diff --git a/src/thesis.lua b/src/thesis.lua
index 5527dc0..fc72741 100644
--- a/src/thesis.lua
+++ b/src/thesis.lua
@@ -106,39 +106,51 @@ function pandoc.ColSpec(width, alignment)
   return { alignment or pandoc.AlignDefault, width }
 end
 
+-- Compatibility functions for Pandoc 3.x
 function pandoc.TableAttr(identifier, classes, attributes)
   return { identifier or "", classes or {}, attributes or {} }
 end
 
-function pandoc.TableCell(contents, row_span, col_span, alignment, attr)
-  return {
-    attr = attr or pandoc.TableAttr(),
-    alignment = alignment or pandoc.AlignDefault,
-    contents = contents,
-    col_span = col_span or 1,
-    row_span = row_span or 1,
-  }
+-- Use native Pandoc functions if available, otherwise use compatibility versions
+if not pandoc.TableCell then
+  function pandoc.TableCell(contents, row_span, col_span, alignment, attr)
+    return {
+      attr = attr or pandoc.TableAttr(),
+      alignment = alignment or pandoc.AlignDefault,
+      contents = contents,
+      col_span = col_span or 1,
+      row_span = row_span or 1,
+    }
+  end
 end
 
-function pandoc.TableRow(cells, attr)
-  return { attr or pandoc.TableAttr(), cells }
+if not pandoc.TableRow then
+  function pandoc.TableRow(cells, attr)
+    return { attr or pandoc.TableAttr(), cells }
+  end
 end
 
-function pandoc.TableHead(rows, attr)
-  return { attr or pandoc.TableAttr(), rows }
+if not pandoc.TableHead then
+  function pandoc.TableHead(rows, attr)
+    return { attr or pandoc.TableAttr(), rows or {} }
+  end
 end
 
-function pandoc.TableBody(body, row_head_columns, head, attr)
-  return {
-    attr = attr or pandoc.TableAttr(),
-    body = body,
-    head = head or {},
-    row_head_columns = row_head_columns or 0,
-  }
+if not pandoc.TableBody then
+  function pandoc.TableBody(attr, row_head_columns, head, body)
+    return {
+      attr = attr or pandoc.TableAttr(),
+      body = body or {},
+      head = head or {},
+      row_head_columns = row_head_columns or 0,
+    }
+  end
 end
 
-function pandoc.TableFoot(rows, attr)
-  return { attr or pandoc.TableAttr(), rows or {} }
+if not pandoc.TableFoot then
+  function pandoc.TableFoot(rows, attr)
+    return { attr or pandoc.TableAttr(), rows or {} }
+  end
 end
 
 
@@ -175,10 +187,10 @@ function inlinestoattr(inlines)
         for key, value in s:gmatch("([^%s%{%}]+)=([^%s%{%}]+)") do attributes[key] = value end
         for key, value in s:gmatch('([^%s%{%}]+)="([^%{%}]+)"') do attributes[key] = value end
 
-        inlines:erase(i)
-        for i = i-1, 1, -1 do
-          if inlines[i].tag == "Space" then
-            inlines:remove()
+        inlines:remove(i)
+        for j = i-1, 1, -1 do
+          if inlines[j].tag == "Space" then
+            inlines:remove(j)
           else
             break
           end
@@ -340,7 +352,8 @@ if configuration:includes("cover") then
           local rows = pandoc.List{}
           for _, list in ipairs(tablepairs) do
             local label, text = table.unpack(list)
-            for _, value in ipairs(metavalues[text.."-cover"] or { pandoc.Para(metavalues[text]) }) do
+            local content = metavalues[text.."-cover"] or (metavalues[text] and { pandoc.Para(metavalues[text]) }) or { pandoc.Para({pandoc.Str("")}) }
+            for _, value in ipairs(content) do
               rows:insert(pandoc.TableRow({ labelcell(label, styles[1], widthpcts[1]), pandoc.TableCell({
                 pandoc.RawBlock("openxml", string.format('<w:tcPr><w:tcMar><w:left w:w="0" w:type="dxa" /><w:right w:w="0" w:type="dxa" /></w:tcMar><w:tcW w:w="%q" w:type="pct" /></w:tcPr><w:p><w:pPr><w:pStyle w:val="%s" /></w:pPr><w:r><w:t xml:space="preserve">%s</w:t></w:r></w:p>', widthpcts[2], string.gsub(styles[1], "%s", ""),tablesep))
               }), textcell(value.content, widthpcts[3]) }))
@@ -348,25 +361,25 @@ if configuration:includes("cover") then
             end
           end
           return pandoc.Div(pandoc.Table(
-            pandoc.CaptionLong({}),
+            {},
             pandoc.List(widthpcts):map(function (x) return pandoc.ColSpec(x / 100) end),
-            pandoc.TableHead({}),
-            { pandoc.TableBody(rows) },
-            pandoc.TableFoot({})
+            pandoc.TableHead({}, {}),
+            { pandoc.TableBody({}, 0, {}, rows) },
+            pandoc.TableFoot({}, {})
           ), { ["custom-style"]=styles[2] })
         end
 
         local cover = pandoc.List{
           pandoc.Para(pandoc.Str("")),
-          pandoc.Div(pandoc.Para(pandoc.Image({}, metavalues["cover-image"], "", { width=187 })), { ["custom-style"]="Captioned Figure" }),
+          pandoc.Div(pandoc.Para(pandoc.Image({}, metavalues["cover-image"] or "", "", { width=187 })), { ["custom-style"]="Captioned Figure" }),
           pandoc.Div({
             pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("研  究  生  毕  业  论  文") }),
             pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("（申请硕士学位）") }),
           }, { ["custom-style"]="Title" }),
           pandoc.Para(table.rep(pandoc.LineBreak(), 3)),
           message({ { "论文题目", "title" }, { "作者姓名", "author" }, { "学科、专业名称", "specialization" }, { "研究方向", "major" }, { "指导老师", "mentor" } }, "", { 23, 5, 60 }, { "Front Cover Label", "Front Cover Text" }),
-          pandoc.Div(pandoc.Para(table.rep(pandoc.LineBreak(), 5 - #metavalues["title-cover"])), { ["custom-style"]="Front Cover Text" }),
-          pandoc.Div({ pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Span(metavalues["date"]), raws.page }) }, { ["custom-style"]="Date" }),
+          pandoc.Div(pandoc.Para(table.rep(pandoc.LineBreak(), 5 - #(metavalues["title-cover"] or {}))), { ["custom-style"]="Front Cover Text" }),
+          pandoc.Div({ pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Span(metavalues["date"] or {}), raws.page }) }, { ["custom-style"]="Date" }),
 
           pandoc.Para(table.rep(pandoc.LineBreak(), 26)),
           message({ { "学号", "number" }, { "论文答辩日期", "date" }, { "指导教师", "msg-sign" } }, "：", { 23, 5, 72 }, { "Inside Front Cover Label", "Inside Front Cover Text" }),
@@ -376,31 +389,31 @@ if configuration:includes("cover") then
             pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("南京大学研究生毕业论文中文摘要首页用纸") }),
           }, { ["custom-style"]="Abstract Title" }),
           pandoc.Div({
-            pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Span(pandoc.Str("毕业论文题目："), { ["custom-style"]="Abstract Char" }), pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(metavalues["title"]), pandoc.Str("\t") }),
+            pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Span(pandoc.Str("毕业论文题目："), { ["custom-style"]="Abstract Char" }), pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(metavalues["title"] or {}), pandoc.Str("\t") }),
             pandoc.Para({
-              pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(metavalues["specialization"]), pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(pandoc.Str("专业"), { ["custom-style"]="Abstract Char" }),
-              pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(metavalues["grade"]), pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(pandoc.Str("级硕士生姓名："), { ["custom-style"]="Abstract Char" }),
-              pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(metavalues["author"]), pandoc.Str("\t"),
+              pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(metavalues["specialization"] or {}), pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(pandoc.Str("专业"), { ["custom-style"]="Abstract Char" }),
+              pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(metavalues["grade"] or {}), pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(pandoc.Str("级硕士生姓名："), { ["custom-style"]="Abstract Char" }),
+              pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(metavalues["author"] or {}), pandoc.Str("\t"),
             }),
-            pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Span(pandoc.Str("指导教师（姓名、职称）："), { ["custom-style"]="Abstract Char" }), pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(metavalues["mentor"]), pandoc.Str("\t") }),
+            pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Span(pandoc.Str("指导教师（姓名、职称）："), { ["custom-style"]="Abstract Char" }), pandoc.Str("　"), pandoc.Span(metavalues["mentor"] or {}), pandoc.Str("\t") }),
             pandoc.Para(pandoc.Span(pandoc.Str("摘要："), { ["custom-style"]="Abstract Char" })),
           }, { ["custom-style"]="Abstract Underline Message" }),
-          pandoc.Div(metavalues["abstract"], { ["custom-style"]="Abstract" }),
-          pandoc.Div(pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("关键词："), pandoc.Span(metavalues["keywords"]) }), { ["custom-style"]="Keywords" }),
+          pandoc.Div(metavalues["abstract"] or {}, { ["custom-style"]="Abstract" }),
+          pandoc.Div(pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("关键词："), pandoc.Span(metavalues["keywords"] or {}) }), { ["custom-style"]="Keywords" }),
           raws.section1,
 
           pandoc.Div({
             pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("南京大学研究生毕业论文英文摘要首页用纸") }),
           }, { ["custom-style"]="Abstract Title" }),
           pandoc.Div({
-            pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("THESIS: "), pandoc.Span(metavalues["title-en"]) }),
-            pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("SPECIALIZATION: "), pandoc.Span(metavalues["specialization-en"]) }),
-            pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("POSTGRADUATE: "), pandoc.Span(metavalues["author-en"]) }),
-            pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("MENTOR: "), pandoc.Span(metavalues["mentor-en"]) }),
+            pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("THESIS: "), pandoc.Span(metavalues["title-en"] or {}) }),
+            pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("SPECIALIZATION: "), pandoc.Span(metavalues["specialization-en"] or {}) }),
+            pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("POSTGRADUATE: "), pandoc.Span(metavalues["author-en"] or {}) }),
+            pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("MENTOR: "), pandoc.Span(metavalues["mentor-en"] or {}) }),
             pandoc.Para(pandoc.Str("ABSTRACT: ")),
           }, { ["custom-style"]="Abstract Message" }),
-          pandoc.Div(metavalues["abstract-en"], { ["custom-style"]="Abstract" }),
-          pandoc.Div(pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("KEYWORDS: "), pandoc.Span(metavalues["keywords-en"]) }), { ["custom-style"]="Keywords" }),
+          pandoc.Div(metavalues["abstract-en"] or {}, { ["custom-style"]="Abstract" }),
+          pandoc.Div(pandoc.Para({ pandoc.Str("KEYWORDS: "), pandoc.Span(metavalues["keywords-en"] or {}) }), { ["custom-style"]="Keywords" }),
           raws.section2,
         }
 
@@ -465,14 +478,14 @@ if configuration:includes("numbering") then
           eqno = pandoc.Span(eqno, { id=attr.identifier })
         end
         return { pandoc.Table(
-          pandoc.CaptionLong({}),
+          {},
           { pandoc.ColSpec(widths[1], pandoc.AlignLeft), pandoc.ColSpec(widths[2], pandoc.AlignRight) },
-          pandoc.TableHead({}),
-          { pandoc.TableBody({ pandoc.TableRow({
+          pandoc.TableHead({}, {}),
+          { pandoc.TableBody({}, 0, {}, { pandoc.TableRow({
             pandoc.TableCell({ tcpr[1], pandoc.Div(elem, { ["custom-style"]="Equation" }) }),
             pandoc.TableCell({ tcpr[2], pandoc.Div(pandoc.Para(eqno), { ["custom-style"]="Equation Caption" }) }),
           }) }) },
-          pandoc.TableFoot({})
+          pandoc.TableFoot({}, {})
         ) }
 
       elseif elem.content[1].tag == "Image" and not elem.content[2] then