I have a thesis template that does not put the List of Figures, List of Tables etc. in the contents page.
What is the normal practice and what is the normal order for the front matter?
Currently it is:
Don't use a template blindly (you are doing right thing to question it, police it). Check any directions for your thesis. ALSO, look at a few actual completed and approved thesises (go to the library and touch the paper). See if there is a common practice and/or variance.
For what it is worth, I don't completely understand your question. By "in the table of contents", do you mean TOC lists a page that has each list? Or that the details of the list itself is part of the TOC?
My thesis (and I think common practice) was for the TOC to list a page that had each list (but not the contents of the list). Like below:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright....ii
Abstract.....iii
Acknowledgements....v
Table of Contents....vii
List of Figures....xii
List of Tables.....xvii
Chapter 1 Introduction....1
1.1. Background.....2
(etc. etc.)
The list of figures and list of tables (I didn't have a list of symbols) are sort of TOCish. But are different things on different pages.
Note some people say table of figures, table of tables, etc versus "list of". That's fine too. But they are their own TOCish entities. Not part of the TOC itself
I don't know that there is a "normal" order over different fields (or even within a field). My only suggestion is that if you need to symbols to understand the listing, then maybe symbols should come first.
Otherwise, what you have should be fine. But for a thesis, let your advisor give you the best advice.
