List of figures and list of tables

Fact-checked by Benjamin Lohrer, editor at corrected.eu · Last updated: 3 August 2026

List of figures and list of tables in a bachelor's thesis

If you use pictures, charts or tables in your bachelor's thesis, you will usually need two lists: a list of figures and a list of tables. Both come after the table of contents and before the introduction. They list every element in order, with number, title and page number. We show you what the layout looks like, how to generate the lists automatically in Word and which mistakes are typical.

Do I need both lists?

If you have only one or two figures, a list is not strictly required. Some departments set the limit at three items, others at five. With more than three figures or tables, the lists are almost always mandatory. If you have only a few tables but many figures, a list of figures alone may be enough.

Structure of the list of figures

The standard is three columns: number, title, page number, sorted in the order in which the figures appear in the text.

Structure of the list of tables

Identical to the list of figures, only with tables instead of figures.

Captions in the text

Every figure and table gets a caption in the text, usually below the figure and above the table (an old convention that many departments keep). The caption contains the number, the title and, if the item is not your own, the source.

Word guide: generating the lists automatically

In Word, use the caption label "Figure" for pictures and "Table" for tables (References, Insert Caption). This gives you two separate lists that can be updated. Then place the cursor where the list should go and choose References, Insert Table of Figures, selecting the label "Figure" or "Table". After any change, select everything with Ctrl+A and press F9 to update the fields. Do not type the lists by hand: they will not follow later changes.

Source lines for figures and tables

There are three cases:

• Own illustration: you created the figure yourself (for example a chart from your own data). Caption: "Own illustration."
• Adapted from: you designed the figure yourself, but the concept comes from a source. Caption: "Own illustration based on Schmidt (2022, p. 47)."
• Reproduced: you took the figure unchanged from a source. Caption: "Source: Schmidt (2022, p. 47)." If you reproduce material from copyrighted works, you may need the publisher's permission.

For the exact wording of the reference itself, see our guide to citing sources correctly and the APA 7 guide.

Common mistakes in lists of figures and tables

• List created by hand: it is not updated when the thesis changes.
• Caption above instead of below the figure: inconsistent with the usual convention.
• Source line forgotten: for reproduced images this is a clear formal flaw.
• Numbering not continuous: this happens when figures were deleted without updating Word.

In professional editing, the lists are checked against the text: if a caption is missing, we add it. You can find downloadable Word files in templates and downloads.