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How to create and update a table of contents in microsoft word.
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How to add a table of contents, how to update the table of contents, how to remove the table of contents.
Using a table of contents in your document makes it easier for the reader to navigate. You can insert a table of contents in Word from the headings used in your document, and then you can update it after making changes to the document. Here's how to do it.
Regardless of the size of your document, using a table of contents can direct the reader to exactly where they need to be. In addition to making the document more reader-friendly, a table of contents also makes it easier for the author to go back and add or remove content if necessary.
By default, Word generates a table of contents using the first three built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3). To apply heading styles, select the particular style from the "Home" tab. If you're not happy with the types of heading styles available, you can change the default heading style .
You can manage this in two different ways. You can either apply the heading styles to each section after you've finished the document, or you can add them as you go.
Once you've applied your heading styles, it's time to insert your table of contents. The first thing you need to do is put the cursor where you want the table of contents to appear. Once ready, head over to the "References" tab and select "Table of Contents."
A drop-down menu will appear. Here, you can choose between the three different built-in tables.
The only difference between Automatic Table 1 and 2 is the title, which is "Contents" and "Table of Contents," respectively. Selecting either Automatic Table 1 or 2 will create the table of contents using the names of the headings.
If you chose the "Manual Table" option from the "Table of Contents" drop-down menu, then it will insert a template for you that you will need to edit yourself.
You may notice in this table of contents that there are sub-levels. Each level represents a heading style in your document. So if you use the automatic table and you want sub-levels in your ToC, you will need to use heading 1 for level 1, heading 2 for level 2, and heading 3 for level 3.
If you want your table of contents to go deeper than the top three heading styles, you can do that, too. On the dropdown menu when you click the "Table of Contents" button, choose the "Custom Table of Contents" option.
In the Table of Contents window that opens, click the "Options" button.
In the Table of Contents Options window, next to each available style you want to use (these are Word's built-in styles starting with Heading 4), type the TOC level you wish to use. Click "OK" when you're done.
If you ever need to add or remove a section from your document, you can easily update the table of contents to reflect those changes. To update your table of contents, select it, click "Update Table" on the pop-up menu that appears, and then choose whether you want to update only the page numbers or the entire table. Click "OK" to apply the changes.
Your table of contents will now be updated. This is very useful when you want to add or remove a heading from the table of contents.
Removing the table of contents is simple. All you need to do is select it and then click the arrow on the menu that appears.
At the bottom of the drop-down menu, select "Remove Table of Contents."
Your table of contents will now be removed from your document.
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Should your novel have a table of contents.
Beginning authors have lots of questions. And why wouldn’t they, when so much about book publishing involves unspoken rules? Maybe you’re wondering about some of those rules, like, should fiction books have a table of contents? And if so, what should it look like?
Agents and editors have somewhat different expectations for submissions of various types. If you’re submitting a nonfiction book proposal, for example, you better have included a Table of Contents (better yet, an annotated TOC or a set of chapter summaries). But should fiction books have a Table of Contents? They can, but it isn’t necessary.
Note that I said it isn’t necessary—not that it’s wrong, or breaking the rules, to include a Table of Contents if you wish.
How do you decide? Well, for one thing, I recommend including a Table of Contents in your novel (or memoir, for that matter) if you’re using anything more creative than “Chapter 12” type headings. If your chapters have descriptive names, including the TOC in your manuscript can help agents and editors get a sense of what’s in your novel at a glance. It’s important that your chapter titles match the tone of the book, however. Don’t make the mistake of using gimmicky or cute chapter titles in a serious literary work or a dark and stormy thriller. It’s just confusing and weird. In most cases, it’ll hurt your first impression.
Also, if you’re going to use unique chapter titles and then include them in a Table of Contents, be sure you only send that TOC page to agents when they ask for your complete manuscript. If you’re asked to send in the first 50 pages and a synopsis, the TOC won’t add anything particularly important, and you’re just wasting a page slot that could be taken up by another page of your story. They’ll still see the fun chapter titles you used for those included in your sample excerpt; that’s enough to give a taste, which is exactly what they’re looking for in a sample chapters or a partial manuscript.
All of that said, most published novels and memoirs don’t have a Table of Contents. Most just number their chapters and leave it at that. It’s a time-tested approach you can feel comfortable using, so don’t feel you need to work extra hard to come up with anything fancier.
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January 18, 2022 at 1:57 pm
Leave it to novelists to break with tradition and not include table of contents in their works. Since ancient times, writers, historians, philosophers, etc., always included table of contents in their writings. I wasn’t aware of this practice of exclusion, because I rarely read fictional novels. Historical texts, non-fiction, science fiction, memoirs, and everything else published continue to honor historical writing tradition by including a table of contents as a courtesy to their readers.
August 11, 2022 at 7:54 pm
I’ve written and published 11 books. I’m in search of tips on how I may go about writing a saga an epic.
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A table of contents in Word is based on the headings in your document.
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 .
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 .
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 .
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October 14, 2020 (Last Updated August 16, 2021)
When setting up your self-published book , it’s important to understand the different parts. Two such parts of a book that seem similar at first are the index and the table of contents. While both an index and a table of contents guide the reader to different parts of your book, they serve different purposes.
Learn more about the differences between a table of contents and an index.
A table of contents is a page or section at the front of your book that lists the chapters or sections of the book and their corresponding page numbers.
Here’s an example:
The table of contents is an overview of all the different sections or chapters of your book and where they can be found. It is a big-picture look at the topics you will cover. Nearly all reference and non-fiction books will have a table of contents, but some novels and other types of books do, too.
A table of contents is usually organized by page, so that each chapter or section is listed in the order in which it appears. This lends structure and consistency to the table of contents. It’s also always located in the front -- sort of like a “roadmap” of what the reader can expect to find, and where. It’s very important to include the page numbers of the different sections for the same reason: it helps readers find what they’re looking for.
One exception: the front matter (such as the title page, copyright page, dedication, etc.) are often not numbered, so these pages are not always listed in the table of contents.
If your book has more than a few chapters, it’s best to include a table of contents in your book to help your readers navigate their way through your content.
A table of contents might seem like a page or two that you can cut for space or budget reasons but think twice before you do -- you risk frustrating and alienating your readers when they can’t find an overview of what your book will cover.
A table of contents is also a pretty standard and straightforward part of a book that readers expect to see. If your table of contents is missing, and your book covers more than one or two sections or topics, your readers will begin to wonder what else you may have left out.
In fact, you can even create the “table” of contents as a table, because that’s what it is -- each chapter or section is aligned with the corresponding page number in a document, or table, that holds all of the information at once.
You can simplify this process by using one of our free book formatting templates . Simply start writing!
A table of contents will be based on your chapter headings and page numbers. Therefore, it is important to make sure your chapters or sections are divided appropriately, given proper headings, and assigned to the corresponding page. Once you have done that, you can use your word processing software to create the table of contents page that lists the chapters, headings, and page numbers.
If you’d like more assistance with creating your table of contents, 48 Hour Books can help.
If you need 48 Hour Books to add your page numbers to your book for you, you can request this in the “customer comments” section on your online order form.
Once we add the page numbers, we can then fill in your table of contents for you with the correct page numbering.
Contact us to learn more about adding a table of contents to your book.
Although it also helps readers find information, an index is not the same as a table of contents.
Located in the back of the book, an index helps a reader locate key terms, concepts, and ideas that were referenced in the contents of your book. Each term or concept has a corresponding page number. When the reader wants to access that information, they simply refer to that page of your book.
The index is meant to help the reader find information and references quickly and easily. Instead of directing them to an entire section or chapter, the index helps the reader find the exact page that a key concept or term is mentioned or explained.
You can further organize your book’s index, more than just an alphabetical listing of terms. If your book contains multiple headings and useful material to reference, this information should be listed in the index in the back matter of your book. For example, if you were writing a history book, the Index would list significant events, terms, dates, people, and more. Whatever you choose to list in the index should be relevant information and necessary to understanding your book.
Indexes are also useful in cookbooks, especially if you have a lot of recipes. If a reader wants to find a specific recipe fast, they can simply go to the back of the cookbook and look it up to find the page number.
Contrast that with the table of contents in a cookbook. The table of contents in a cookbook would list the different sections and not the actual recipes. For instance, you could find the section labeled “Appetizers” or “Desserts,” but you would only find individual recipes listed in the index.
Here is an example of an index in a cookbook:
Adding an index helps your readers find exactly what they’re looking for and retrieve useful information. Using the example of the cookbook, consider a reader’s point of view: without an index, they’d have to flip through the whole book each time they wanted to make a particular recipe. They could rely on bookmarks, but what if the bookmark falls out or is removed by someone else? They could use the table of contents to find the broad category of the recipe, but they would still need to shuffle through all of the pages of that section to find the one they’re looking for.
And what if they’re looking for a milkshake recipe? Does that fall under the category of desserts, or of beverages? If you provide your readers with an index, they can simply search the list for ‘M’ for ‘milkshake’ and see exactly what page the recipe is located on.
It saves time and effort and provides a service to your reader — and that’s the kind of author they’re looking for.
Because an index may contain many more entries than a table of contents, it can be more complex to create. However, many software programs can help you with this task.
For instance, with Microsoft Word, you can use the ‘References’ function to help create your index. For each term you want to include, you’ll go to the ‘References’ tab and click ‘Index’, then ‘Mark Entry’. This will record the term for your index along with the corresponding page of its occurrence.
In the back of your book, you can insert the index you’ve created using this method by clicking ‘Insert Index’. The software will generate and insert the index for you.
Check out our free book templates, which automate some of the set-up and formatting tasks you may need to start the process of creating your book. And there’s always our custom book formatting service, which can provide you with a formatted book for an added price.
Contact us at 48 Hour Books to begin your book and get started today.
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Finding it hard to create my table of content
Hello! We can help you with your table of contents. Please call us at 800-231-0521 and we will connect you with a prepress technician.
If you have Two volumes do you have a table of contents for each? Or one table in volume one?
Hi George! Ultimately, the way you organize your book is completely up to you. If you are creating a book that contains two volumes within one book, you could create a table that lists the contents for each separate volume. As long as you have each volume clearly marked with the corresponding contents underneath, then the reader should be able to easily navigate.
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Now you can generate your table of contents. First write the title "Contents" (in the style of a level 1 heading). Then place your cursor two lines below this and go to the References tab. Click on Table of Contents and select Custom Table of Contents…. In the popup window, select how many levels of heading you wish to include (at least ...
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. In my field, 99% of the papers are Introduction, Method, Result, Discussion, Conclusion. They don't need a table of contents.
Make a table with two columns. Then, place the headings and subheadings in the first column in order. Put the applicable page numbers in the second column. 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.
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 << Previous: Title Page; Next: Word Limit >>
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.
The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body. This article provides useful templates and tips to help you outline your essay, make decisions about your structure, and ...
In the 'References' section at the top, locate the Table of Contents group. Click the arrow next to the Table of Contents icon and select 'Custom Table of Contents'. 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.
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.
Answer. APA does not require a table of contents. If the instructor requires it, follow these guidelines for an APA paper: 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: For an example, go to the APA Help guide and click on Sample Paper.
Tables of contents may be formatted in a number of ways. In our publications, we sometimes list chapter numbers before chapter titles and sometimes list the chapter titles alone. We also sometimes list section heads beneath the chapter titles. After each chapter or heading title, the page number on which the chapter or section begins is ...
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.
A basic table of contents highlights the topics covered in the writing and the page number on which they appear. The table of contents may give specific sections or chapters, depending on the writing.
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.
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.
Essays usually focus on analysing or evaluating theories, past research by other people, and ideas. They may include applying theory to practice if you are in a practice-based field. A report usually contains tables, charts and diagrams. Essays don't usually include tables, charts, or diagrams.
Tips and Hints. Most assignments require either an essay or report. Essays and reports differ from one another in both their purpose and the information they contain. The table below describes the differences between essays and reports. Essays. Reports. Present arguments and/or issues. Present information. Read carefully by your teacher/tutor.
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. Click OK. Make sure to update your table of contents if you move text or change headings.
The first thing you need to do is put the cursor where you want the table of contents to appear. Once ready, head over to the "References" tab and select "Table of Contents." A drop-down menu will appear. Here, you can choose between the three different built-in tables. The only difference between Automatic Table 1 and 2 is the title, which is ...
Well, for one thing, I recommend including a Table of Contents in your novel (or memoir, for that matter) if you're using anything more creative than "Chapter 12" type headings. If your chapters have descriptive names, including the TOC in your manuscript can help agents and editors get a sense of what's in your novel at a glance.
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 ...
A table of contents is a page or section at the front of your book that lists the chapters or sections of the book and their corresponding page numbers. Here's an example: The table of contents is an overview of all the different sections or chapters of your book and where they can be found. It is a big-picture look at the topics you will ...