What is Table of Contents?

 The table of contents usually headed simply “Contents” and known as TOC. The table of contents is usually found at the beginning of book after the title pages. In a report longer than several pages a table of contents should be included as it assists the reader to locate information quickly. It should list the chapters by name in their order of appearance in the report, along with the page numbers on which they begin. It also gives the reader a schematic overview of the structure and contents of the book or report.When you are serching for information in report, the titles can sometimes lead us to entire chapters that relate to our topic. If not, we need to read chapter by chapter in a report.

Pliny the Elder credits Quintus Valerius Soranus (d. 82 B.C.) as the first author to provide a table of contents to help readers navigate a lengthy work.[1] Pliny's own table of contents for his encyclopedic Historia naturalis ("Natural History") may be viewed online in Latin and in English (following dedication).

A table of contents usually includes the tittles or descriptions of the first-level headers, such as chapter titles in longer works and often includes second level or section title (A-heads) within the chapters as well and occasionally even third level titles (subsections or B-heads). Normally, formal reports which content more that ten pages have a table of contents.

There are two types of table of contents. Firstly, printed tables of contents indicate page numbers where each part starts. On the other hand, digital TOC offer us a links to go to each prt. The format and location of the page numbers is a matter of style for the publisher.