How to Create a Table of Contents for Dissertation,
What Is a Table of Contents: Definition
It is obvious that the table of contents (TOC) is an essential manuscript part you can’t skip. If you are dealing with a dissertation, thesis or research paper, you need to know how to build it in accordance with academic guidance. This is a detailed roadmap for your work and outlined structure you can follow for a research presentation.
In case you are working on an essay or report, you may not include the table of contents, as it is a short academic text. But for the research paper, thesis or dissertation, table of contents is essential and required. It is possible to say the same about any Master’s project. It should be located between the dissertation abstract and introduction chapter. In most cases, it is about 2-3 pages long.
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Table of Contents Template
Types of Table of Contents
How to choose which table of contents will fit your research paper, thesis, dissertation, or report best? Make a decision based on your work length. Some academic writing styles, such as APA paper format or MLA style, have specific formatting for this list.
However, we will outline the most commonly used typology:
Single-level table of contents.
At this type, we use only chapters. For instance, you will have an Introduction, Literature Review, methodology, and other chapters with page numbers. It can be used for shorter research work. For long writing forms like manuscripts, it can be too broad, and you will need to go into details.
Subdivided table of contents.
The most frequently used form to organize the contents table. It will include not only chapters but also sections — a level 2 subheading for each part. It will help to be more specific about what to expect in each part of your research work.
Table of contents with multiple levels.
This is a more divided structure, including subheadings with a level 3 for each section. Quite often, those subheadings can be rewritten or deleted during the last editing. It is essential to keep them in the right order.
Before you decide which type will work best for you, let us share with you some examples of each formatting style.
Example of Table of Contents With a Single Level
Introduction: The Misinformation Roots ………..…… 3
Literature Review ……………………………….……..………… 10
Research Methodology and Design ………………….. 24
Results…………………………………………………………………… 28
Discussion …………………………………………………………….. 32
Sometimes, you will need to put an extra emphasis on subsections. Check this layout to see how your subheadings can be organized.
Example of Table of Contents Page with Subdivided Levels
Introduction: Information War ………………………….. 3
Background…………………………………….………..…… 4
Current State ………………………………………………… 5
Defining Research Questions………………………. 9
Literature Review………………………………………..……… 11
The Roots of Information Warfare ………….… 11
Information Wars …………………………….………..… 14
Cyber Wars Research …………………………………. 17
If you are working on a lengthy, complex paper, this outline will suit your project most. It will help readers navigate through your document by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable sections.
Multi-Level Table of Contents Page Example
Introduction…………………………………………………….……….… 3
Emergence of Climate Change ………..……….….….. 3
Key Activist Groups in Climate Change ………….. 5
Greenpeace International ………..………………… 9
European Climate Foundation …….……………. 10
WWF ……………………………………….………………….. 11
Significant Movements ……………….………….……… 13
Literature Review ……………………………………………………. 15
What Sections Should Be Included in a Table of Contents? [Original source: https://studycrumb.com/dissertation-table-of-contents]
