A list of tables and figures by chapter is required at the beginning of theses, internship reports…
It is a more advanced version of an automatic table of contents.
Here is the difference between a table of contents and a list of tables (or figures):
- Table of contents: based on heading titles and their page numbers.
- List of tables (or figures): based on the Heading number and automatic caption numbering.
For example, the 3rd picture in chapter 1 gets the caption “Picture 1.3 picture name”.
Word then takes the page number of each caption to build the list of tables (or figures).
With the picture above, you probably have a good idea of what a list of tables in a thesis looks like, right?
Now let’s get started.
Prepare before creating the list
Before creating the list, you need to prepare 2 things: the caption format and a Multilevel List for Heading 1.
Format the captions
The goal is to make your captions look the way you want without reformatting them every time you insert one. If you don’t care about the looks, feel free to skip this part.
Press Alt + Ctrl + Shift + S to open the Styles pane. Then make the Caption style visible by following the steps in the picture below.
Note: If you want these settings to apply to new documents as well, select New documents based on this template before clicking OK in each step.
Once Caption appears in the Styles pane, click the drop-down arrow next to it, select Modify, and format it however you like.
Create Multilevel List for Heading 1
You need to link a Multilevel List to the Heading used for your chapters. Only then will the list be numbered by chapter. Usually, Heading 1 is used for chapters.
On the Home tab, click the Multilevel List icon and select Define New Multilevel List.
Click the More button in the lower-left corner to show all settings, then set everything up as shown below.
Note: My chapter titles are in uppercase, so I write “CHAPTER”. If yours are not, write “Chapter”.
Now when you apply Heading 1 to your chapter titles, Word automatically numbers the chapters according to the Multilevel List.
Place the cursor in the chapter title line, then click Heading 1 in Styles.
Create a list of figures
This is also called a table of figures. For example, I have a picture in section 1.1.1 of chapter 1. To add a caption, right-click the picture and select Insert Caption.
In the Caption window, click New Label, type “Picture”, and click OK.
Set Label to “Picture” (or whatever name you just created), then click Numbering and set it up like I did here.
Click OK, and a caption will appear under the picture. Type the picture’s name in the caption.
Create a list of tables and charts
Do the same, but name the New Label “Chart”.
Finally, type the chart’s name. Don’t forget to credit the source.
After inserting captions for all your tables and pictures, it’s time to generate the list. Place the cursor where you want the list to appear, then on the References tab, select Insert Table of Figures as shown.
Set Caption label to “Chart” or “Picture”, the labels you created earlier, and click OK.
And here is the result, neat and tidy.
Conclusion
A list of tables and figures by chapter makes the beginning of your thesis or internship report look more professional, and it helps readers find exactly what they need. If you haven’t created a multi-level table of contents yet, check out my previous article.
If anything is unclear, or you know a more convenient way, please share it in the comments below!
