TOC spacing

[llmunro]

Hi forum,

I don’t know how to achieve the spacing I want with the TOC in a master document. I have formatted the Bibliography Heading style as Level 1 so that it appears justified to the left in the TOC and in the proper position. Chapter titles are also formatted in Heading 1 style (outline Level 1). However, I cannot seem to figure out how to achieve spacing like this with the paragraph styles and outline levels I’m using. https://grad.msu.edu/sites/default/files/content/etd/Sample%20Table%20of%20Contents%20with%20Bibliographies%20in%20Chapters%202017.pdf

I need the chapter contents all single spaced and then a double space between chapters. I understand that I can edit the Contents 1 style but adjusting the spacing of this style (adding space above or below the paragraph style) does not format the bibliography in the way I need. I think I need the bibliography TOC headings formatted in a different Outline Level but I only want the first two levels to show in the TOC.

Ideas? I’ll review the documentation as well.

Best,
Lisa
Annotation 2020-08-13 172502.jpg

[ajlittoz]

If you format the BIBLIOGRAPHY heading as Heading 1 (or any other style at outline level 1), this means your bibliography is a chapter per se. I understand that bibliography and appendix are parts of every chapter. Then, logically, why would you (or your publisher) require such a visual contradiction between the structure of your book and the appearance of your TOC? In the book body, I imagine that every chapter starts a new page. Does a chapter bibliography also start a new page, contrary to the level-2 headings?

If the difference is only this page break, you can style BIBLIOGRAPHY Heading 2 and manually add a page break before.

[llmunro]

THANK YOU!!! I readjusted the headings styles and levels as you suggested and I’ve solved the problems! I so appreciate your help because I was getting incredibly frustrated with the spacing issues as described. (This document is a dissertation written in a “three paper format” so each “chapter” is really a stand alone paper with its own bibliography that must start on a separate page with a separate “cover page.” Trying to get the formatting as the graduate college requires has been maddening, as it makes no sense to do it as they suggest.) But I thank you so much for your helpful answer and helping me understand what steps to take.

[ajlittoz]

I’m presently away from my office and on a slow connection. When I’m back in a few days, I’ll make my comment an answer so that you can flag the question as answered (this will help other users). Stay tuned.

[ajlittoz]

As the sample shows, APPENDIX and BIBLIOGRAPHY are parts of a chapter.

A chapter usually starts with a Heading 1 paragraph containing the chapter title. Text within a chapter cannot be styled Heading 1 otherwise, it will start a new chapter. Consequently, APPENDIX and BIBLIOGRAPHY must be styled Heading 2 to remain part of the chapter.

In case your heading has a different format than you other Heading 2 paragraphs, you can define your own paragraph style with all your preferred attribute settings. To make it considered by the TOC collecting engine, you must attach this style to outline level 2. Go to the Outline & Numbering tab of the style definition and select Level 2 from the Outline level menu.

With a custom style, you can have a page break where the common Heading 2 has none, an alternate alignment mode, different font face, size, weight, … Thus formatting of this “special” level-2 heading can be made similar to level-1 if you want it (in text!).

However, you can’t have a different appearance in the TOC. Your sample shows a TOC where APPENDIX and BIBLIOGRAPHY look the same as the chapter heading, but without the vertical spacing before. This can’t be done.

When the TOC is collected, all level-2 paragraphs are styled in the TOC as Contents 2. There can be only a single level-2 style in the TOC. Therefore, you (or your publisher/tutor) must accept that all level-2’s are formatted the same in the TOC.

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In case you need clarification, edit your question (not an answer which is reserved for solutions) or comment the relevant answer.

[llmunro]

Here’s what I did: I left the chapter headings as Heading 1 style, Outline Level 1. The bibliography headings, which needed to appear in the TOC aligned with the chapter headings at the left margin were assigned Bibliography Heading style, but set at Outline Level 2. In the TOC, the bibliography heading appeared as Contents 2, indented 0.2" to the right. I removed the indent to align the bibliography headings to the left to match the Chapter headings. I then assigned Heading 3 Level 3 to all of the chapter subheadings 1.1, 1.2) and modified the Contents 3 style to have the 0.2" indent on the TOC. And it all worked!

[ajlittoz]

This is also a way to fake two level-2 in the TOC and work around the single style limitation. I didn’t suggest it, not knowing your skill about styles and your ease in chapter numbering twists (quite tricky to get the correct 2-levels-only numbering in Heading 3).