Structure a document with headings and styles

Documents that look organised

Teachers, universities and future employers all judge your work partly by how it looks. A well organised document is easier to read and marks you out as someone who takes care. The secret is not decoration; it is structure.

Styles, not bold text

Many students make headings by typing text and then clicking bold and a bigger size. It looks fine, but the document has no real structure. Word, Google Docs and LibreOffice all have styles: Title, Heading 1, Heading 2 and Normal text.

To use them, click in a line and choose Heading 1 from the styles list (Home tab in Word, the "Normal text" drop down in Google Docs).

Why styles matter

1. Consistency. Every heading of the same level looks the same automatically.
2. Change everything at once. Update the Heading 1 style and every Heading 1 changes.
3. Automatic contents page. Word and Google Docs can build a table of contents from your headings, with page numbers, in one click.
4. Navigation. The navigation pane or document outline lets you jump between sections.
5. Accessibility. Screen readers use headings to move through a document.

A simple structure for a school report

• Title on the first line.
• Heading 1 for main sections: Introduction, Background, Findings, Conclusion, References.
• Heading 2 for parts within a section.
• Normal for paragraphs.

Keep headings short and informative: "Causes of flooding in Lagos" rather than "Part 2".

Paragraphs and spacing

• One idea per paragraph.
• Use the paragraph spacing settings instead of pressing Enter twice.
• Choose one readable font such as Calibri or Arial at size 11 or 12.
• Use line spacing of about 1.15 to 1.5.

Lists

Use the bullet and numbered list buttons rather than typing dashes or numbers. Lists created this way line up properly and renumber themselves.

Headers, footers and page numbers

Add your document title in the header and page numbers in the footer (Insert tab). For school work, check whether your teacher wants your name there; for anything shared online, leave personal details out.

Practice now

Open the practice document on "Renewable energy in Nigeria". It has headings typed in bold. Apply Title, Heading 1 and Heading 2 styles, turn typed lists into real lists, add page numbers and insert an automatic table of contents.

What this means for you

Using styles takes five minutes to learn and saves hours over your school years. Your documents will look professional and be easier to edit, and you will be ready for university and work.