In a dissertation, after your acknowledgements and before your introduction, there will be a table of contents section. It has a section listing all of your tables, figures, or illustrations as well as a list of all of your headers and their corresponding pages (if you are using them). This table is known as the dissertation table of contents.
A dissertation table of contents, which is often on the first page of a dissertation, also includes the bullet points for the subsection or sub-chapter heads in addition to the chapter names. It often follows the research paper’s title page.
The Complete Dissertation Package
A dissertation table of contents is an essential part of academic dissemination. It is necessary for dissertation submission, regardless of whether you are pursuing a Bachelor’s or postgraduate degree. Generally speaking, the table of contents for your dissertation will appear after the title page, abstract, acknowledgements, or preface. Although it is not required, different colleges may have varying rules and regulations regarding the inclusion of a reference to this front matter in your table of contents.
Creating a mock table of contents in the early stages of writing is an idea worth working on, although it is recommended to complete the table of contents once your dissertation is complete. This enables you to create a structure, consider your subject and how you will conduct research, provide an answer, and present your case. Consider this to be a type of “reverse engineering.”
Importance of Table of Contents
Examiners are readers after all, and writing an argument for a dissertation is a reading exercise. A concise dissertation table of contents will make a good first impression, offer an accurate road map to make the task of the examiner easier, and strengthen your case.
The table of contents is more than simply a piece of academic decorum; it helps your examiner get a sense of your subject and how your dissertation will be organised. Due to how confusing or messy the table of contents is, it may even lower your marks for the dissertation.
Formatting Table of Contents
Your academic field and dissemination length will determine how your table of contents is formatted. Regardless of the discipline, you are working in, you must make an organised list of every chapter in the order that they occur, clearly labelling the chapter subheadings.
Thankfully, the days of drafting a contents page by hand are gone. Some softwares allow you to manually create a contents page, but if you want to ensure correctness and save time, think about using their automatic tool.
Before creating a table of contents automatically, apply Heading 1 and Heading 2 under the “Styles” section to your chosen top-level headings and subheadings.
Now simply pick “Table of Contents” from the “References” menu. You can use this option to automatically generate a page that has precise page links to your document. Select “Custom Table of Contents”. By selecting the table and selecting “Update”, make sure to update your table of contents. Your headings, subheadings, and page numbers will all add up.
7 Ways to Format the Table of Contents
1. Select a Different Format
By selecting a different format, you can alter the dissertation table of contents in its entirety. Expand the Formats selection in the General section and select an appearance. You can also hire a dissertation writing service for better selection of format.
2. Modify the Visual Design
Keep in mind that style definitions ultimately determine how your dissertation table of contents will look. For a unified appearance throughout the page, these changing styles can be preserved with the default ones. Take these actions.
2.1 Select Modify. Modify the formats from the template setting if the Modify button is greyed out.
2.2 Click the level you want to edit in the Styles list, then click Modify. The heading level 1 in your dissertation relates to table of contents 1, the second level to table of contents 2, the third level to table of contents 3, and so on.
2.3. You can alter the font’s colour in the Modify Style dialogue box. Click OK after making any more formatting adjustments, such as text indentation.
2.4. You have the option to specify whether the style change only affects this document or all subsequent documents before you click OK. Select the Add to Styles gallery checkbox to save it for later usage.
3. Modify the Style Headings’ Levels as Necessary
A dissertation table of contents can either be itemised or only contain the main sections. You can modify the number of levels that are shown by changing the “show levels” setting. The style headings used for sections are referred to here as “Levels.”
4. Modify or Include Dot Leaders
The dots or lines that link the index items to page numbers are known as “dot leaders.” Numerous style manuals list these leader lines as an essential component of thesis documents.
For choosing the dotted line option, click the Tab leader list in the Table of Contents dialogue box. Alternately, to select some other leader line you desire, click “none” to remove the previous leader line applied in the table of contents.
5. Add a Style Without Headings
When Word automatically inserts a table of contents, it won’t include a non-heading style. Word, by default, includes headings 1 through 9. However, you are provided with a way to add any additional styles you make to the index.
6. Make a Clickable Table of Contents
In this era of information and technology, having a hyperlinked table of contents is standard. It is quicker to navigate. A thesis or dissertation must also meet this requirement.
Select the checkbox next to Replace page numbers with hyperlinks.
Also, if you only want to use the hyperlinks, uncheck the box next to Show page numbers.
7. Add a Straightforward Border to the Table of Contents
To add a border around the dissertation table of contents, utilise Word’s Shapes function. Set the Shape Fill to “No Fill” before adding Shape Styles or designing the pseudo-border around the table with Format Shape.
Conclusion
The dissertation table of contents is an essential component of every academic dissertation. It is a precise outline of the manuscript’s content, including all of the headers, subheadings, page numbers, chapters, citations, bibliography, illustrations, and figures.
It can easily be modified using our map of 7 ways of formatting a dissertation table of contents given above.
