Big Spaces/pages between text

[tissueboxer]

I'm about to submit a phd thesis for assessment, but have encountered a strange issue in a couple of chapters.

Basically, the text doesn't follow on as it should within the paragraphs and/or between pages. So the reader will read the paragraph, suddenly encounter huge gaps or blank spaces between text, and then have to skip half a blank page to continue on reading (and potentially encounter the same problem again)

The problem seems to occur when I have a lot of footnotes on the page. But since the thesis literally has thousands of footnotes, and the problem appears to be random, I'm not sure why it might be happening in the first place.

A less urgent issue: I used to able to begin inserting page numbers from any point in the thesis, and would be able to divide my chapters up accordingly.



But now that I've merged all my chapters into a single document, Word is not letting me begin the page numbers from the preferred point (page 9 onwards, when the chapters officially begin). I'd appreciate help in working out this relatively minor issue too.

thanks in advance

[Charles Kenyon]

Page Numbers:
See Numbering Front Matter (Ribbon) to start with.

Page numbering is formatted by Word Section. Such sections may have little to do with logical sections although they may correspond to your logical sections. Section breaks can be used to restart numbering but are also inserted automatically and without notice for column, margin or layout changes.

Page Numbers in Word 2007-2016

Big gaps:
These are likely caused by paragraph formatting which should be contained in paragraph styles.
You would want to modify the paragraph style.
The key settings would be "Keep lines together" which keeps a paragraph from breaking across pages if possible, and "Keep with next" which requires a paragraph to be on the same page as the following paragraph, if possible.
Understanding Styles in Microsoft Word

To see what is going on in the formatting of a paragraph that appears on a new page when there is room for it on the previous page, see Word's Reveal Formatting Codes.

Note, the references I gave you are to the Windows version, but the same principles apply in the Mac version.

[tissueboxer]

thank you Charles

[Charles Kenyon]

You are welcome.

[tissueboxer]

I'm back with the same problem in the same places. I'll need to submit my thesis for examination soon, and the formatting issues are a real eyesore (and will affect the marking).

I'm at a complete loss as to what to do. Is it possible to upload the document, and have someone have a brief look at it? There are only three areas of concern, and presumably a quick glance might identify and resolve the problem. I'll even thank the person in the acknowledgments.

[Charles Kenyon]

How to attach a screenshot or file in this forum.

[tissueboxer]

thanks very much again Charles.

I've had to remove the last couple of chapters because the file was too big to upload. Thankfully, the problems are in the first couple of chapters (p.35 and pp.131-132).

If you go to page 35, you will note that there are gaps between text and/or the bottom of the page. When I try to correct it via 'keep with next' and 'keep lines together', the problem appears to correct itself - but the correction does something even weirder on page 20 (under the headline 'paving the way', a whole blank page occurs between the text and so it resumes on p.22).

As for pages 131-132, there is an inexplicably huge gap between text and/or pages when I start footnoting.

Can you please have a look, indicate what the problems might be and suggest a solution.

thanks so much again

edit, I've removed the attachment and sent a private message to you instead. I became very anxious once I uploaded it for public viewing.