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Graduate College Formatting Guide Information on how to meet the Graduate College thesis and dissertation formatting requirements as outlined in the Thesis &

Dissertation Manual.

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Headings, Subheadings, and Table of Contents (Microsoft Word)

Headings, Subheadings,

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and Table of Contents (Google Docs)

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Setting the Normal Style

Set the "Normal" Style of Font

Before we can set up headings, we'll need to define the format of the

text that isn't a heading. The "styles" in word set some default

formatting for text. Setting up the "Normal" style will create a default

font setting to keep the text uniform throughout the document. The

Styles pane is located under the HOME tab.

Right click on the "Normal" style to open the Modify option.

This will open a Modify Style Dialog Box. Start by changing the

Paragraph formatting. This is located by selecting the Format drop

down in the bottom left of the Dialog Box.

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There are two things that should be set under the Paragraph settings.

Under the INDENTS AND SPACING tab, check to turn on "Don't add

space between paragraphs of the same style." Under the LINE AND

PAGE BREAKS tab, check to turn on the "Widow/Orphan Control."

Once both of those have been set and you click "okay," you'll be

returned to the Modify Style Dialog Box. Now we can set the font

formatting. Select the font you wish to use throughout the document,

change the font size to 12 point, ensure the line spacing is double

spaced, and select the option to remove space between paragraphs

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(this is indicated by two lines pointing towards each other).

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Adding Headings & Subheadings

Inserting Headings and Subheadings

Using the same technique we can create a standard for the various

types of headings and subheadings used across the thesis. The Thesis

& Dissertation Manual generally follows APA style for heading levels. In

order to keep headings consistently correct and link the Table of

Contents, the Styles function in Word is used. This is going to show

you some examples of the formatting required for the headings and

how to use the various heading levels. We'll also see how to use styles

and update your Table of Contents.

Modifying Heading Levels to Match Required Formatting

Level 1 Headings

Chapters will be linked to Heading Level 1. If you choose not to have

chapters, you will use level 1 for your major headings (typically:

Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, etc.). They should be typed in

title case, center aligned, and bold. The number of the chapter can be

in Arabic or Roman numerals or spelled out so long as it is consistently

done throughout the document. The heading should be on one line, so

if you are using chapters, it should look something like this:

Chapter 1: Introduction

Once you have formatted a chapter heading, select the text of the

chapter heading then right click on Heading 1 in the Styles pane and

select "Update Heading 1 to Match Selection."

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Adding More Level 1 Headings

Once you have formatted the first heading and updated the style, you

simply need to type the new level 1 heading in title case and then, with

your cursor in line with the heading, click on the heading 1 button in the

styles pane to format it and link it for your table of contents. Make sure

to use this feature every time to ensure all headings are properly linked

to your table of contents.

Level 2 Headings

Subsections of your major headings should be the next level down.

Level 2 headings will be left aligned, bold, and title case. They should

look like this:

Level 2 Heading

Once you have formatted a level 2 heading, select the text of the

heading then right click on Heading 2 in the Styles pane and select

"Update Heading 2 to Match Selection."

Adding More Level 2 Headings

Once you have formatted the first heading and updated the style, you

simply need to type the new level 2 heading in title case and then, with

your cursor in line with the heading, click on the heading 2 button in the

styles pane to format it and link it for your table of contents. Make sure

to use this feature every time to ensure all headings are properly linked

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to your table of contents.

Level 3 Headings

If you wish to further subsection your paper, you will use level 3

headings. Level 3 headings will be bold italic, left aligned, and title

case. They should look like this:

Level Three Heading

Once you have formatted a level 3 heading, select the text of the

heading then right click on Heading 3 in the Styles pane and select

"Update Heading 3 to Match Selection."

Adding More Level 3 Headings

Once you have formatted the first heading and updated the style, you

simply need to type the new level 3 heading in title case and then, with

your cursor in line with the heading, click on the heading 3 button in the

styles pane to format it and link it for your table of contents. Make sure

to use this feature every time to ensure all headings are properly linked

to your table of contents.

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Level 4 & 5 Headings (and beyond)

It is common to find the first 3 heading levels in papers that are as long

as a thesis or dissertation. Occasionally, you may find the need to go

beyond those levels. It is important to note that for the thesis and

dissertation, only the first 3 headings should be included in the table of

contents. It is also recommended that you only use the styles function

for the first 3 headings because they stand alone on their own line of

text. The next heading levels will begin on the same line as the

paragraph that starts that section which means that the style function

will not work properly. If you were to link the heading, the entire

paragraph will appear in your table of contents.

This means that you will need to, carefully, ensure you are formatting

the headings manually. Each level should be consistently formatted the

same way. APA has standards for levels 4 & 5 which are described

here. For heading levels beyond level 5, you should pick a consistent

formatting that clearly indicates they are a subsection of the level 5

heading. It is also recommended that you carefully evaluate if this level

of heading is truly necessary for your writing.

Level 4 Heading

Level 4 headings will begin on the same line of the paragraph that

makes up the section. It will be indented 0.5", much like a normal

paragraph indent. The heading will be in title case and bold font with a

period at the end of the heading:

Level Four Heading Here. Start the first sentence of the

paragraph that follows the heading on the same line and continue

typing. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Nunc at pellentesque massa. Sed nec urna nec est efficitur

iaculis. Etiam efficitur velit id dignissim eleifend. Duis euismod,

nisi sed cursus sodales, sem nisi porttitor ante, eu dignissim justo

tortor nec mauris.

Level 5 Heading

Level 5 headings will begin on the same line of the paragraph that

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makes up the section. It will be indented 0.5", much like a normal

paragraph indent. The heading will be in title case and bold italic font

with a period at the end of the heading:

Level Five Heading Here. Start the first sentence of the

paragraph that follows the heading on the same line and continue

typing. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Nunc at pellentesque massa. Sed nec urna nec est efficitur

iaculis. Etiam efficitur velit id dignissim eleifend. Duis euismod,

nisi sed cursus sodales, sem nisi porttitor ante, eu dignissim justo

tortor nec mauris.

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Once you have added headings and used the styles feature, you will

be able to use the word function to "generate" a table of contents. You

will need to type "Table of Contents" in bold font, centered at the top of

the page you will be inserting your table of contents onto. Then, place

your cursor on the next line

From the References tab, click on Table of Contents and select Custom

Table of Contents...

From the pop up window, you will want to change the tab leaders to

(none) rather than the default. The rest of the default settings will be

fine, so click ok once you've done so.

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This will populate your table of contents.

From here, you will need to open the style pane to modify some of the

formatting of the table of contents.

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You will need to locate TOC 1 and click on it, and select "modify" from

the drop down list.

TOC 1 style should be bold. If you've properly set up your "normal

style" of font (see above), this should be the only modification to your

TOC styles that you need to make. If the text is not properly set up and

you need to further format it, you can do so from this window.

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Last Updated: Feb 9, 2024 9:42 AM URL: https://guides.lib.uni.edu/grad-college-format  Print Page Login to LibApps Report a problem

If set up correctly, your table of contents should look like the image

below.

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