◆ In short
The classic thesis layout is: no number on the title page and dedication, Roman numerals on the contents (i, ii, iii), Arabic numerals from 1 starting at the introduction. In Word you get it by splitting the document into sections (Layout → Breaks → Next Page), unlinking each section's footer from the previous one (Link to Previous off) and choosing a format and starting number for each section (Insert → Page Number → Format Page Numbers). It sounds long, but you only do it once. Or start from our free Word template, which is already set up this way.
The layout: what gets numbered, and how
Title page
No numberIt counts as a page, but no number is printed.
Dedication
No numberOptional, on a page of its own, without a number or heading.
Contents and lists
i, ii, iiiLower-case Roman numerals, like any preface and list of figures.
From the introduction on
1, 2, 3…Arabic numerals from 1, without breaks to the last page: chapters, conclusions, bibliography, appendices, acknowledgements.
How to do it in Word, step by step
- Add the numbers. Insert → Page Number → Bottom of Page and pick the centred number. For now they appear everywhere, title page included: that is normal.
- Split into sections. Put the cursor at the start of the contents page and choose Layout → Breaks → Section Breaks → Next Page. Do the same at the start of the introduction. You now have three sections: title page and dedication, front pages, body.
- Unlink the sections. Double-click the footer of the second section and, on the Header & Footer tab, turn off Link to Previous. Repeat in the third section. Without this step every change spreads through the whole document.
- Remove the number from the title page. In the first section's footer delete the number (or tick Different First Page, if the title page is the only page in that section).
- Roman numerals. In the second section's footer: Insert → Page Number → Format Page Numbers, format i, ii, iii, Start at i.
- 1 from the introduction. In the third section's footer: same command, format 1, 2, 3, Start at 1.
- Update the table of contents (right-click → Update field), because the numbers have changed.
If you want each chapter to start on a new page, separate the chapters with section breaks too: numbering continues by itself, as long as you do not set a new Start at.
If you print double-sided
In double-sided printing chapters usually start on a right-hand page, an odd one, as in books. To do this use the Odd Page section break instead of Next Page: if the previous chapter ends on an odd page, Word adds a blank page by itself, and it counts in the numbering.
- Centred number at the bottom of the page: the simplest choice, because it works on both right and left pages.
- Number on the outside (right on odd pages, left on even ones): tick Different Odd & Even Pages and set the number twice, once for each kind of page.
- Check the PDF: the blank pages must be there. Word includes them; in LibreOffice tick Export automatically inserted blank pages in the PDF export options, otherwise every page after the first blank one ends up on the wrong side of the sheet.
Before printing you can flip through the PDF as it will be bound with the bound thesis preview.
When the numbers come out wrong
I change one number and they all change
Link to Previous is still on. Turn it off in the footer of every section from the second onwards.
The introduction does not start at 1
The section break before the introduction is missing, or you did not set Start at 1 in that section.
Numbering restarts at 1 in every chapter
Those sections are set to Start at 1. Open Format Page Numbers and choose Continue from previous section.
There is a number on the title page
The title page is not in a section of its own, or its footer is still linked to the others.
The contents say one page, the PDF another
The table of contents was not updated after the last changes. Right-click it → Update field → Update entire table, then export the PDF again.
LibreOffice, Google Docs and Pages
In LibreOffice numbering works through page styles: you switch page style at the start of the contents and of the introduction and set the format and starting number there. Google Docs and Pages handle sections in a more limited way, and Roman plus Arabic numbering in the same document is awkward to achieve. In all these cases the shortest route is to open the Word template, which already has the sections set up, and write inside it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the title page numbered?
No. It counts as a page but no number is printed; the same goes for the dedication.
Which page is number 1?
The first page of the introduction. The pages before it (contents, lists, preface) are numbered in Roman numerals.
Do the blank pages in a double-sided thesis have a number?
They count in the numbering, but the number is usually not shown: they stay blank. That is why the numbering jumps by two after a blank page.
Where should the page number go?
At the bottom of the page, centred, is the most common choice and works for both single- and double-sided. At the top or on the outside only if your regulations ask for it.
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