how to number dissertation pages in word

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Q. How do I number pages differently in the various sections of my thesis or dissertation?

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Answered By: Jeff Beuck Last Updated: Apr 03, 2020     Views: 1532204

See Also:  How do I add page numbers in Microsoft Word?

To use different page numbering schemes in different sections of your Word document, there are two tricks: 1) you must include a "Section Break - Next page" between each section of your document where the numbering will change, and 2) you must "unlink" each section's footer from the one before it.

To start, temporarily turn on the viewing of hidden formatting symbols by clicking the "Show/Hide" symbol on the "Home" tab in the "Paragraph" box -- this will enable you to see the Section Breaks between sections of your document.

One of the required page numbering changes for your thesis or dissertation is that you need to use Roman numerals (e.g., "i, ii, iii") for your introductory sections (Abstract, Table of Contents), and then switch to Arabic numerals (e.g., "1, 2, 3") and begin the page numbering at "1" at the start of Chapter I of your main text.

If you do not already have a "Section Break" between these two sections of your document, you will need to add one.  Place your cursor at the very end of the text in the first section (after your Table of Contents and any Lists of Tables and Figures), being careful NOT to place it in the footer where the page number is (if the text above becomes grayed out, you are in the footer – try clicking higher).

Add a "Section Break – Next Page" by selecting the "Page Layout" tab on the menu, clicking the arrow next to "Breaks", and selecting "Next Page" under Section Breaks.

After doing this, you should see a "Section Break (Next Page)" code inserted into your document.  This tells Word that the next page begins a new section which may have a different header or footer.

Go down to the next page below the section break (in this example, the first page of Chapter I), and click on the page number in the Footer.  If your cursor is in the Footer, you should see "Footer -Section [#]-" to the left, and "Same as Previous" on the right.

You should also see a new tab appear on the menu, labeled "Header & Footer Tools: Design".  Select this.  (Be careful not to confuse this with another tab labeled "Design" between the "Insert" and "Page Layout" tabs.)  In the "Navigation" section of this tab, you will see a highlighted button labeled "Link to Previous" which tells Word to link the footer in this section to the previous section and to continue its page numbering scheme.  Click the "Link to Previous" button to UNSELECT it.

After clicking this, the "Link to Previous" button should no longer be highlighted.  The "Same as Previous" box to the right of your footer should also disappear.

Confirm your cursor is still next to the page number in the Footer, then go back to the Header & Footer Tools – Design tab on the menu, and in the "Header & Footer" section, select Page Number > Format Page Numbers.

The "Page Number Format" window will appear.  Select the appropriate "Number format" for this section ("1, 2, 3," or "i, ii, iii", etc.), and tell Word whether to continue the page numbering from the previous section or to start at "1" or another number.  In this example, we want Section 2 (which begins at Chapter I and contains the main text of our thesis or dissertation) to use Arabic numerals and to start numbering this section from page 1.  Click "OK" to finish.

You will notice that the page numbering for the current section has now been corrected, and if you unlinked it properly from the previous sections, the numbering in those sections should remain as it was before.

Next, you will need to change the page number format to lower-case Roman numerals (i.e., "i, ii, iii, ...") for the section with your Abstract and Table of Contents.  Click your cursor on the footer of your Abstract or Table of Contents page.

Open the "Format Page Numbers" window by going to the Header & Footer Tools – Design tab on the menu, and in the "Header & Footer" section, select Page Number > Format Page Numbers.

Next to "Number format", select the "i, ii, iii, ..." option for lower-case Roman numerals, then click "OK".

The page numbering for the section with your Abstract and Table of Contents should change to lower-case Roman numerals.  As long as you correctly unlinked the following section from this one, the page numbering in the following section, the main body of your text, should remain Arabic numerals starting with 1.

You will also need to remove page numbers completely from the title page and other preliminary pages of your thesis or dissertation.  To do this, you will use the same method as above, but delete the page numbers from the first section of your document.

Place your cursor at the very end of the last page which will not be numbered (probably your approval page, dedication, or acknowledgment), being careful NOT to place it in the footer where the page number is (if the text above becomes grayed out, you are in the footer – try clicking higher).

After doing this, you should see a "Section Break (Next Page)" code inserted into your document on the page before your Abstract.

Go down to the next page below the section break (in this example, the Abstract), and click on the page number in the Footer.  If your cursor is in the Footer, you should see "Footer -Section [#]-" to the left, and "Same as Previous" on the right. Be sure you are not in Section 1 of your document.

On the main menu, select the "Header & Footer Tools: Design" tab, then in the "Navigation" section of this tab, click the "Link to Previous" button if it is highlighted to UNSELECT it and unlink this section from the section above.  This will allow you to modify the page number in the first section without affecting this or subsequent sections.

Return to your Title Page (or any page in Section 1 which will not be numbered) and click on the page number in the footer.  Click-and-drag your cursor over the page number to select it.

Click the "Delete" key on your keyboard to delete the page number from this section.  As long as you removed the "Link to Previous" connection from the next section, you should the page number disappear from the first section, but remain in the following sections.

If your paper includes additional sections (for example, if your Approval Page was added as a separate section from your Title page), you may have to experiment with linking and unlinking sections from each other -- unlink a section if its page numbering will be different from the one before it, but link together any sections where the page numbering will continue from the one before it.  It is generally a good idea to start with the last section of your document and work your way backwards.

When you are finished, don't forget that you can hide the formatting symbols to make it easier to view your text by turning off the "Show/Hide" symbol on the "Home" tab in the "Paragraph" box.

Footer Sections and page numbering can be very complex, especially if your document has multiple sections.  If you need additional assistance getting your page numbering correct, contact Jeff Beuck at 216-523-7486 to set up an appointment.

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Related Topics

Formatting Theses & Dissertations using Word 2010: Numbering

• Footnotes and Endnotes
• Images, Charts, Other Objects
• Cross-References
• Applying a Style
• Modifying a Style
• Setting up a Heading 1 Example
• Setting Margins
• Creating and Using Templates
• Combining Chapters
• Finalizing Without Styles
• Adding Page Numbers
• Landscape Pages
• Automatic Table of Contents and Lists
• Commenting and Reviewing
• Quick Links

Page Contents

Learn about making subsections and appendices easier to number

• Customizing Your Numbers (different numbers in different places on the page on different pages)

Automatic Chapter and Subsection Numbering

Outline numbering in appendices, customizing your numbering, add different page numbers or number formats to different sections.

Let's say you want to use different page numbers or number formats and styles in different parts of your document. You could use page numbers such as i, ii, iii… for the introduction and table of contents and 1, 2, 3… for everything after. The trick is to divide the document into sections and to make sure those sections aren’t linked. Then, set the page numbering for  each  of those sections by following these steps.

Notes:  

If you're using Word Online, you can add page breaks but not section breaks. If you have the Word desktop application, use the  Open in Word  command to open the document. When you’re done and you save the document, it will continue to be stored where you opened it in Word Online. If you don’t have Word, you can  try  or  buy  it in the latest version of Office now.

Click at the very beginning of the first page where you want to start, stop, or change page numbering.

Choose  Layout  (or  Page Layout ) >  Breaks  >  Next Page .

Tip:  You might find it helpful to see section breaks and other formatting marks as you type. On the  Home tab, in the  Paragraph  group, choose  Show/Hide  (¶) to turn on the display of formatting marks. Choose the button again to turn off the display.

On the page after the section break, double-click in the header (top of page) or footer (bottom of page) area where you want to display page numbers. This will open the  Design  tab under  Header & Footer Tools .

Click  Link to Previous  to deselect the button and disconnect your header or footer from the header or footer in the previous section.

Note:  If  Link to Previous  is dimmed, it means there is no section break between the page you're on and the previous page. Make sure you've successfully added a section break (see step 2) and that you've opened the header for the appropriate section.

In the  Header & Footer  group, click  Page Number , pick a location, and then choose a style in the gallery.

Note:  If your change only affects the first page of your section, make sure  Different First Page  is not selected. Double-click the header or footer area of the first page of the section, and look in the  Options group on the  Design  tab.

To choose a format or to control the starting number, in the  Header & Footer  group, choose  Page Number  >  Format Page Numbers  to open the  Page Number Format  dialog box.

Do either or both of the following:

Click  Number format  to select the format for the numbering, such as a, b, c or i, ii, iii.

Under  Page numbering , choose  Start at  and type a number that you want to start the section with.

Tips:  

If you just want to change or delete the first page number of a section, double-click to open the header or footer on that page, and in the  Options  group on the  Design  tab, click  Different First Page . Then delete or format the first page number as you like.

You also can change the appearance of the page numbers. On the  Home  tab, choose  Font , and change, for example, the font style and family, and font size and color.

When you’re done, choose the  Close Header and Footer , or double-click anywhere outside the header or footer area to close it.

Format Page Number in Word 2010 and 2007 .

To Format the page numbering for different sections, follow these steps.  

• Click between two parts of your document that you want to number differently.
• on the  Page Layout Tab , Click  Breaks .
• Click  Next Page ,  Even Page , or  Odd Page , and then click  OK .
• Click in the first section of your document.
• On the  Insert  Tab Click  Header  and then Click Ed it Header
• Click in the header or footer where you want the page number
• On the  Header & Footer Tools tab  Click  Page Number
• Click The option that puts the page number where you would like
• On the  Header & Footer Tolls tab  Click  Page Number
• Click  Format Page numbers
• In the  Number Format  box, click the format that you want for the numbers in this section.
• Do one of the following:
• If you want the page numbering for the first page in this section to start at a particular number other than the first number in the format series, click  Start at  under  Page numbering , and then enter the first number that you want to appear on the first page of the section.
• If you want the page numbering to continue from the previous section, click Continue from previous section.
• Click  OK
• On the  Header and Footer  tools tab, click  Next  in the Navigation Group
• Repeat steps 1 through 3 and 9 through 11 to change the page numbering for another section
• On the  Header and Footer  tools tab, click  Close

Important Note: Not everyone needs this type of numbering; if your discipline doesn’t require it, skip this section!

Word can automatically number sections (Chapter 1, 1.1, 1.2, etc.) of your document and include the chapter number in the captions (Figure 1.2, 2.2, etc.).

• Make sure each of your chapter titles are in the Heading 1 style, and then click on one of your chapter titles.
• Click OK when you are finished.
• If you typed in the text “Chapter #”, and now it is duplicating your efforts, delete the text you typed and leave the automatically generated chapter number.
• To follow the automatically generated chapter number with the title of your chapter on a new line, click just before the text of your title, hold down the Shift key on the keyboard, and then press the Enter key.

Note: If you have any problems with word automatically adding outline numbering to parts of your front matter, simply delete it.  Your chapter numbers will reset to show the correct number of chapters.

Start Numbering on Page 2

How do i start page numbers on the second page of my word 2010 document.

Word 2010, by default, starts page numbers on the first page of a document. If the first page is a cover page, or a title page, then the second page of the document should be page 1.

• Insert page numbers by clicking on the Insert tab and choosing Page Number in the Header & Footer tab. Then select the position of the numbering.
• Because the new page numbers will be selected, the Design tab for Header & Footer Tools will appear. Under Options , select Different First Page . ( This will start page numbering page 2, but the second page will be labeled "2". This isn't what we wanted. There is an extra step to making this page say "1". )
• While the Design tab for Header & Footer is still up, select Page Number in the Header & Footer group. Then choose Format Page Number .
• The resulting window is shown to the right. Change the radial button at the bottom to Start at and type in 0 . Then click ok .

Follow the instructions at this link for roman numerals .

This was taken from the Just Tips webpage from the website for Mission Critical Training in Denver.

Customizing Your Numbers

If you want to change anything about the numbers – for example, you are using the 1.1, 1.2, etc. style but would like the word “Chapter” to display automatically in front of the Heading 1 number, you want to change Arabic numbers to Ordinal, or you want to change the spacing after the numbers, you can.

Click one of your headings, then go back to the Home Ribbon, and in the Paragraph Group click the Multilevel List icon (see screen shot above) and select Define New Multilevel List….   Click the More>> button, then select the relevant list level.

• You can use the Number style for this level: pulldown menu to choose from a various styles, as seen in the screenshot (below the Enter formatting for number: box).
• In the screenshot, with the Level on the left set at 1, we added the word “Chapter”. Moving to the second level, you can change the period in between the level and sublevel to a dash or anything you want in the Number format box.

You may also restart number for captions in your appendices or other separate areas of your dissertation.  You will need to change your outline numbering settings before inserting your captions.

We are going to do a variant of the steps above, but instead of defining new levels for your list, you will be editing the first level from this point forward. This should work, but sometimes Word acts up, and even though you’ve followed all the steps, it doesn’t take. If that happens, set up an appointment with the KNC and we’ll help you out.

• Apply the Heading 1 style to the title of your Appendix.
• On the Home Ribbon, go to the Paragraph Group , click the Multilevel List icon and select Define New Multilevel List….   Make sure the whole dialog box is showing by clicking on the More>> button (if it says <<Less instead, you are all set).
• Under Enter formatting for new number :, replace “Chapter” with “Appendix.”
• Choose the appropriate style, (such as A,B,C,… ) from the Number style for this level: pulldown menu.
• Set the correct letter or number in the Start at: pulldown.
• In the Apply changes to: pulldown, choose This point forward .
• Click OK to close the dialog box.
• << Previous: Setting Margins
• Next: Creating and Using Templates >>
• Last Updated: Jul 18, 2024 11:16 AM
• URL: https://research.auctr.edu/dissertation

Microsoft Word for Dissertations

• Introduction, Template, & Resources
• Formatting for All Readers
• Applying a Style
• Modifying a Style
• Setting up a Heading 1 Example
• Images, Charts, Other Objects
• Footnotes, Endnotes, & Citations
• Cross-References
• Appendix Figures & Tables
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures/Tables
• Chapter and Section Numbering
• Page Numbers
• Landscape Pages
• Combining Chapter Files
• Commenting and Reviewing
• Tips & Tricks
• The Two-inch Top Margin
• Troubleshooting
• Finalizing Without Styles
• Preparing Your Final Document
• Take a break

Page Contents

Microsoft Word can automatically keep track of your chapter, section, and sub-section numbering for you. Using these numbering schemes will also allow your figure/diagram/table/equations to be automatically numbered, as well.

In this part of the Guide, you'll learn:

• How to set Word to automatically number your Chapters and Sections
• How to customize your number style ( Section 1.1 vs. Section 1.a or Section 01.01 )
• How to automatically number Appendices

Automatic Chapter and Subsection Numbering

Important Note: Not everyone needs this type of numbering; if your discipline doesn’t require it, skip this section!

Word can automatically number sections (Chapter 1, 1.1, 1.2, etc.) of your document and include the chapter number in the captions (Figure 1.2, 2.2, etc.).

• Make sure each of your chapter titles are in the Heading 1 style, and then click on one of your chapter titles.
• Click OK when you are finished.
• If you typed in the text “Chapter #”, and now it is duplicating your efforts, delete the text you typed and leave the automatically generated chapter number.
• To follow the automatically generated chapter number with the title of your chapter on a new line, click just before the text of your title, hold down the Shift key on the keyboard, and then press the Enter key.

Note: If you have any problems with word automatically adding outline numbering to parts of your front matter, simply delete it.  Your chapter numbers will reset to show the correct number of chapters.

Removing the section numbering from our template

• Place your cursor in the title of your Chapter 1 (which is styled with the Heading 1 style)

In some cases, you may find that Word has added "Chapter X" before some of your Heading 1 sections that aren't chapters (like Acknowledgements or Bibliography). All you need to do is go to each of those sections, place your cursor after "Chapter X", and press Backspace to delete it.

Customizing Your Numbers

You have a lot of control over numbering. for example.

• you can change the numbering scheme from  1.1, 1.2 , etc...  to   1.a, 1.b , etc...
• you can change Arabic numbers (Chapter 1) to Ordinal (Chapter One)
• you can put a colon or a tab after the numbers ("Chapter 1: ")

"The numbering scheme lives in the Heading 1"

It's easy to inadvertently create multiple numbering schemes in a document and not realize it.  So it's always best to start by placing your cursor in one of your chapter headings (Heading 1). That ensures that you're making changes to the active scheme.

• Use the Number style for this level: pulldown menu (A) to choose from various numeral or letter styles.
• Under "Click level to modify" (B), in this screenshot we've selected level 1 (the Chapter level) and added the word “Chapter” and a space afterwards to the "Enter formatting for number" (C) field. 
• Then you can modify the other levels (Level 2 would be for a section in a chapter and Level 3 for a sub-section, and of course Level 4 for a sub-sub-section). You can, for example, change the period in between the level and sub-level numbers to a dash or anything you want by making the change in the "Enter formatting for number" (C) field.
• In the "Follow number with:" field (D), you may also see that a tab follows the number. We suggest you change that to a space. 

• << Previous: List of Figures/Tables
• Next: Page Numbers >>

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Easily Add Page Numbers to a Word Document on Any Platform

Easily add page numbers to the header or footer in your Microsoft Word document

Last Updated: September 28, 2024 Fact Checked

Inserting (PC & Mac)

Formatting (pc & mac), inserting (mobile), expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Kyle Smith . Kyle Smith is a wikiHow Technology Writer, learning and sharing information about the latest technology. He has presented his research at multiple engineering conferences and is the writer and editor of hundreds of online electronics repair guides. Kyle received a BS in Industrial Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 881,268 times. Learn more...

Adding page numbers in Microsoft Word is easy! Whether you’re writing a 10-page essay or a thesis paper, there are a variety of ways to customize the page numbers. Use the Insert tab to quickly add page numbers. From there, you can change the formatting and numbering options. This wikiHow guide will show you how to add page numbers to your Microsoft Word document on Windows and macOS, as well as in the Word mobile app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad.

Things You Should Know

• On desktop or mobile, go to the Insert tab, then select "Page Number" to add page numbers.
• Double-click the page number to make changes to the font, color, or style.
• Double-click the header or footer , then go to Page Number > Format Page Numbers for additional options.

• Don’t forget to save your work as you go !

• In the Insert menu, Page Number is near the center.
• In the Header & Footer design tab, Page Number is on the left.

• You can also toggle the option to include the page count in the page numbering (e.g. 1 of 3).
• Selecting a page number position will open the “Header & Footer” tab.

• You could even cross out the page numbers if that’s your style.

• Double-click the header or footer to open the Header & Footer design tab.
• Check the “Different First Page” checkbox.
• Click Page Number then Format Page Numbers .
• Select “Start at” and change it to 0.

• Place your cursor at the beginning of the page you want to restart the numbering on.
• Go to the Layout tab, then click Breaks .
• Select Next Page in the Breaks options menu.
• Double-click the header or footer in the second section. This will open the Header & Footer design tab.
• Select the radio button labeled "Start At," then select "1" to restart the page count at 1.

• The number format. You can change this to Roman numerals, letters, or another style.
• The chapter number.
• The starting number.

• When working in Online mode, any changes made in the app will appear on your desktop version of Word.

You Might Also Like

• If you plan on creating a complex header or footer (like your name, or a title), try and add the page numbers first. They will be much easier to work with. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
• For more Microsoft Word guides, check out how to use document templates and how to merge documents . Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-page-numbers-9f366518-0500-4b45-903d-987d3827c007

About This Article

1. Click Insert . 2. Click Page Number . 3. Select a position. 4. Choose a style. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Formatting Your Thesis or Dissertation with Microsoft Word

• Page Numbers
• Introduction
• Copyright Page
• Dedication, Acknowledgements, & Preface
• Headings and Subheadings
• Citations and Bibliography
• Tables and Figures
• Rotated (Landscape) Pages
• Table of Contents
• Lists of Tables and Figures
• List of Abbreviations
• Some Things to Watch For
• PDF with Embedded Fonts

Page numbers

Microsoft Word will keep track of page numbers for you, so you can add and delete pages, move tables and figures from one page to another, etc. Then, you can create a Table of Contents, a List of Tables, a List of Figures, etc. and Word will automatically create those lists (or, you can update the lists by clicking an update button). This will save you much time compared to manually adding page numbers to your pages and manually creating your Table of Contents, List of Tables, etc. However, in order for Word to do all this automatically, page numbering needs to be set up appropriately. The video tutorial below demonstrates how to set up the page numbering.

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• Last Updated: Sep 19, 2024 2:17 PM
• URL: https://guides.umd.umich.edu/Word_for_Theses

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