Key information
- ✓First add captions to all drawings, then add a list of illustrations.
- ✓Separate lists for tables and figures depend on the university's requirements.
- ✓After changes, update the entire table, not just the page numbers.
Step 1: Add captions to your drawings
Click the image and choose to add a caption in Word on the References tab. Use one label for the entire category, for example "Drawing". The caption should clearly identify the object; save the source of the illustration according to the required citation style.
Do not enter the drawing number manually in a regular paragraph. The automatic inventory searches for signature fields, not arbitrary signature-like text. If you have diagrams and photographs, check if the university wants them in one inventory.
Step 2: insert a list of illustrations
Place the cursor where indicated by the guidelines, usually in the introductory section or after the table of contents. Select References → Insert Table of Figures and select the label used for the figures. Word will collect signatures and assign current page numbers.
If the table is empty, check that the captions were really created using Word and that the correct label was selected. Create a separate list of tables from the "Table" label.
Step 3: Update and audit the inventory
After adding, removing, or moving an illustration, click the inventory and choose to update the entire field. Simply updating page numbers is not enough if titles or the number of figures have changed.
Review the order of numbers, correspondence between descriptions and captions, and references in the content. Finally, open the PDF to check that the pages in the listing match the actual layout of the document.
How can you adapt the structure to your work?
List the elements required by your department and mark those relevant to your programme and type of assignment. Compare them with your aim and the material you actually have. Only then decide the order of chapters, headings or document sections.
Give each part of the outline one job: define a concept, describe the method, present a finding or answer a research question. If two parts do exactly the same job, combine them or make their scope clearly different.
What should you check in sources and guidelines?
Use the current instructions from your own department, not a random template from another university. Check required sections, heading levels, table and figure numbering, and citation rules. An older template may contain outdated fields or a different layout.
For each planned subsection, note where its material will come from: publications, documents, data or your own analysis. If a key part has no suitable sources, narrow the topic or change the structure before writing many pages.
How can you avoid last-minute revisions?
Once you have a draft introduction, read the headings alone. Do they lead from the problem to an answer? Then compare the conclusion with the aim in the introduction and remove promises the work does not fulfil.
Update the automatic contents page, captions, cross-references and numbering. Open the exported PDF because a table or page break may move outside the editor. Keep an editable copy before the final export.
A practical check before sending the file
Make a copy and read the document in the reader's order: title page, contents, introduction, main chapters, conclusion, references and appendices. Mark headings that promise something different from the paragraph below them. This catches gaps more effectively than correcting isolated sentences in random order.
Check automatic elements in Word too: heading styles, table and figure captions, cross-references and page numbers. If your department provides a template, compare both the DOCX and final PDF with it. The exported file may look different from the editing view.
Summary
The list of figures works correctly when all illustrations have captions added using the same method. After final corrections, update the list and check it in PDF; entering page numbers manually easily leads to errors.
Frequently asked questions
Is a list of drawings mandatory?
It depends on department guidelines and the number of illustrations. Some units require a separate list of tables and figures, others specify their own layout.
Why doesn't the drawing appear in the list?
Most often, the signature was entered as plain text instead of using Word's signature function, or a different label was selected in the list. Check the signature and update the entire listing.
Is the list of tables done in the same way?
Yes, but you must use the Table label and create a separate list for it if university policy requires it.
Need support with your work?
Describe the topic, scope and deadline. We will review the materials, recommend the right support and prepare a clear quote.
