2022). Editorial: Rewriting a social science dissertation into a journal article and getting it published. Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences , 16 (1), 94–102. https://doi.org/10.5590/jsbhs.2022.16.1.07

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Reports and essays: key differences

Know what to expect

Explore the main differences between reports and essays and how to write for your assignments

You'll complete assignments with different requirements throughout your degree, so it's important to understand what you need to do for each of them. Here we explore the key differences between reports and essays. 

This page describes general features of academic reports and essays. Depending on your subject you may use all of these features, a selection of them, or you may have additional requirements. 

There is no single right way to write a report or essay, but they are different assignments. At a glance: 

• Reports depend heavily on your subject and the type of report.
• Essays usually have specific content and a planned structure with a focus on sense and flow. You subject might need different types of information in your introduction –  some disciplines include a short background and context here, while others begin their discussion, discuss their resources or briefly signpost the topic.

Differences between reports and essays

This table compares reports and essays and provides an outline of the standard structure for each. Your assignment will also depend on your discipline, the purpose of your work, and your audience – so you should check what you need to do in your course and module handbooks, instructions from your lecturer, and your subject conventions.

Table adapted from Cottrell, 2003, p. 209.

The structure of reports

Most reports use an IMRaD structure: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion.

Below are some common sections that also appear in reports. Some sections include alternative headings.

1. Table of contents

Your contents shows the number of each report section, its title, page number and any sub-sections. Sub-section numbers and details start under the section title, not the margin or the number.

2. Abstract or Executive summary

This brief summary of the report is usually the last thing you write.

3. Introduction

Your introduction describes the purpose of the report, explains why it necessary or useful, and sets out its precise aims and objectives.

4. Literature review

This describes current research and thinking about the problem or research question, and is often incorporated into the introduction.

5. Methods or Methodology

This describes and justifies the methods or processes used to collect your data.

6. Results or Findings

This section presents the results (or processed data) from the research and may consist of mainly tables, charts and or diagrams.

7. Discussion, or Analysis, or Interpretation

This section analyses the results and evaluates the research carried out.

8. Conclusion

The conclusion summarises the report and usually revisits the aims and objectives.

9. Recommendations

In this section the writer uses the results and conclusions from the report to make practical suggestions about a problem or issue. This may not be required.

10. Appendices

You can include raw data or materials that your report refers to in the appendix, if you need to. The data is often presented as charts, diagrams and tables. Each item should be numbered : for example, write Table 1 and its title; Table 2 and its title, and so on as needed.

Structure of essays

Introduction.

Your essay introduction contextualises and gives background information about the topic or questions being discussed, and sets out what the essay is going to cover.

Your essay body is divided into paragraphs. These paragraphs help make a continuous, flowing text.

The conclusion summarises the main points made in the essay. Avoid introducing new information in your conclusion.

Bibliography or Reference list

This is a list of the resources you've used in your essay. This is usually presented alphabetically by authors’ surname.

Reference for the Table of Distinctions above: 

Cottrell, S. (2003).  The Study Skills Handbook  (2nd ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Download our report and essay differences revision sheet

Download this page as a PDF for your report and essay revision notes.

Key features of academic reports

Basic essay structure

Writing clear sentences

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Why do papers not have a table of contents?

Most papers (at least in maths, but I believe this applies to other subjects as well) don't have a table of contents (TOC), but dedicate the last paragraph of the introduction to essentially the same purpose. What's the rationale behind this?

I think TOCs are a much better solution. They minimise the burden on the author (no need to come up with creative ways of structuring a TOC in plain text) and are easier to skim as a reader (I know precisely what information to expect in a TOC, as compared to plain text where the author might hide additional information among the TOC stuff).

• publications
• writing-style

• 10 I can't tell why this is that way, but my solution has so far been to remove this "signposting" at the end of the introduction without replacement. I personally don't think papers, especially shorter ones as common in Computer Science, need a TOC. –  xLeitix Commented Feb 27, 2017 at 11:45
• 10 It's mainly about the length. Long papers can have a table of contents. From the top of my head, Gowers's "A new proof of Szemerédi's theorem" at around 100 pages does have a table of content. –  quid Commented Feb 27, 2017 at 12:37
• 29 In my field, 99% of the papers are Introduction, Method, Result, Discussion, Conclusion. They don't need a table of contents –  Ander Biguri Commented Feb 27, 2017 at 13:01
• 4 @AnderBiguri and References. –  user9482 Commented Feb 27, 2017 at 14:26
• 4 Related: What's the point in “the paper is structured as follows”? –  Federico Poloni Commented Feb 27, 2017 at 15:26

5 Answers 5

The purpose of an overview paragraph and a table of contents are different:

The table of contents serves to quickly find a specific section of a document so you can start reading there or extract a specific information. This is something that rarely makes sense with most papers, except if you start at the conclusion/discussion, which is however easy to find anyway. Even if you want to do this, finding the table of contents would cost you more time than it saves you, given the shortness of most papers. So my answer to your titular question would be: Because there is no need for it.

The main exception to this are long review papers, which however usually have a table of contents.

The overview paragraph serves to briefly summarise the paper and explain its semantic structure to the reader, usually somebody who is reading the paper from back to front. This serves to address certain expectations the reader may have had after the introduction (“don’t worry, we didn’t forget this important aspect”) and draw connections between sections (“our work in Section 3 provides us with a framework to evaluate our method in Section 4”). All of this is not possible in a table of contents.

Now, some papers just have a straightforward structure, and there is nothing about it that needs to be elaborated to the reader. In this case an overview paragraph would indeed be nothing but a written-out, tedious-to-read table of contents and should be skipped in my opinion.

In fact, the idea that a math paper that is not short would be well served by having a table of contents (TOC) is one that I "discovered" at some point relatively recently. Based on a perusal of my own recent papers and preprints here , it seems that the threshold for a TOC being useful in a math paper is somewhere between 13 and 17 pages. (I believe that I put a TOC in a six page paper a couple of years ago and took it out in response to editorial comments that it was not necessary.)

Let me make some further comments:

1) Some structural redundancy in a paper is a very good idea. Often the introduction repeats things that were just said in the abstract and these same things occur later in the paper as well. Although there is a lot of room for good writing in making this repetition most useful for the reader, certainly such repetition is highly useful if done properly. I don't think having a TOC obviates having a part of the introduction in which you say what you will do in your paper. Rather, having a TOC frees you up from saying what will be in your paper in almost exactly the same comprehensive way as a TOC in paragraph form. Instead, in the introduction you can talk about why you are including the material you're including in each section. See e.g. here for a paper with a TOC in which the introduction nevertheless ends roughly as you say is not necessary. Here I think both are helpful because they serve separate functions: if you want to know why we are including the Schwartz-Zippel Lemma in our paper, the introduction explains it. If you want to know exactly where each of several versions of this result occurs, you should see the TOC.

2) I have found that a TOC is perhaps even more helpful for the authors than for the readers, especially when there is more than one author. In a medium to long math paper, sometimes you get the idea of (e.g.!) taking subsection 2 of section 5 and inserting it in between subsections 3 and 4 of section 2 because you see something to be gained by such an adjustment of the logical sequence. But then you also have to worry about what else might be disturbed by such a change. It is then really helpful to have a detailed TOC, because rather than having to keep a mental picture of the intermediate pages of your paper, you can flip to the TOC and allow your eye to do some of the work. If you just wrote all the material yourself, maybe it is not so bad to keep it all in mind. But if some of it was written by your coauthors, this gets hard. Moreover, if you do this kind of thing more than once, then your encyclopedic mental picture of the paper does not update so easily.

3) A TOC is also more or less useful according to the titles of the various subsections of your paper. If you have no titles at all (which is not unheard of), a TOC would be ridiculous. If the title of Section N is "the proof of Theorem N," then a TOC does not seem necessary (and good for you for implementing such a simple, transparent format for your paper).

Of my limited experience with older papers I am inclined to conclude that papers used to be much shorter (most papers before 1980 I read were about 2 to 5 pages). At that length an additional table of contents was not necessary (in addition to the one of the journal issue - at that times an issue was an actual booklet and also would have needed additional paper to print and ship). So I suspect that there is a historic reason.

Note that some journals which usually publish long papers have a toc nowadays (e.g. Acta Numerica).

• 4 Really? This must be very dependent on what field you're working in... I just checked a dozen papers older than 1980 at random in my papers collection, none of them were under 10 pages, and on average they were 30 pages long... –  user9646 Commented Feb 27, 2017 at 12:36
• I see - I was reading mostly math papers many from Russian journals - they tended to be very short… –  Dirk Commented Feb 27, 2017 at 12:40
• 15 @Dirk, and how long would they have been if they had included complete proofs? :) –  Carsten S Commented Feb 27, 2017 at 13:25
• @CarstenS "The proof is left as an exercise to the reader." GODDAMMIT –  NoName Commented Sep 14, 2021 at 0:47

There are a lot of papers out there, and they compete for eyeballs. One common practice in mathematics (I do it periodically) is to skim the arXiv and look at the first page or two of each of a bunch of papers, to see if there are any I want to read more closely.

If you want to promote your work, it is arguably in your best interest that the first page be "interesting", and many authors judge that jumping straight into the introduction serves this purpose better than a table of contents.

• 4 If you skim the arxiv, then (probably) before you even click on the paper, you read the abstract. If you like the abstract, you're willing to click through to the paper and perhaps wait a few seconds to get it. I don't find it very plausible that if the first page you get is a TOC then you say "I guess I'm not interested after all." –  Pete L. Clark Commented Feb 27, 2017 at 16:50
• 3 I second @Pete, the theory in this answer is simply incorrect. Several of my papers have tables of contents and it never once occurred to me that a TOC would interfere with the paper's ability to pull in a casual reader's attention, either on arXiv or elsewhere. The decision of whether to include a TOC or not is based purely on whether the paper is long enough to make the inclusion of a TOC a genuine convenience for the (more than casual) reader. –  Dan Romik Commented Feb 27, 2017 at 20:00

A submitted Paper should not have a TOC, and even if it has one, it will be discarded by the publisher.

A Scientific Paper, is not a Book.

Scientific Journals which publish a collection of submitted, and previously peer reviewed Papers create their "ToC" by extracting Paper approved Abstracts.

Serious Journals will also publish Separats. Which are standalone articles of the current volume being published. Alongside they may publish a leaflet of abstracts which you can receive and make a decision if you're going to get the whole Journal or just a Saparat: a single Paper you are interested in, on the field of your research.

Because a Paper deals with one theme; one subject; or one particular problem alone. Two of them, make two separate papers. And will be reviewed separately. And therefore will require a separate entry on ToC of the journal being published.

Why on earth should or would a Paper of a given scientific article have a ToC of its own?!

A typical structure of a scientific paper will or should contain:

of which, few are mandatory and an optional 2nd, or 3rd language abstract. And that's all.

• I've rarely seen a math paper discuss the materials or the sampling used during the research. On a more serious note, I've also very rarely seen math papers with a "conclusion/summary" part. –  user9646 Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 8:39
• Oh yes you did, A 'cone' is as good as any physical or chemical 'material'; a section of it, is a 'sample'; a method is a formula; a technique is a manor; say a calculus, or even a calculation machine etc. –  Bekim Bacaj Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 8:47
• 3 'A submitted Paper should not have a TOC, and even if it has one, it will be discarded by the publisher.' This is probably news to Dan Romik and Pete Clark and, for that matter, the editors of the Annals of Mathematics: a concrete counterexample to your statement is 'The Tits alternative for Out(F_n) I' by Bestvina, Feighn and Handel published in the Annals in 2000 with a table of contents. –  Shane O Rourke Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 12:27
• 5 While it is very often true that a TOC is not needed this kind of dogmatic insistence One True Way (tm) is not helpful. –  dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 22:41
• 1 Seriously, I do not think there is any imperative either to have or not have Tables of Contents in papers, nor that it is true that abstracts supercede TOCs, nor that "people here" are not "scientists" and so on. –  paul garrett Commented Mar 1, 2017 at 22:51

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Table of Contents for a Dissertation or Thesis with Examples

Published by Ellie Cross at February 16th, 2023 , Revised On February 1, 2024

An organised list of the chapters, sections, and subsections that help the reader navigate through your dissertation or thesis is called the table of content .  For the reader to jump to any part or section of their interest, the structure and the sections should clearly be labelled with the correct page numbers. 

All of the main headings, subheadings, and figures have to be added to the table of content to ensure complete correctness. A good table of contents should be easy to read, properly formatted, and finalised. While it can be created manually, Microsoft Word, however, also has an automatic formatting feature.

While doing the final touchups to your dissertation , the table of contents is one of the most important components to add to it. It aids the reader in navigating (much like a map) through your thesis and key points. 

What to add and what to avoid adding to a table of contents are going to be discussed in this article to assist you in mapping your dissertation properly.

What Should be included in the Table of Content?

The length of your document should be the determining factor before choosing a single-level, subdivided, or multi-level table of contents.

Single-level TOC

If you have decided to go for a single-level table of content, only include “level 1” headers, such as chapters.

Example of a Single-level Table of Content

Subdivided TOC

To properly inform the reader of what each chapter of your dissertation or thesis will be covering, a subdivided table of content should list chapters and level-2 headings as well.

Example of a Subdivided Table of Content

A multi-level table of contents further subdivides divisions into “level 3” headings. With this choice, be cautious since things might rapidly get out of hand. The maximum length of the table of contents should not be more than two pages. 

Multiple-level Table of Content

Example of a multiple-level table of content.

Less is frequently more in these introductory sections. Narrow it down to only the most crucial sections as you choose which ones to include.

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Adding Tables and Appendices

List all the appendices in your table of contents, while the tables and figures should only be added if you have added plenty of them in your dissertation or thesis.

• If you have added more than 3-5 figures and tables to your dissertation, list them on a separate page.
• It is okay to separately list the tables and appendices in the thesis and dissertations, but they should not be listed separately in research publications.

What Should not be included in the Table of Content?

Add all level 1 and level 2 headings in your table of content, with level 3 headings being used where necessary.

Do not add the following to your table of content.

• The table of content.
• The acknowledgement page
• The abstract or exclusive summary

There is no need to include the acknowledgements and abstracts since they always come before the table of contents. Any sections that come before the table of content should not be included in it.

How to Create a Table of Content in MS Word?

Applying the appropriate heading styles consistently across the page is a requirement before Microsoft Word will automatically create a table of content for you.

Give each section a proper heading. Select the headings that are heading 1 and heading 2 or 3.

The image above demonstrates how you can set the proper headings for each section.  Select the text you want to use as a heading 1 and right-click on it. Click styles from the drop-down menu to select the style, or simply choose from the options presented in the toolbar.

Add this formatting to the first level 1 heading and use the same font, size, and bold for all level 1 headings. Use the styles section on the toolbar to automatically apply this formatting to all of your level 1 headings.

• Select the 1 st heading.
• Right-click on the style labelled “Heading 1.”
• Choose “Update Heading 1 to Match Selection” 

Once you have set all your level 1 headings, it’s time to set level 2 and level 3 headings. Follow the same procedure to select all level 2 and level three headings. Each heading in your document can have its formatting assigned by selecting the desired style while the heading is highlighted.

Now that we are done setting our headings, it’s time to put them in the table of content so that the reader can navigate through the wonderful thesis you have written.

Follow these simple and easy steps to automatically create the table of content, but before you do that, check to see if your university or citation style has laid any rules or guidelines regarding this.

Set your cursor where you want the table of contents to appear. (The table of contents (TOC) ought to come after the abstract and before the introduction chapter of your dissertation or thesis. )

Go to the reference section of the toolbar at the top of your word application. And then left click the table of content in the left corner.

From the drop-down menu, select the appropriate format for the table of content which matches your requirements and the guidelines to create the table of content automatically. You can add more styles or custom create the table of content to fit your requirements as well on the Custom Table of Contents menu, you can choose the levels of headings you want to use. By selecting the Modify button on each level, you may also manually alter it.

When you’re ready, click “OK,” and the table of contents will be generated automatically.

Features of TOC

The table of contents main characteristics are:

• Clear headers and subheadings 
• Accurate page numbers

Check with your university and the college regarding the guidelines and the rules for the table of content before you dive into it.

Frequently Asked Questions about Table of Content

What should i include in the table of content for my dissertation.

Your table of contents should include all level 1 and 2 headers. This includes the titles of your chapters as well as the key parts inside them.

All appendices and lists of tables and figures, as well as your reference list, should be included in the contents.

The acknowledgements and abstract should not be included in the table of contents.

How to create a table of content quickly and easily in Microsoft word?

• Apply header styles to the whole document.
• Go to Table of Contents in the references area of the toolbar
• Select the one which fits your requirements

Where is the correct position for the table of contents of my thesis?

Acknowledgement anf abstract is  usually presented before the table of contents is added to the thesis or dissertation.

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After you have finished writing the main body of your dissertation or thesis, you must worry about coming to your conclusions. The final chapter of your thesis or dissertation is the conclusion.

Your thesis, dissertation, or research paper’s title page (or cover page) should include all of the pertinent details about your work.

A dissertation or a thesis preface is your chance to reflect on your experience during the writing. A preface is similar to reflective essay writing and mainly written in the first person.

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• Dissertation Table of Contents in Word | Instructions & Examples

Dissertation Table of Contents in Word | Instructions & Examples

Published on May 15, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

The table of contents is where you list the chapters and major sections of your thesis, dissertation , or research paper, alongside their page numbers. A clear and well-formatted table of contents is essential, as it demonstrates to your reader that a quality paper will follow.

The table of contents (TOC) should be placed between the abstract and the introduction . The maximum length should be two pages. Depending on the nature of your thesis , paper, or dissertation topic , there are a few formatting options you can choose from.

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Table of contents

What to include in your table of contents, what not to include in your table of contents, creating a table of contents in microsoft word, table of contents examples, updating a table of contents in microsoft word, other lists in your thesis, dissertation, or research paper, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the table of contents.

Depending on the length of your document, you can choose between a single-level, subdivided, or multi-level table of contents.

• A single-level table of contents only includes “level 1” headings , or chapters. This is the simplest option, but it may be too broad for a long document like a dissertation.
• A subdivided table of contents includes chapters as well as “level 2” headings, or sections. These show your reader what each chapter contains.
• A multi-level table of contents also further divides sections into “level 3” headings. This option can get messy quickly, so proceed with caution. Remember your table of contents should not be longer than 2 pages. A multi-level table is often a good choice for a shorter document like a research paper .

Examples of level 1 headings are Introduction, Literature Review , Methodology , and Bibliography. Subsections of each of these would be level 2 headings, further describing the contents of each chapter or large section. Any further subsections would be level 3.

In these introductory sections, less is often more. As you decide which sections to include, narrow it down to only the most essential.

Including appendices and tables

You should include all appendices in your table of contents. Whether or not you include tables and figures depends largely on how many there are in your document.

If there are more than three figures and tables, you might consider listing them on a separate page. Otherwise, you can include each one in the table of contents.

• Theses and dissertations often have a separate list of figures and tables.
• Research papers generally don’t have a separate list of figures and tables.

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See an example

All level 1 and level 2 headings should be included in your table of contents, with level 3 headings used very sparingly.

The following things should never be included in a table of contents:

• Your acknowledgements page
• Your abstract
• The table of contents itself

The acknowledgements and abstract always precede the table of contents, so there’s no need to include them. This goes for any sections that precede the table of contents.

To automatically insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word, be sure to first apply the correct heading styles throughout the document, as shown below.

• Choose which headings are heading 1 and which are heading 2 (or 3)!
• For example, if all level 1 headings should be Times New Roman, 12-point font, and bold, add this formatting to the first level 1 heading.
• Highlight the level 1 heading.
• Right-click the style that says “Heading 1.”
• Select “Update Heading 1 to Match Selection.”
• Allocate the formatting for each heading throughout your document by highlighting the heading in question and clicking the style you wish to apply.

Once that’s all set, follow these steps:

• Add a title to your table of contents. Be sure to check if your citation style or university has guidelines for this.
• Place your cursor where you would like your table of contents to go.
• In the “References” section at the top, locate the Table of Contents group.
• Here, you can select which levels of headings you would like to include. You can also make manual adjustments to each level by clicking the Modify button.
• When you are ready to insert the table of contents, click “OK” and it will be automatically generated, as shown below.

The key features of a table of contents are:

• Clear headings and subheadings
• Corresponding page numbers

Check with your educational institution to see if they have any specific formatting or design requirements.

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Write yourself a reminder to update your table of contents as one of your final tasks before submitting your dissertation or paper. It’s normal for your text to shift a bit as you input your final edits, and it’s crucial that your page numbers correspond correctly.

It’s easy to update your page numbers automatically in Microsoft Word. Simply right-click the table of contents and select “Update Field.” You can choose either to update page numbers only or to update all information in your table of contents.

In addition to a table of contents, you might also want to include a list of figures and tables, a list of abbreviations, and a glossary in your thesis or dissertation. You can use the following guides to do so:

• List of figures and tables
• List of abbreviations

It is less common to include these lists in a research paper.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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All level 1 and 2 headings should be included in your table of contents . That means the titles of your chapters and the main sections within them.

The contents should also include all appendices and the lists of tables and figures, if applicable, as well as your reference list .

Do not include the acknowledgements or abstract in the table of contents.

To automatically insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

• Apply heading styles throughout the document.
• In the references section in the ribbon, locate the Table of Contents group.
• Click the arrow next to the Table of Contents icon and select Custom Table of Contents.
• Select which levels of headings you would like to include in the table of contents.

Make sure to update your table of contents if you move text or change headings. To update, simply right click and select Update Field.

The table of contents in a thesis or dissertation always goes between your abstract and your introduction .

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Insert a table of contents

A table of contents in Word is based on the headings in your document.

Create the table of contents

Put your cursor where you want to add the table of contents.

Go to References > Table of Contents . and choose an automatic style.

If you make changes to your document that affect the table of contents, update the table of contents by right-clicking the table of contents and choosing Update Field .

To update your table of contents manually, see Update a table of contents .

If you have missing entries

Missing entries often happen because headings aren't formatted as headings.

For each heading that you want in the table of contents, select the heading text.

Go to Home > Styles , and then choose Heading 1 .

Update your table of contents.

Word uses the headings in your document to build an automatic table of contents that can be updated when you change the heading text, sequence, or level.

Click where you want to insert the table of contents – usually near the beginning of a document.

Click References > Table of Contents and then choose an Automatic Table of Contents style from the list.

Note:  If you use a Manual Table of Contents style, Word won't use your headings to create a table of contents and won't be able to update it automatically. Instead, Word will use placeholder text to create the look of a table of contents so you can manually type each entry into the table of contents. To update your manual table of contents, see Update a table of contents .

If you want to Format or customize your table of contents , you can. For example, you can change the font, the number of heading levels, and whether to show dotted lines between entries and page numbers.

Click where you want to insert the table of contents—usually near the beginning of the document.

On the toolbar ribbon, select References . 

Near the left end, select Insert Table of Contents . (Or select Table of Contents > Insert Table of Contents . 

The table of contents is inserted, showing the headings and page numbering in your document.

If you make changes to your document that affect the table of contents, you can update it by right-clicking the table and selecting  Update Table of Contents .

Get the learning guide

For a hands-on guide that steps you through the process of creating a table of contents, download our Table of Contents tutorial . Or, in desktop Word, go to File > New , and search for table of contents .

Update a table of contents  

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What Is a Cloud ERP Software and Why Do You Need One?

• August 22, 2024

Christopher Ike

In today’s fast-paced business environment, efficient resource management is key to success. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have long been the backbone of organizations, streamlining operations and providing a unified view of business processes. Traditionally, ERP systems were hosted on-premise, requiring substantial hardware investments and IT resources. However, the advent of cloud technology has revolutionized this space, giving rise to Cloud ERP—a more flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solution.

What is Cloud ERP Software?

To properly understand what a Cloud ERP is and how it works, you need to have a good idea of what an ERP is all about. 

ERP software is designed to integrate and automate core business functions such as finance, human resources, supply chain management, customer relationship management (CRM) , and more. Traditionally, ERP systems were hosted on-premise, meaning they were installed on a company’s servers and managed internally. While effective, these systems often require significant investments in hardware, software, and IT personnel.

What Then is a Cloud ERP?

Cloud ERP software takes the traditional ERP model and moves it to the cloud. This means that the software and its data are hosted on remote servers and accessed via the Internet, rather than being stored on local, physical servers.

Why Choose Cloud ERP?

For businesses looking to streamline operations, improve decision-making with real-time data, and reduce IT overhead, Cloud ERP is an attractive option. It provides the flexibility to adapt to changing business needs, supports growth without requiring significant new investments, and offers the peace of mind that comes with knowing your system is secure and always up-to-date.

What's The Difference Between an ERP and a Cloud ERP?

The key difference between a traditional ERP and a Cloud ERP is in their deployment location.

Traditional ERP systems, often referred to as on-premise ERP, are installed locally on a company’s own servers and managed by its IT staff. Cloud ERP, on the other hand, is hosted on the cloud, meaning that the software and data are stored on remote servers managed by a third-party provider.

The Benefits of Cloud ERP: Why Your Business Should Make the Switch

1. scalability and flexibility.

One of the most significant benefits of Cloud ERP is its scalability. As your business grows, your ERP system can easily scale with you. Whether you need to add more users, incorporate new modules, or expand to additional locations, Cloud ERP allows you to do so without the need for significant new investments in infrastructure.

2. Cost Efficiency

Traditional on-premise ERP systems require substantial upfront costs for hardware, software, and ongoing maintenance. In contrast, Cloud ERP operates on a subscription-based model, reducing the need for large capital expenditures. This pay-as-you-go approach not only lowers the total cost of ownership but also provides more predictable budgeting.

3. Anywhere, Anytime Access

In today’s mobile-first world, the ability to access business data from anywhere is crucial. Cloud ERP systems offer real-time access to your company’s information, whether you’re in the office, on the road, or working remotely. This accessibility ensures that your team can collaborate efficiently and make informed decisions no matter where they are.

4. Automatic Updates and Maintenance

With Cloud ERP, you no longer need to worry about manually updating your software or managing maintenance tasks. Your service provider handles all updates, ensuring that your system is always running the latest features and security patches. This not only reduces the burden on your IT team but also ensures that your business stays ahead with the most up-to-date technology.

5. Enhanced Security

Data security is a top priority for businesses of all sizes. Cloud ERP providers invest heavily in state-of-the-art security measures, including encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regular backups. Additionally, these providers often comply with stringent industry regulations, giving you peace of mind that your data is secure.

The Challenges of Implementing a Cloud ERP

1. data security and privacy concerns.

One of the primary concerns businesses face when implementing a Cloud ERP system is data security. Moving your sensitive business data to the cloud means trusting a third-party provider to protect it. While reputable Cloud ERP providers invest heavily in security measures, including encryption and multi-factor authentication, the risk of data breaches still exists. It’s crucial to thoroughly vet your provider, understand their security protocols, and ensure they comply with relevant industry regulations.

2. Internet Dependence

Cloud ERP systems rely on a stable and fast internet connection for access and functionality. If your business operates in an area with unreliable internet connectivity, this dependence can lead to disruptions in your operations. Even a short downtime can have significant consequences, especially if your team relies on real-time data to make decisions. Businesses need to ensure they have a reliable internet service and possibly consider backup options to mitigate this risk.

3. Integration with Existing Systems

Many businesses already use a variety of software applications to manage different aspects of their operations. Integrating these existing systems with a new Cloud ERP can be challenging, particularly if there are compatibility issues. It’s essential to plan for these integrations well in advance and work closely with your Cloud ERP provider to ensure a smooth transition. In some cases, custom integrations may be necessary, which can increase the complexity and cost of the implementation.

Examples of Cloud ERP Systems for Fashion Businesses

If you run a fashion business and are looking for the right cloud ERP system to help you scale and streamline your operations, here are a few to consider. 

Uphance is an all-in-one ERP solution that lets you manage every aspect of your fashion retail or wholesale business, including inventory, order and warehouse management. It also comes with a PLM module that lets you handle your product development processes efficiently from start to finish. 

Furthermore, Uphance integrates with major eCommerce and accounting solutions like Shopify, WooCommerce, QuickBooks, Xero and many more. 

Ready to take Uphance for a spin? Schedule a demo. 

2. Oracle ERP Cloud

Oracle ERP Cloud is a comprehensive suite of applications designed to streamline and automate business processes across your organization. Known for its strong financial management capabilities, it also includes modules for procurement, project management, and risk management.

3. Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft Dynamics 365 combines ERP and CRM capabilities into one seamless platform. It’s highly customizable and integrates well with other Microsoft products, making it a popular choice for businesses already using the Microsoft ecosystem.

Cloud ERP is not just a trend—it’s the future of business management. With its scalability, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility, Cloud ERP offers a compelling solution for businesses looking to stay competitive in the digital age. As technology continues to evolve, Cloud ERP will only become more integral to successful business operations.

Demystifying Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

How Fashion Brands Can Speed Up Time to Market

Table of Contents

• Apparel ERP
• B2B Platform
• Inventory Management
• Partner Program
• Profit Margin Calculator
• VAT Calculator

Privacy Overview

Task Search

Use Your Imagination - EVE Walkthrough

As rifts continue to pop up across Eternity Isle , you'll need EVE 's help to close the rift inside the Ancient Ruins in the Docks area. This guide provides a walkthrough for the Use Your Imagination: Gaston quest, a subquest of Merlin's Mysterious Mickey .

Use Your Imagination: Gaston Walkthrough

• Go inside the Ancient Ruins in the Docks area.
• Follow EVE to the Time Rift.
• Talk to EVE.
• Talk to WALL-E.
• Give EVE the Film Projector.
• Take pictures of EVE and WALL-E inside the Ancient Ruins, WALL-E's House, and EVE's House.
• Craft the Film Reel at a Crafting Station.
• Meet EVE and WALL-E at the Time Rift in the Ancient Ruins.

Head inside the Ancient Ruins in the Docks area

After speaking with EVE, enter the Ancient Ruins that are located in the Docks area.

Follow EVE to the Time Rift and Talk to Her

Once inside the Ancient Ruins, follow EVE a short distance, where you'll find a Time Rift in the left chamber. Talk to EVE, and she'll ask you to speak with WALL-E about how to use her imagination best.

Talk to WALL-E

When you speak with WALL-E, he suggests making a movie and provides a Film Projector for you to use.

Bring the Film Projector to EVE

With the Film Projector in hand, return to EVE and pitch her the idea of making a movie.

Take Pictures of EVE and WALL-E

Liking the idea, EVE will request that you take pictures of her and WALL-E together inside the following locations:

• Inside the Ancient Ruins
• Inside WALL-E's House
• Inside EVE's House

Craft the Film Reel

Once you've captured pictures in all three locations, you must now gather Plastic Scrap and Mechanics Parts to craft the Film Reel at a Crafting Station.

To craft the Film Reel, you'll require the following materials:

8x Plastic Scrap - Use Your Imagination: EVE 3x Mechanical Parts - Use Your Imagination: EVE

How to Get Plastic Scrap

How to Craft Mechanical Parts

Once you've crafted the Film Reel, give it EVE.

Meet EVE and WALL-E at the Time Rift

Now that EVE has the Film Reel, go back inside the Ancient Ruins and speak with EVE to toss it into the rift, completing the quest.

Use Your Imagination: EVE

Ready to continue with Merlin's Quest? See our Mysterious Mickey Walkthrough for more, or jump to one of its subquests:

• Use Your Imagination - Mickey Walkthrough
• Use Your Imagination - Rapunzel Walkthrough
• Use Your Imagination - Gaston Walkthrough

Up Next: Sulley Quests

Top guide sections.

• Recipes Guide: How to Make All Meals
• A Rift in Time Expansion Guide
• Secret Potato Quests

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