Instructions on creating a table of contents automatically in Word.

A table of contents in Word corresponds to the content of the table, and you can list illustrations and data used in your document on a single page. Using a table of contents makes it easy to find specific illustrations, images, or any data you add to the list. Creating a table of contents in Microsoft Word is extremely simple and doesn't take much time. Follow the steps below.

Create a list of images, tables, and charts in Word. 

Step 1:

Before you actually start with the table and image categories, add a description to each item. For images, to add a description, right-click on each image and select Insert Caption . For tables and charts, go to REFERENCES > Insert Caption .

Images 1 of Instructions on creating a table of contents automatically in Word.

Step 2 :

Choose an existing label, or click New Label to add a new one. By default, Word has three labels: Figure, Table, and Equation. If you are using the Vietnamese version, simply select Figure, Table, or Chart without adding a new one.

Images 2 of Instructions on creating a table of contents automatically in Word.

Enter a name for the newly added label:

Images 3 of Instructions on creating a table of contents automatically in Word.

Then press OK .

For charts and tables, you do the same, just remember to put the correct category type into the Label you created.

Step 3:

Choose a numbering style in Format, such as 1, 2, 3; a, b, c; or Roman numerals. If you want to number in the format 1.2, 2.1 (to indicate which section the image belongs to and its number within that section), select Include chapter number , in Chapter starts with style select Heading containing the image, and in Use separator select . (period) . However, this requires selecting the correct Heading and ensuring that the Word document already contains Heading numbers. Heading numbers must be entered from Home > Numbering (i.e., automatically numbered; if you enter them manually, it will display as 0.1). Otherwise, there will be errors in the table of contents display. You can correct them manually, but this can be quite complicated if there are too many images or tables. Then click OK twice.

Images 4 of Instructions on creating a table of contents automatically in Word.

Step 4:

The word "Image" (Label Name) will appear below (or above, depending on your choice). You just need to edit it to match the image name you want. The format of this description may differ from the rest of the post. To edit it, do the following: Highlight the description line > Home > expand the line AaBbCc,., select the area circled in blue (with the word "Caption") > Modify . Here, you can choose the font, font style, and font size to suit your needs.

Images 5 of Instructions on creating a table of contents automatically in Word.

Step 5:

Do the same with the remaining images and tables in the lesson.

Step 6:

Click where you want to insert the table of figures. This is usually at the beginning of the document or on the last few pages. You shouldn't press the spacebar repeatedly to move to the next page; instead, place your mouse cursor at the last word of the previous page, go to Page Layout > Break > Page to insert a page break. Next, in the References tab , select Insert Table of figures .

Images 6 of Instructions on creating a table of contents automatically in Word.

In the Caption label section, select the label you want to create a category for; here, I've chosen Chart.

Images 7 of Instructions on creating a table of contents automatically in Word.

In Formats, select Distinctive , and Print Preview will show you a preview of how the table of contents will appear when inserted. You can change it to suit your document's requirements.

Images 8 of Instructions on creating a table of contents automatically in Word.

Finally, select OK to insert the table of contents into the document.

Repeat this step if you have multiple labels that need categorization. In this article, I inserted images and charts; the results are shown below:

Images 9 of Instructions on creating a table of contents automatically in Word.

If you're not satisfied with the font or formatting, right-click on the category, select Font, and change it accordingly.

Images 10 of Instructions on creating a table of contents automatically in Word.

Update the list of tables and figures.

Whenever there are changes in the document, the position/page number of the data will naturally change, and then you need to update the data table. To update, click on the table list and press F9 or right-click on the list and select Update Field .

Images 11 of Instructions on creating a table of contents automatically in Word.

There are two options for updating the table of contents: update page numbers only and update the entire table. If you only want to change the page numbers, choose the first option; if you want to edit the names of images, tables, or charts, choose the second option.

Images 12 of Instructions on creating a table of contents automatically in Word.

Some notes on text formatting for dissertations.

• Font: Times New Roman
• Font size: 13-14
• Chapter titles should be in capital letters, using Heading 1.
• Subsections of a chapter are numbered in the format 1.1, 1.2 (Chapter number.Section number), subdivided into no more than 4 levels (1.1.1.1, 1.1.1.2),.
• Page numbers are in lowercase Roman numerals i, ii, iii,. up to the Introduction.
• Starting from the Introduction, pages are numbered in the format 1, 2, 3,.
• Table of contents and list of tables are placed at the beginning.
• References are listed at the end (before the Appendix).
• The appendix is ​​unnumbered and placed at the end.
• Image title is below the image.
• The chart title is below the chart.
• The table name is placed above the table.

Hopefully, this article will be helpful to you in your work and studies. If you encounter any difficulties in using the software, please leave a comment below so we can assist you.