OmniDocGraduation thesis table of contents first or abstract first: the order of the prefix
Should the thesis table of contents come first or the abstract? This article explains the common order of cover, statement, Chinese and English abstracts and table of contents, explains the location of the signature page that fresh graduates need to pay attention to, and gives the steps to set separate page numbers in the front part in Word.
Key points of this article
- The common order of most master's thesis is cover, statement, Chinese abstract, English abstract, table of contents, and the main text starts with a new section starting from page 1.
- The specific order shall be based on the template of the school's graduate school. If the template does not specify it, please follow the common order.
- The preface is usually page numbered with Roman numerals, and the main text is page numbered with Arabic numerals starting from 1. Both need to be divided into sections.
- In Word, use the "next page" section break to divide each part, then cancel "Link to previous section", and set the page number format and starting page number respectively.
- If the English abstract is generated using a translation tool, a tutor or professional should check the terminology before submission.
Many freshly graduated master's students discovered during the finalization stage that they had not thought clearly about the cover, abstract, and table of contents of the paper: the table of contents page numbers did not match, the abstract page had text numbers mixed into it, and the paper was returned for revision during the school's format review. Whether the thesis table of contents or abstract comes first may seem like a small issue, but it directly affects typesetting and submission.
This article is written for master's students who are sorting out the format of their thesis, especially fresh graduates who are submitting their dissertation as required by the school for the first time. After reading, you will know what the preface generally includes, what is the common order, why the abstract is usually placed before the table of contents, and how to use different page numbers for the preface and the main text in Word.
Graduation thesis table of contents or abstract first? One sentence conclusion
The common order of most master's thesis is: cover, statement and authorization statement, Chinese abstract, English abstract first, table of contents last, and the main text starts in a new section starting from page 1; the specific template is still subject to the template released by the school's graduate school.
| your situation | Recommended practices | reason |
|---|---|---|
| The school provides an official template | Type layout directly according to the order of the template without changing it yourself. | Format review and binding are based on the template |
| The template only specifies the content, not the order. | Cover, statement, Chinese abstract, English abstract, table of contents | Readers first judge the content of the paper through the abstract, and then use the table of contents to find chapters. |
| Fresh graduates are required to sign a declaration and authorization letter | Place it after the cover and before the abstract. After signing, submit it according to the school's requirements. | The statement is an integral part of the thesis, and it may be returned if it is missing or in the wrong position. |
| The paper contains a list of figures or descriptions of symbols | put after directory | They are a supplementary index after the table of contents and are not part of the abstract |
| The front part has multiple pages | The cover is not numbered, the abstract and table of contents are numbered consecutively with Roman numerals | The preface part and the main text must be counted separately, and the main text can start from 1. |
What does the preamble include?
The front part (also called the front page) is all the pages before the main text. Common types of master's theses include the following:
- Cover: Indicate the title of the paper, author, subject major, supervisor, training unit and date, etc. Page numbers are usually not displayed.
- Declaration and Authorization Statement: Includes statement of originality and authorization statement for thesis use. This is the part that fresh graduates tend to miss. The signature and date must be filled in according to the school's requirements, and the location is usually right next to the cover.
- Chinese Abstract: Summarize the research questions, methods, main conclusions and keywords.
- English abstract: Corresponding to the Chinese abstract content, English keywords are usually placed here.
- Table of Contents: List the titles and page numbers of each chapter and appendix.
- Chart list, symbol description (optional): Required when the paper involves many charts or professional symbols.
It should be noted that references, appendices and acknowledgments belong to the rear part of the paper and are not included in the front part. Mixing them with the preamble is the reason why many people make mistakes in sectioning when typesetting.
Why the abstract is usually placed before the table of contents
The order in which readers read a dissertation is usually: first look at the cover to confirm identity, then read the abstract to determine the research content, and finally find the chapters of interest through the table of contents. The abstract follows the statement, consistent with this reading path. The table of contents is placed after the abstract, and the abstract page can also be included in the table of contents entries, so that the page number relationship is more natural.
Some schools also put the table of contents before the abstract. This situation does not mean which one is more correct, only that the templates are different. There is no need to worry about the order when writing, just follow the school template.
Common misunderstandings and areas of confusion
- Misunderstanding 1: Arabic numerals are used in both the prefix and the main text. It is common practice to prefix the text with Roman numerals (such as I, II, III) and start the text with the Arabic numeral 1. The two sets of numbers are separated so that the page numbers in the table of contents can be easily checked.
- Misunderstanding 2: The page numbers of the full text only need to be continuous. If it is not divided into sections, the preceding part will occupy the page number of the main text, and page 1 of the main text will become page 5 or 6. The school requires that when the text starts from 1, it must be set in sections.
- Misunderstanding 3: The English abstract can be placed at the end of the paper. English abstracts generally follow Chinese abstracts. Placing them after references or appendices usually does not meet the requirements, unless there are special provisions in the school template.
📊 Core comparison
Below, two common arrangements are compared together to facilitate your comparison with the school’s template.
| arrangement | order | Common situations | need attention |
|---|---|---|---|
| abstract first | Cover, statement, Chinese and English abstract, table of contents, main text | It is more common. Many school templates adopt this arrangement. | The table of contents page numbers must include the abstract page, and the page numbers must be updated uniformly. |
| directory first | Cover, statement, table of contents, Chinese and English abstract, main text | Adopted by some schools or disciplines | Readers have to flip through the table of contents before seeing the abstract. Pay attention when checking the location of the abstract. |
No matter which arrangement is used, the prefix is consistent with the fact that the main text is divided into sections and page numbers are counted separately.
Use Word to set separate page numbers for the front part
If your paper is a Word document, you can follow the steps below to set it up. The operation details are slightly different depending on the Word version, but the idea is the same.
- Determine the location of the sections. Arrange the content in school order. Insert "next page" section breaks between the cover and the statement, between the statement and the Chinese abstract, and between the English abstract and the table of contents to separate the preface and the main text. Section breaks are generally found in the Separator command in the top ribbon of Word. Just select the next page type section break.
- Enter footer editing. Double-click the footer area of any page to enter the header and footer editing state.
- Disconnect from the previous section. Switch to the section where the summary is located and cancel "Link to previous section" so that changing the page number of this section will not affect other sections.
- Set the page number format of the front part. For the abstract and table of contents sections, select Roman numerals as the page number format, and set the starting page number to I.
- Set the page number format of the text. Switch to the first section of the text, also cancel the link, change the page number format to Arabic numerals, and set the starting page number to 1.
- Process the cover. Cover pages usually do not require page numbers. You can make the cover a separate section and delete the page number of this section, or check the first page in the header and footer to ensure that the cover does not display a number.
- Check page by page. Look at the page numbers in each section to make sure the switching positions between Roman numerals and Arabic numerals are correct, and the page numbers listed in the table of contents are consistent with the actual page numbers.
If the paper is a Word file processed with OmniDoc, you can also upload the English abstract to omnidoc.top for translation, select only the translation, download the result, and then return to Word to replace the original text. If you need to edit Word-compatible documents directly on the web page, you can use app.unidoc.top. No matter which tool is used, the professional terms and sentence patterns in the English abstract must be checked by a tutor or someone familiar with the field. Machine translation cannot replace this step.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Where should the declaration page of freshly graduated master’s students be placed?
Most school templates place the declaration and authorization statement after the cover page and before the Chinese abstract. The signature and date must be filled in according to the school's requirements. The position and format should be based on the template issued by the school. Do not adjust to other positions by yourself.
2. Should the abstract and table of contents be included in page numbers?
To be included, but numbered separately using Roman numerals. The page numbers of the preamble are separate from the main text, which starts with Arabic numeral 1, and the page numbers of the main text sections listed in the table of contents are also based on this.
3. The layout order of the school template and mine are different, what should I do?
The school template shall prevail. If there are discrepancies between the template and the conventions, you can consult with the college or graduate academic affairs office and write down the questions and results for easy explanation in subsequent reviews.
4. Can English abstracts be generated directly using translation tools?
It can be used as a first draft, but cannot be submitted directly. The translation results may have problems such as inaccurate terminology and unclear sentences, especially the expression of professional terms and research methods. Ask a mentor or someone familiar with the field to check it sentence by sentence before submitting.
📝 Summary
The answer to whether the graduation thesis is the table of contents or the abstract first is based on the school template; the common order for most master's thesis is cover, statement, Chinese and English abstracts first, and the table of contents last. When typesetting, use Word's section and page number settings to use Roman numerals in the front part and start the text from 1, and then check page by page against the template to avoid formatting rework.
