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. Our expert dissertation writing service prepared a great template that can be used for your work. Make your research formatting easy with ready solutions! 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? To start with, the scientific table of contents should include all chapters and its subheading. It is important to choose the formatting that will give your readers a full overview of your work from the very beginning. However, there are other chapters that you may miss constructing the 2-pager table. So, let's look at all you need to include: All chapters. They are often subdivided into second- and third-level headings. Each case is different, and you must choose the best option based on your work. Dissertation introduction Literature review Research methodology Results section Dissertation discussion Conclusion of a thesis Reference list. Mention a number of a page where you start listing your sources. Appendices. For instance, if you have a data set, table or figure, include it in your research appendix. This is how the ideal structured dissertation or research paper table of contents will look like. Remember that it still should take 2 pages. You need to choose the best formatting style to manage its length. Tables, Figures, and Appendices in TOC While creating a table of contents in a research paper, thesis or dissertation, you will need to include appendices in each case you have them. However, the formatting and adding tables and figures can vary based on the number and citation style. If you have more than 3 tables or figures, you may decide to have all of them at the end of your project. So, add them to the table of contents. Figures, graphics, and diagrams in research papers, dissertations and theses should be numbered. If you use them from another source, ensure that you make a proper citation based on the chosen style guide. Appendix in Table of Contents Example Appendix A. Row Data Set…………………………………… 41 Appendix B. IBR Data………………………………………….… 43 Appendix C. SPSS Data………………………………………… 44 What Shouldn't Be Included in a Table of Contents? When creating a dissertation table of contents, students want to include everything they have in a document. However, some components should not be on this page. Here is what we are talking about: Thesis acknowledgement Paper abstract The content list itself Acknowledgement and abstract should be located before the content list, so there is no need to add them. You need to present a clear structure that will help your readers to navigate through the work and quickly find any requested information.