Template Demonstration: Correcting Common Errors in the Template Table of Contents

Last updated 8/7/2017

 

Visual: Walden logo at bottom of screen along with notepad and pencil background.

Audio: Guitar music.

 

Visual: “Walden University Writing Center. Your writing, grammar, and APA experts” appears in center of screen. Background changes to a book on a table and the title “Template Demonstration: Updating the Template List of Tables”

Slide changes to the title “Updating the List of Tables.” As the speaker talks, the following text appears as she mentions it:

  1. Resources and available instructions for creating an accurate Table of Contents.
  2. What to do if headings are not appearing.
  3. What to do if extra text is appearing.
  4. What to do if you cannot correct a formatting error.

Audio: Hello, and welcome to this short tutorial for addressing common errors in the automated Table of Contents in the doctoral capstone template. This video will cover (a) resources and available instructions for creating an accurate Table of Contents, (b) what to do if headings are not appearing in the Table of Contents, (c) what to do if extra text is appearing in the Table of Contents, and (d) what to do if you cannot correct a formatting error in your document based on the available instructions.

 

Visual: The slide’s content clears and is replaced with the following as the speaker continues (with icons to represent each action):

  • Download on the Form and Style website
  • Use the instructions in the template or in the accompanying document
  • Watch the Using the Doctoral Capstone Study Template video

Audio: The doctoral capstone templates are available for download on the Form and Style website. Before you transfer your draft into the correct template for your program, you should read over the instructions carefully. Detailed instructions appear either in the text and marginal comments of the template itself, or in a separate instructions document that accompanies the template and is available for download on the same page.

These instructions give detailed steps for how the template works and how you can use its various features correctly. In addition, the “Using the Doctoral Capstone Template” demonstration video will show you the basic steps to get started using this tool.

After you review the template demonstration video and read all of the template instructions, you may still have questions. For more detailed or specific questions about formatting your document, visit the Academic Skills Center resources for Microsoft Word. These resources include detailed instructions for different formatting functions such as correcting page numbers and applying styles to your headings.

Contact Wordsupport@mail.waldenu.edu or schedule a one-on-one appointment with the Academic Skills Center if you need further assistance.

 

Visual: The slide clears again and as the speaker continues, the following appears:

! Table of Contents does not match the main text = Incorrect style tags

Audio: When the information in the automated Table of Contents does not match what appears in the main text, this means that the text in the document does not have the correct style tags applied. (For more on applying styles in the document, review the demonstration video and the instructions in the templates and on the Academic Skills Center website.)

 

Visual: The slide changes to the following: Common Error:

Missing Headings in the Table of Contents

Audio: One common problem students report are headings in the main text that do not appear in the automated Table of Contents when they update it.

 

Visual: The screen changes to show the Table of Contents in the template with a missing heading and extra body paragraph text that is in the table of contents that shouldn’t be.

The following appears: APA Level 2 Heading A is missing

Problem: Headings are not tagged with the correct style.

Audio: Even if you manually type in the headings and corresponding page number, the next time you update the automated field, the heading will still be missing.

This means that the heading or headings you added in the main text are not “tagged” with the correct style. The automated Table of Contents is programmed to recognize text that has been tagged with the APA Level 0, 1, and 2 styles. Even if your heading looks correctly formatted in the main text, the Table of Contents will not recognize it as a heading unless you tag it.

 

Visual: The screen changes to show the body of the template where APA Level 2 Heading A appears. As the speaker explains how to fix the style tag error, she demonstrates it on the screen.

Audio: To fix this error, find the heading missing from the Table of Contents in the main text. Highlight the heading, and check to see what style is applied according to the Styles menu by clicking the drop-down menu in the Styles section of the Home tab. Apply APA Level 0, 1, or 2 to the highlighted heading by finding it in the Styles list and selecting it. You can even “Clear all” formatting from the text first, then apply the correct style tag—as you will see, adding the style tag will also add the correct formatting, such as boldface type, double spacing, and centered or left alignment.

 

Visual: The screen returns to the Table of Contents, and the speaker updates the Table of Contents to show how the fixed style tag now means the missing heading appears in the table of contents.

Audio: Repeat this step in the main text for all headings missing from the Table of Contents, then try updating the automated Table of Contents again. At this point, the previously missing headings should appear.

 

Visual: The screen changes to show the following: Common Error:

Extra Text in the Table of Contents

Audio: Another common problem is extra text showing up in the Table of Contents when you update it.

 

Visual: The screen changes to show the Table of Contents again, pointing out the extra body paragraph text that appears in the table of contents. The following appears:

This paragraph from the body of the paper shouldn’t appear in the Table of Contents.

Problem: Body text is tagged with heading style.

Audio: When this happens, all of the headings may appear correctly, but there may also be paragraphs, reference entries, images, or other content appearing in the Table of Contents that does not belong.

You can delete extra text from the Table of Contents and still update the page numbers only. Each time you update the whole field, however, the extra text will appear again.

This means that there is text in your main document tagged with a style the automated Table of Contents recognizes as a heading. To remedy this, you will need to remove the style tag from the passages in the main text you do not want to appear in the Table of Contents.

 

Visual: As the speaker explains how to fix the issue, she demonstrates the steps on the screen.

Audio: One way to do this is to highlight the extra text in the Table of Contents and use the “Find” function to locate that same text in your draft. You can easily use the Find function through the shortcut CTRL+F. Highlight the whole line or paragraph in the main text, and check to see what style is applied according to the Styles menu. You can either “Clear all” formatting from the text first or apply the “Normal” or “Body Text” styles from the Styles list to the text directly. You may need to make further adjustments, such as indenting a paragraph or restoring double spacing. Next time you update the Table of Contents, this text should no longer appear.

 

Visual: As the speaker continues, the following displays:

wordsupport@mail.waldenu.edu

Appointment with the Academic Skills Center

Microsoft Office support

editor@mail.waldenu.edu

Audio: Sometimes, even if you have read all of the instructions and tried all of the recommended steps, there will be an issue in the document you cannot fix. At this point, you might try pasting your text into a new template—sometimes, this will resolve the issue or at least help you determine what the error is.

If that does not work, you can contact Wordsupport@mail.waldenu.edu or schedule a one-on-one appointment with the Academic Skills Center if you need further assistance. You may also need to contact Microsoft directly for Office support.

We hope you have found these tips for correcting the template’s automated Table of Contents useful. If you have any other questions about formatting guidelines in the Form and Style Checklist or any of the capstone formatting resources, please contact editor@mail.waldenu.edu.

 

Visual: The screen changes to end with the words “Walden University Writing Center” and “Questions? E-mail writingsupport@mail.waldenu.edu.”