How to write a thesis in word 2007
This document was written by Ramy Fishler from the technion- Israel
institute of Technology. It is destined for graduate students (especially from the
techion) who want to write their thesis using Word 2007. This is NOT a guide for
what the thesis should include, but only technical advice about how to use word for
writing a thesis.
Detailed instructions on what the thesis should include are
published on the graduate web site.
Please
send
any
comments
questions
corrections
and
suggestions
to
Thesis.word7@gmail.com
Quick start:
The easiest way to start writing your thesis is to save the document that you
are reading right now with a new name and to erase all the pages that come before
the one with the words "Thesis Title". This will leave you with a template for the
thesis (DON’T copy and paste the template to a new document since you need your
document to contain the defaults of this document). Now, simply change the title,
name etc. and add your text in the different chapters. Add or remove chapters as you
like.
Here are the few most important things you should know when you write.
All other additional options are described in The following pages.
1. If you don't wish to use the suggested template it is still very
important to use this document for setting the right defaults (after
saving it with a new name and erasing the text) there are some bugs
in the version of Word distributed in Israel that cannot be solved
otherwise (like the table of contents created with the wrong
alignment!). If you've already written a part of your thesis then copy
and paste it to this document. It is not as much work as you think.
2. To create a heading press the correct Heading Style (Chapter, Section,
Subsection, Subsubsection or Appendix) On the Home tab, in the Styles
group. and write the text of the heading.
3. The table of contents is created automatically according to the headings
that you create. To update the table of contents right click on it and press
"update field".
4. Press Tab in the beginning of each paragraph.
5. After a period, at the end of a sentence, press the Space Bar TWICE!!
6. In the end of each chapter, create a page break by pressing the "page
brake" button on the left side of the "insert" tab. The new chapter will
then start at the following page.
7. When you enter figures or tables create the text below them by the option
"Insert Caption" in the "References" Tab. The lists of figures and tables
are created automatically according to the text of these captions. (see
section 2.2).
8. To enter numbered equations use MathType. It is not recommended to
use word's equation editor. (see section 2.2.3).
9. To enter citations it is recommended to use the program "end note" or the
online version available to all technion students called "EndNote Web"
Table of contents
1
Setting the defaults ............................................................................................. 1
1.1
Changing the appearance of the text by modifying the Normal style .......... 1
1.1.1
1.2
Changing the font and font size. .......................................................... 1
2
Setting the Headings format ......................................................................... 4
While you write .................................................................................................. 5
2.1
Important rules for writing ........................................................................... 5
2.2
Inserting numbered items ............................................................................. 6
2.2.1
Inserting a figure .................................................................................. 6
2.2.2
Inserting a table .................................................................................... 9
2.2.3
Inserting an equation ............................................................................ 9
3
Adding a table of contents ............................................................................... 12
4
Adding a table of figures ................................................................................. 13
5
Adding page numbers ...................................................................................... 13
6
Adding references............................................................................................. 15
Appendix I An appendix about how to add an appendix. ....................... 16
Appendix II Troubleshooting .................................................................. 17
7
Thesis template ....................................................................................................I
8
Introduction ........................................................................................................ 3
8.1
First Section ................................................................................................. 3
8.1.1
Subsection ............................................................................................ 3
8.1.2
Subsection ............................................................................................ 3
8.1.2.1
8.2
9
Subsubsection ................................................................................. 3
Second Section ............................................................................................. 3
8.2.1
Subsection ............................................................................................ 3
8.2.2
Subsection ............................................................................................ 3
research objectives ............................................................................................. 4
1 Setting the defaults
To set the right defaults in Word 2007 save this document (the document that
you are reading right now) with a new name and delete the text. It is highly
recommended to set the defaults in this manner since this solves some bugs in the
Hebrew version of Word like the table of contents created with the wrong alignment.
The defaults would then be exactly identical to this document. You can also use the
end of this document as a template. If you wish to do so, save this document with a
new name and delete all the pages before the one with the words "Thesis tile". If you
want to change the style of the headings or text follow the instructions bellow.
1.1 Changing the appearance of the text by modifying the Normal
style
The Normal Style is automatically used when you press enter after creating a
heading. So, in order to change the font or line spacing in your text you have to
change the normal style.
1.1.1
Changing the font and font size.
First put the curser somewhere in the body text (not on a heading). Now, on
the Home tab, in the Styles group, right click the Normal style, and choose "Modify".
(If you don’t see the "Normal" style expand the quick style gallery by pressing
.
If it's still not there, press the little arrow on the right bottom side of the Styles group,
a Styles window appears below, right click the "Normal" style and click "Add to
quick style gallery").
1
Open the "Format" button at the left bottom corner in the Modify Style window and
pick "Font". Set the desired font options in the "Latin text" section.
2
1.1.2
Changing line spacing and other paragraph options
Same as for changing the font, place the curser on the body text, go to the
"Home" tab, and in the "Styles" group right click the "Normal" style, choose
"Modify", and open the "format" option. Now pick "Paragraph" and Set the desired
paragraph options such as line spacing, and press O.K twice. It is recommended to
leave zeros in "indentation" "spacing before" and "spacing after". The line spacing
should be 1.5 lines according to the Technion standards.
3
1.2 Changing the appearance of the Headings
Same as for changing the appearance of the text, go to the "Home" tab, and in
the "Styles" group right click the "Chapter", "section", "subsection", "subsubsection"
or "Appendix" style. To change the font, open the "Format" button and pick "Font"
change the font and font size in the "Latin text" section. Press O.K twice.
Note that when the "automatically update" option is picked in the Modify
Style window, you can modify the style by highlighting the words of a heading in the
text, and changing its appearance.
Otherwise, changing the appearance of one
heading does not affect the rest of the headings and the style should be changed as
described in section 1.1
4
2 While you write
2.1 Important rules for writing
2.1.1
Headings
Create the headings by pressing the correct Heading Style in the "Styles"
group on the "Home" tab and writing the heading. (you can also write first the
heading and then press the Heading Style).
For example, press the "Chapter
Heading" and write the name of your first chapter (usually "Introduction") in the
same way, create the sections, subsections, subsubsections and appendices by
pressing the corresponding style buttons.
2.1.2
Tabs
In the beginning of each paragraph, press the Tab button. It is also possible
to define an indentation before text by right clicking the Normal Style then
Modify=>Format=>paragraph. However, this would mean that if you insert a table
or a figure or equation you have to do so without pressing Enter, otherwise when you
continue the paragraph Word will assume that you started a new paragraph.
I
recommend simply using the tab in the beginning of each paragraph.
Important! Word sometimes changes the indentation of the paragraph
automatically when you press tab. In this case a small icon appears next to the
paragraph. Press the icon and choose "change back to tab", then press the icon again
and choose "stop setting indents on Tab and backspace"
2.1.3
Page brakes and section brakes.
In the end of each chapter, create a page break by pressing the "page brake"
button on the left side of the "insert" tab. The new chapter will then start at the
following page.
5
To add a section break Open the "Page Layout" tab and in the "Page Setup"
section choose
("insert page and section Breaks") and under "Section breaks"
pick "Next page". Text that comes after this section break will appear in the next
page. You only need section breaks to separate regions with different headers or the
numbering. Don't use it at the end of chapters.
2.1.4
Double space after periods
After a period, at the end of a sentence, press the Space Bar TWICE!! This is
how you are supposed to write! Of course, this nasty rule is impossible to get used
to.
So- there's a trick to help you remember: press office button=> word
options=>proofing. In the third section change the writing style to "grammar and
style" and press the "settings…" button. Change the "spaces required between
sentences" to two. Now each time you forget to press the Space Bar twice, a green
line will appear.
2.2 Inserting numbered items
Word allows you to number figures and tables using Captions. This allows
you to refer to them using a cross-reference – a number that changes when the
number of the figure or table changes. If you changed the normal style from what
used in this document, change the Caption style to match the settings of the Normal
style but with bold font.
2.2.1
Inserting a figure
2.2.1.1 Pasting the figure
To insert a figure, put the curser after the text that comes before the figure
press Enter, and paste your figure. For example:
6
Figure 2.1 a crazy professor is explaining how a relativistic yoyo works.
Bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla
bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla
bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla
Important! It is not recommended to insert Excel graphs as Excel items since this
causes much trouble, especially if you are tempted to change their appearance. (the
program can get stuck) Instead, pick
on the left side of the "Home" tab and
then "paste special". Choose one of the options for picture files ("enhanced metafile"
usually gives best results). If you have several graphs that should appear in one
figure select them all together in excel, and paste them as a picture.
2.2.1.2 Adding a number and text to the figure
To insert the number of the figure and accompanying text below the figure,
select the figure (or put the curser below it), then press the "References" tab. In the
"Captions" group pick "Insert Caption" choose the label: Figure (if there isn't one
press "new label" write "Figure" and press O.K). Make sure that the box "exclude
label from caption" is NOT checked. Press the "numbering" button and change it as
follows:
7
Press OK twice. Add the title of the figure after the number.
Usually you'll want to add text to the figure after the title of the figure ("bla
bla bla" in the picture above). But you only want the title of the figure to appear in
the list of figures. Unfortunately Word will put in the table of figures all the text that
appears after the caption. I recommend the following: press Enter after the title of
the figure, and write the text that explains the figure. Then, right click on the title of
the figure and choose "Paragraph", change the "Spacing" - "After" to zero and press
O.K. Now Highlight the explanatory text, right click it, choose "Paragraph" and
change the line spacing to "Single". This way, it will appear as a part of the figure
and not as a part of the body text.
2.2.1.3 Referring to a figure
To refer to the figure in the text, put the curser in the place where you want
the cross-reference to appear, press the References tab, and in the Captions section
pick the "cross reference" option. Then, in the "reference type" box choose "Figure"
and and in the "Insert reference to" box choose "only label and number", select the
desired figure in the "for which caption" box and press "Insert". The number and
label will appear. For example: Figure 2.1. Note that the word "Figure" will appear
with the number.
After you make changes you can update the numbering by selecting a part of
the text, right clicking on it, and choosing "Update Field".
8
This method is not perfect since the word "Figure" should appear with a
capital letter under the figure and without a capital letter in the reference when its not
in the beginning of a sentence. You can't make a reference with only a number. So
it seems that the easiest solution is to write the word "Figure" with a capital letter,
and change the words in the text that should appear without a capital letter when your
thesis is done.
2.2.2
Inserting a table
Inserting a table is done the same way as inserting a figure (see above) but
with picking the "Table" label when inserting a caption or a reference.
Table 2.1 An example for a table
2.2.3
Inserting an equation
Don't enter an equation number with a caption! If you do so, then when you
refer to the number the equation itself will always appear before the number! You
can delete it, but it will appear again when you update the numbering. Instead, I
recommend using MathType to write the equations, number them, end insert crossreferences to equation numbers.
If you have MathType 6, a tab of MathType appears. If you use mathtype 5
follow these instructions in order to use it in word 2007.
1. Open
C:\Program Files\MathType\Office Support\
and copy the file
MathType Commands 5 for Word.dot to the desktop
2. Open C:\Program Files\MathType\MathPage\ and copy the file
MathPage.word.addin.8 to the desktop
3. Open C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\Startup and drag the two
files from the desktop to this folder
4. Open a Word document, the MathType menu appears in the Add-Ins
5. Enable the macros by choosing => word options=>trust center=>trust center
settings=> enable all macros.
9
The following instructions are for MathType 5 users but should be very
similar for MathType 6 and later versions. Go to the Add-Ins tab and open the
MathType Menu in the Menu Commands section. Choose "format equation
numbers" and select as follows:
In this manner, the equation numbers you add contain the number of the chapter and
the number of the equation. (If you don’t care about the number of the chapter
appearing in the equation number simply don’t check the "chapter number" option.
And ignore the next paragraph)
go to the first chapter heading, put the curser one line below the heading and
press
(it is important not to do this in the line of the heading itself, otherwise
the invisible text will be added to the table of contents). In the resulting window
select "new chapter" and write 1 next to the words "chapter number" you don't need
10
to change the section. Each time you add a new chapter (using the "heading 1"
button) put the curser one line below it, press the
button and select "new
chapter" and "next chapter number"
To add an equation press the
button write your equation in the MathType
window and close the window. This will add a centred equation with a right aligned
number like so:
x
y
To refresh the numbering press
"as written in equation (1.1)" press
(1.1)
. To refer to an equation number for examplethen double click on the desired equation.
11
3 Adding lists of contents/figures/tables and page numbers
If you used the end of this document as a template, you don't have to read
this chapter, since you already have page numbers, a table of contents, and lists of
figures and tables. Simply update them as you write. However, if you want to create
them yourself or edit them, here is how to do it.
3.1 Adding a table of contents
To add a table of contents just go to references and press the "table of
contents" button on the left side. Press "insert table of contents" in resulting window.
(don’t pick the "automatic table 1,2 or 3" options, or an annoying number will uppear
next to the title of the table) Change the "show levels" box to 5 in order to include
the appendices too.
Note that many frustrating errors occur while using the normal defaults of
word in Israel. I don't know how to set them correctly but using this document to set
the defaults as I explained in the beginning can help overcoming these problems. To
change the appearance of the table, select a whole line, and change the font or font
size from the "Font" group in the "Home" tab. This will change all the entries of the
same type in the table of contents. To change other features of the text in the table of
contents you can edit the TOC 1 - TOC 5 styles.
If your table of contents fits in one page you can simply write the words
"table of contents" above the table and change its appearance as you like.
If your table of contents is longer than one page, the words "table of contents"
should appear in the beginning of each page. This can be done by creating the title
as a header (this is header not "heading"). Separate the table of contents from the
rest of the document by inserting section breaks before and after the table: Put the
curser after the table. Open the "Page Layout" tab and in the "Page Setup" section
choose
("insert page and section Breaks") and under "Section breaks" pick
12
"Next page". Text that comes after this section break will appear in the next page.
Repeat this procedure with the page that comes before the table of contents. (you can
see the section breaks by pressing
triangle beside it).
in the "Home" tab. (this is the icon without a
Now, double click at the top of the page or pick
Insert=>Header=>Edit header. Make sure that the
button ("link to previous") in
the "Navigation" group on the "Design" tab is not pressed when you click inside the
header in the page of the table of contents and in the page that comes after the table
of contents (otherwise you'll get the words "table of contents" on all your document).
Now you can write the words "table of contents" in the header of one of the pages of
your table of contents (Note that all the pages in the same section get the same
header).
3.2 Adding a list of figures/tables
To add a list of figures or tables go to the Reference tab and in the Captions
section press "insert Table of Figures". In the resulting window choose "Figure" or
"Table" in the "caption label" box.
If you wrote the title of the table of contents
using a header, do the same here. Don't forget to separate the list of figures/tables
from the rest of the text with a section break, and to check that the section of the list
and the next section are not "linked to previous".
3.3 Adding page numbers
Page numbering should start at the page of the abstract. If you have page
numbers in your document but they don't start at the right page, double click on them
and erase them. Make sure there is a section break before the abstract. To add one
open the "Page Layout" tab and in the "Page Setup" group pick
("insert page
and section breaks"), and under "Section breaks" pick "Next page". Then make sure
that when you double click at the bottom of the page of the abstract (or click
Insert=>footer=>edit footer) the
(link to previous) button on the design tab in the
13
navigation group is NOT pressed. On the "Insert" tab in the "Header & Footer"
group press "page number"=> "bottom of page" and select the second option with
numbers at the middle. Now press "page number"=>"format page numbers" and
select "start at" - 1.
14
4 Adding references
To add references I recommend the program "End Note" if you don’t have it.
Ask your supervisor to buy it. If you use the Technion network you can use the
online version of EndNote called "EndNote Web".
However it is much less
convenient than the program itself.
If you have EndNote on your computer citing is very easy: in the site where
you found the article look for "download to citation manager" of "export citation"
this will add the reference to End note. Then, select the citation in EndNote and in
the EndNote tab in word select insert citation=>insert selected items.
With EndNote Web it’s a bit more complicated: first open an account on
www.myendnoteweb.com. In Options=>Download Installers, download the correct
Installer. Export a citation from the site where you found the article and save it to
your computer. In EndNote Web website choose Collect=>import references. Then
choose the right file and import it. Finally in the new "EndNote Web" tab in
windows select "Find Citations and search for the citation that you need.
15
Appendix I
An appendix about how to add an appendix.
If you used this document as a template than to add an appendix all you have
to do is write the title and press the Appendix style. If this style doesn't appear in the
table of contents press References=>Table of contents=>Insert table of contents and
change the "Show levels" to 5.
To create an appendix style from scratch: write something. Press any heading
style (like chapter or section) then rightclick the number next to what you wrote,
choose "numbering" and then "change list level" pick the level which is one after the
last that you use for sections (if you use subsubsections pick the 5th level for the
appendix). Now click the number next to what you wrote and click
in the
paragraph tab. Choose "define new multilevel list". In the "enter formatting for
number" box write "Appendix" and change the "number style for this level" box to
the style that you want (usually roman numbers).
appearance of this style as explained before.
16
Now simply change the
Appendix II
Troubleshooting
Problem

Solution
OH NO! All my thesis is suddenly full Don’t panic!
Press Alt+F9. Magic…
with gibberish like this:
My Table of contents shows weird text that If the section breaks of MathType
doesn't belong there
appear in the same line as the
heading they are included in the
table of contents. Press
(this
is the big button on the right, not
the little one with the triangle next
to it that turns to right-to-left
writing). Now you can see the
Hidden text that MathType added.
Cut and paste it to either one line
above or under the heading.
When I enter a cross-reference the text of all the After
caption appears
pressing
the
"cross
reference" button be sure to select
in the "insert reference to" box the
option "only lable and number"
anyway the word "figure" or
"table" will always appear in the
cross-reference.
My table of contents doesn't include the press
appendix
References=>Table
of
contents=>Insert table of contents
and change the "Show levels" to 5.
Press "Yes" in the pop up window
to allow replacing the table of
17
contents.
I pressed Tab and word changed my paragraph a small icon appears next to the
to include indents.
paragraph.
Press the icon and
choose "change back to tab" then
press it again and choose "stop
setting
indents
on
Tab
and
backspace"
I pressed Tab and word changed my paragraph Don’t panic! choose Office button
to include indents. AND THERE IS NO => Word options => proofing =>
LITTLE ICON WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU autocorrect options. And in the
TALKING ABOUT?!
"autoformat as you tipe" tab erase
the V in the box next to "set leftand first- indent with tabs and
backspaces". press O.K twice.
Now
click
anywhere
in
the
paragraph and pick the Normal
Style in the Styles tab. You can
now create an indent using a tab
and
the
indentation
of
the
paragraph will stay zero.
My table of contents appears aligned to the The only solution I know is to
right. And when I highlight it and change the save the document that you are
direction of the document, it is aligned to the reading right now with a new
left but the numbers are not aligned to the right.
name, delete the text, and cut and
paste your whole thesis to this
document. You'll have to make
some adjustments after doing so,
but its not as much work as you
think it is.
The words "table of contents" appear in all my Make sure there is a section break
18
thesis
before and after the table. And that
all the sections are not "linked to
previous".
Then
delete
unwanted text in the headers.
19
the
5 Thesis template
Thesis Title
Your Name (First name, Family
name)
Thesis Title
Research Thesis
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Master of Science in (the name of the department for exapmlephysics)
Or
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the
Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (without department name)
Your Name (First name, Family name)
Submitted to the Senate of
the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
Hebrew month 5770, Haifa, Month 2010
(Hebrew tanscript of the months: Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shebat, Adar,
(aleph, bet), Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, Elul)
The research thesis was done under the supervision of ….. in the
department of ….
Thanks to supervisers and anyone else come here, but only in
the version submitted to the library after the exam. NOT in the
version submitted to the senate.
The generous financial help of the Technion- Israel Institute of
Technology (if you have other financial support add it here)
is gratefully acknowledged.
Table of contents
1
Introduction ........................................................................................................ 3
2
Setting the defaults............................................................................................. 1
3
2.1
Changing the normal style ............................................................................. 1
2.2
Setting the Headings format........................................................................... 4
While you write .................................................................................................. 5
3.1
Important rules for writing ............................................................................. 5
3.2
Inserting numbered items ............................................................................... 6
3.2.1
Inserting a figure .................................................................................... 6
3.2.2
Inserting a table ...................................................................................... 9
3.2.3
Inserting an equation .............................................................................. 9
4
Adding a table of contents ............................................................................... 12
5
Adding a table of figures ................................................................................. 13
6
Adding page numbers ...................................................................................... 13
7
Adding references ............................................................................................ 15
Appendix I An appendix about how to add an appendix. ......................... 16
Appendix II Troubleshooting .................................................................... 17
List of figures
Figure 2.1 a crazy professor is explaining how a relativistic yoyo works. .................... 7
List of tables
Table 2.1 An example for a table ................................................................................. 9
ABSTARCT
1
List of symbols and abbreviations
2
6
Introduction
6.1 First Section
6.1.1
Subsection
6.1.2
Subsection
6.1.2.1 Subsubsection
6.2 Second Section
6.2.1
Subsection
6.2.2
Subsection
3
7 research objectives
4
1.
Adams H, Jr, Bendixen B, Kappelle L, et al. Classification of subtype of
acute ischemic stroke. Definitions for use in a multicenter clinical trial.
TOAST. Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment. Stroke. January 1,
1993 1993;24(1):35-41.
5