Master Sub Documents (Thesis writing with Word)

[Nick H.]

Hello,

I am planning to write my thesis using Word 2003 and I read about the
possibility to use the "Master-Sub Document" functionality (hope this is
the write English term, in German this function is called
"Zentral-Filial-Dokument").

My first question is whether anyone has a good pointer to a little tutorial
for that. Next, is this function prone to produce corrupt files?

I was thinking of organizing my document in several files (one for each
chapter) which are in stored separate folders (one for each chapter). Also,
I won't import files into my master document, but I will create the sub
documents out of the master document.

1) How can I set a common formatting layout for the "slave" documents
because in the process of working with them, I will need a little bit of
formatting?

2) I might make changes in the "slave" documents and might rename them,
e.g., chapter1-v1.doc, chapter1-v2.doc, etc. How does this affect the
master document?

3) I will send out the various chapters (i.e., slave files) to a reviewer
who will make corrections in Word right away. Any thoughts on that and how
it will affect the Master document structure?

4) When everything is finished, I will need to include a title page, a TOC,
and a few other introductory pages. Is this something I need to foresee
already now?

If you have any suggestions for me, I'd be grateful. Thanks in advance.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Before you get any farther down this road, see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/General/WhyMasterDocsCorrupt.htm

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

See also:
http://daiya.mvps.org/bookword.htm

Which is a compilation of useful links for long documents, especially
theses. The Overview discusses the important concepts you should be
aware of.

 

[Nick H.]

Thank you, both of you. If I understand everything correctly, the key to a
corrupt free Word document is to have a proper concept and use the Master
Document function as the very last step.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Actually, you should not need to use a Master Doc at all. Word can handle
extremely large documents in a single file.

 

[Robert M. Franz (RMF)]

Thank you, both of you. If I understand everything correctly, the key to a
corrupt free Word document is to have a proper concept and use the Master
Document function as the very last step.

.... or not at all. I don't see any reason to use it in your boots.

0.2¢
Robert

 

[Nick H.]

Actually, you should not need to use a Master Doc at all. Word can handle
extremely large documents in a single file.

I understand. I simply wanted to use the Master Doc to make the merging of
the various chapter files easier.

Do you suggest I make a template for my various chapter files to start with
a formatted document each time I start a new chapter, or should I deal with
the formatting as the very last step.

What I always do when I insert a new chapter in the final document is to
use "Section Break Next Page." I am not sure what the difference between
"Section Break Next Page" and "Section Break Continuous is".

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi Nick

Do you suggest I make a template for my various chapter files

Using a template that contains the styles you intend to use in your
document(s) is generally a good thing. You can also store customizations to
your toolbar in the template, and they will only be available when you work
on documents created from that template.

a formatted document each time I start a new chapter, or should I deal
with
the formatting as the very last step.

I think this is a question about cognitive style, not about wordprocessing.
Some people (probably bottom-up thinkers) tend to write all the text and
then go back and format it. Other people (probably top-down thinkers) tend
to create the outline and the structure (and therefore the formatting) and
then fill in the gaps. I think they're just two ways of achieving the same
aim.

What I always do when I insert a new chapter in the final document is to
use "Section Break Next Page." I am not sure what the difference between
"Section Break Next Page" and "Section Break Continuous is

A continuous section break starts on the same page. The most common use is
to identify a section in the middle where the number of columns changes.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word

 

[Nick H.]

Hi Shauna,

Using a template that contains the styles you intend to use in your
document(s) is generally a good thing. You can also store customizations to
your toolbar in the template, and they will only be available when you work
on documents created from that template.

A template that is a regular .doc-file which has some formatting to it, or
a .dot-file.

If I do a .dot-file, I would use that initially and save the worked-on file
separately.

Also, I think it would be better to leave the numbering of the headlines
for the end.

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi Nick

A regular .doc file isn't a template. Only a .dot file is a template. Well,
actually Word is smarter than that. It recognizes the file structure, not
the extension. If you take a document and re-name it as a .dot, it's still a
document. You can create a new, clean template at File > New and choose to
create a template. Or save an existing document as a template.

Also, I think it would be better to leave the numbering of the headlines
for the end.

That's OK. But I would recommend that you plan early for everything related
to headings (not "headlines", by the way), and that includes: page
numbering, caption numbering for tables and figures, cross-references to
tables and figures, the table of contents, table of figures, appendix
numbering, and numbering pages figures tables etc within appendixes etc.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word

 

[Nick H.]

Hi Shauna,

All right, here is the what the thesis should be composed of:

- title page (1)

- signature page (2)
- abstract (2)
- table of contents (2)
- list of figures/tables (2)

- body of thesis (3)
- references/bibliography (3)

(1) ... special layout, to be numbered with i (not appearing)
(2) ... to be numbered continuously with ii... (appearing), similar layout,
special case TOC, List of Figured
(3) ... to be numbered continuously with 1 ..., same layout (special case:
references)

I think that I will make a template only for (3). But the "body" will
actually be composed of several chapters (= several files), and I plan to
put them together at the final stage, incl. references.

Would you suggest I write all these things in separate files and put them
together at the very end in one large file or in a Master Document?

A regular .doc file isn't a template. Only a .dot file is a template. Well,
actually Word is smarter than that. It recognizes the file structure, not
the extension. If you take a document and re-name it as a .dot, it's still a
document. You can create a new, clean template at File > New and choose to
create a template. Or save an existing document as a template.

I know that. If I create a proper template with the method described by
you, how do I base my new document on that template? Whenever I start Word,
all my documents are based on the Normal.dot file.

Since I want to write up the body of the thesis in different files, should
I include page numbering in the template? Will that create a problem when I
merge the chapter-files in one large "body" file?

That's OK. But I would recommend that you plan early for everything related
to headings (not "headlines", by the way), and that includes: page
numbering, caption numbering for tables and figures, cross-references to
tables and figures, the table of contents, table of figures, appendix
numbering, and numbering pages figures tables etc within appendixes etc.

I just created a template (.dot-file) and realized that I would like to
change something. Can I open the .dot-file, make changes, and save it?

A final question: Where can I define a special format for footnotes and
captions?

BTW, I just made a test.
Document 1 based on template
Document 2 based on template

New document based on template into which I copied Doc 1 & Doc 2 (chapter
headlines are already formatted with numbering) and add a header with page
numbers. Worked like a charm. Yippie!!

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word

Good website. Lots of useful information. *thumbs-up*

 

[jay m]

I just created a template (.dot-file) and realized that I would like to
change something. Can I open the .dot-file, make changes, and save it?

well, one brute-force method is to double-click on the .dot file...

For each of the files, make sure that your own template is attached to
the file as the Document Template,
not as a "global template /add-in.

Use each style consistently in each of your documents.
Save changes in styles back to template.

(plus all the info in those other links)
cheers
Jay