Styles can help you to check and improve your document structure.
If you have set up styles, you can now see the structure of your document by looking at your table of contents. You may also be able to see the structure while you write – for example, in Microsoft Word when you have Headings selected in the Navigation pane, and in Google Docs when you use the Document Outline pane.
You can use this feature to check whether your headings are parallel, are grouped sensibly and have a logical flow:
TOC from the original structure of Guide to assembling your robotic editorial assistant
After restructuring, the TOC shows the improved flow:
Examining the original TOC helped to:
- spot missing information
- see the need for more explanatory headings
- make the appropriate headings parallel (in language and in level)
- get the section levels right
- get the section order right
- see the need for extra subheadings.
Tip. You can use the Microsoft Word Navigation pane or the Google Docs Document Outline pane as an editing tool. Rather than cutting and pasting or moving text in the document pane, you can move sections of content around in the Navigation pane simply by clicking and dragging on the relevant heading. You can rearrange the order and levels of headings easily using this method.
