How to Write Appendices? Get an Overview

A lot of things go into making when you write a research paper. One such part is the appendices that hold the in depth value of your work. In other words, every detail related to your paper holds in this section. But why is it so? Well, just like you cannot put all of your clothes in the wardrobe and shift the extra but important ones in a separate trunk, not all information gets placed in the main section of your paper.

If you do so, your paper will look too lengthy, and may get irrelevant at times. Moreover, to keep the body section organised, it’s necessary that you keep the explanation limited. But what you can do is refer the additional data to the appendices and readers will get to know it from there.

Now, the process of essay writing this section is no hard task. But you have to learn certain guidelines and it can be easy in no time!

Hence, save every piece of information mentioned here and apply them in your paper –

The Meaning of Appendices

Before learning anything, one always looks for the meaning or the definition. Hence here is how you can define appendices 

An appendix or appendices is an additional document that aids in the reader’s comprehension of your research but is not that crucial to your main point. In order to add more details or explanation without lengthening your research paper, dissertation, or thesis, appendices are a helpful tool.

In fact, the purpose of appendices in research or any paper is to prevent overcrowding your text with tables, figures, or other distracting components. Instead, it lets you add more context and subtlety to your thesis or dissertation topic and keep the extra content in the back of the paper which is the appendix.

Note – Before you start exploring into more details, here is a tip for you – there is nothing like Appendix vs. Appendices. They are just the singular and plural versions.

Types of Information in Appendices

There is a common curiosity among budding scholars that what is an appendix or appendices?

Well, even if it’s mentioned that all the extra information is stored here, there are certain types of that data. For example, the data in a research paper’s appendix section can be presented in several ways, which are graphs, tables, pictures, definitions etc.

Similarly, there are more such types of information that you can place in your appendices. Have a look below –

• Surveys

Surveys commonly appear in appendices and are employed in research techniques. You should provide surveys exactly as they were given to the respondents, together with their verbatim replies, to ensure that readers have a comprehensive grasp of the findings.

• Interviews

Interviews, whether they are recorded or transcribed, are frequently added as appendices. Include the entire set of questions and the related responses to ensure openness.

• Correspondence

As an appendix to their publications, researchers frequently include correspondence with collaborators that relates to the study’s topic. Text messages, emails, voice message transcriptions, letters, and other forms of communication are examples of this.

• Tools for Research

To provide readers a glimpse into the research process, cameras, audio recorders, specialised software, and other equipment should be recognised in an appendix.

• Items Other Than Text

Appendices should be used for non-textual materials like tables, graphs, illustrations, figures, charts, or an excessive number of images.

• Statistical Data

Even if only a fraction of the statistical data was used, excessive statistical data should be supplied to the study as an appendix. In fact, complete data must be provided as well.

Apart from the variations of data mentioned above, you can include a list glossary, date wise case history, picture, web links, different graphs on the same topic, list of books etc. in your appendices.

However, note that each of these types of data must link with the main context. If there is no reference, readers or examiners might consider that you have skipped a part of the topic.

Steps to Write Appendices in a Research Paper

Now that you gathered a basic idea of what goes in an appendix, it’s time you write one. Hence, follow the detailed steps below and you can apply them for appendices in report or nay other work.

Check here –

Gathering Information for the Appendix

Assemble raw data

A study paper’s appendix should always contain the raw data, which is an absolute requirement.

It is crucial to ensure that the sources from which the raw data was derived are accurately credited.

Calculations that were used in the study paper’s main body could be an example of raw data.

Even more information that deepens the paper’s topic and supports any conclusions that have been discussed in the body of the document may be included in the appendix.

Add pictures, graphs, and charts

Typically, an appendix will contain additional supporting data like graphs, maps, images, and other appealing visuals that the reader could find interesting.

To avoid unintentionally plagiarizing, cite any images or other content that is not your own properly.

Record the instruments that were utilised

It’s crucial to keep the reader informed about the research methods and tools employed in your report.

These tools could be any equipment that was used to gather information for the study, such as cameras, mobile phone recordings, or other tools.

Most of the time, the reader will be curious to discover what tools were utilised to gather the information for the work.

Include more accurate information

The appendix should also include a variety of interviews, surveys, or transcripts that may have taken place during the research that was conducted for the article, in addition to graphs, tools, and raw materials used in the study.

The transcripts should include the entirety of the interview and contain all of the questions and answers; copies of any online or even hand-completed surveys; and any other correspondence that was mentioned in the research paper’s main body (such as emails, recordings, etc.).

Arrangement of the Appendix

Add a suitable heading

Always use capital letters or sentence cases when referencing an appendix at the top of the page. It can be the same size as the chapter titles used in the research paper’s main body.

In some circumstances, a research article may require more than one appendix. If so, it’s crucial to arrange them numerically or alphabetically, for instance in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2, to ensure consistency.

To avoid confusing the reader of the report, each appendix must begin on a different page.

Put the content in a logical sequence

The ideal way to arrange the information in an appendix is depending on where and when it appears in the main body of the research report.

An appendix needs to be very accessible and user-friendly. For instance, if an interview is mentioned in a research paper’s conclusion, the link to the interview must be included at the end of the appendix.

Following the reference list, add the appendix.

A research paper’s appendix should always come after the list of references. Naturally, everything depends on how the subject matter expert wishes it to be.

It is essential to always check that an appendix complies with the guidelines established by the professor who assigned the research project.

Add page numbers

The centre of the page or the bottom right-hand corner of the page should contain any numbers that are included in the research paper’s appendix.

To make sure that the reader can easily browse through the research report, the same format should be used throughout.

Brush up & Revise the Appendix

Edit the appendix for errors

An appendix typically does not have a set word count, however it is best practice to keep it as brief as possible to cut out any pointless or protracted content.

Once the appendix has been completed, it is crucial to read it again to confirm that all of the information is pertinent to the text in the research paper’s main body.

After this is complete, any additional information in the appendix that does not directly relate to the paper’s main body should be eliminated. Moreover, you must clean up any fluffs as it could complicate and undermine the paper’s overall goal.

If there is anything in the appendix you think a reader cannot comprehend, try having a third second-person to read it.

Learn How to Write an Appendix from These Unique Samples

Appendix is often the most overlooked section in academic writing. However, knowing how to write one is significant as it helps in incorporating too cumbersome information in the paper. Go through our below-enlisted samples to develop profound understanding of how to write an appendix flawlessly & improve the clarity and credibility of your research.

Formatting Rule for Appendices

General rules that goes into every style –

• There must be a letter, title, or number on each appendix;
• The research paper’s contents page must include a list of these numbers and titles;
• At the proper place in the research paper’s content, each appendix must be referred to by a number or letter.

Rule for APA Format

In colleges and universities, APA style appendices are most common. In fact, academic papers in the social sciences—such as psychology, education, sociology, criminology, and others—generally need to follow it.

Hence, when a paper must be written in APA format, these are the main components academics you must check for:

• The header “Appendix” should be arranged as A, B, C, etc.
• Under the headline, type the title of the appendix in the centre
• Observe the paper’s stated order for the information
• Put page numbers in
• Regardless of its size, each appendix should begin on a different page
• Double-space your text
• The first paragraph should not be indented; the subsequent paragraphs should be.
• Insert footnotes
• After the reference list, place the appendix
• To cite an appendix in the main body of your thesis, put “see Appendix A” after the text.

Rule for MLA Format

When conducting research in the humanities, such as philosophy, languages, and the arts, the MLA format is advised for appendices. Although there are a few variances, this format and the APA format are fairly similar. The main characteristic is that the list of references should come before the MLA appendix.

Following are some guidelines for using MLA format:

• After the main body of the paper and before the reference list, place the appendix
• When constructing headings for multiple appendices, use A, B, and C
• Title in the centre
• Make an appendix with the facts listed in the research work’s sequence
• Each appendix should have page numbers added
• Regardless of size, each appendix should be on its own page
• Add double-space within the list
• When including titles of websites, comprehensive articles, books, and recordings in your appendices, italicise them
• Reference titles for brief essays, poems, tabloid articles, scholarly entries, portions of PDF files, etc. should not be italicised because they simply refer to a portion of the source

Rules for Chicago Format

If you’re writing an academic paper on history, take into account this format. Additionally, academic publications and periodicals must have it.

It is not harder to write research papers in Chicago style than in APA style.

These two formats are nearly interchangeable. However, there is a tiny distinction. Take a look at these instructions for creating an appendix in Chicago style:

• To refer to more than one appendix, create the title “Appendices”
• Use Times New Roman in a 12-point size for your content
• Every page should include a page number in the upper right corner, labelled “Page 1, 2, 3,” etc.
• On the front cover, do not include the page number
• The bibliography, which should have footnotes and be on a separate page and serve to conclude your research effort, should appear before the appendices.

Apart from that you can take the opportunity to browse the samples that have been structured in accordance with Chicago style guidelines. You’ll discover a lot of helpful information when working on appendices that you can use in your papers.

How to Address Appendices within the Research Paper?

If you want to know how to cite appendices in your paper, this is the place to find your answer.

There are undoubtedly many helpful tips about how to cite appendices to be found. Every appendix must be mentioned in a document at least once. The letter or number of the appendix should be mentioned either directly in the phrase or in brackets. You may also make reference to a particular section of an appendix.

Here is are examples of doing that –

• For referring to the whole appendix –

As shown in Appendix A, the participants’ social media preference information indicates that…

In the table (see Appendix B), you’ll observe…

• For referring to a component of the appendix –

This figure (see Appendix 4, Table 1) indicates that…

Photo 3 in Appendix 2 presents…

Ending with…

Just like any other section of the research paper, the section of appendix is indispensable. However, most are in the idea that it’s the synonym of a bibliography or a referencing paper! Well, when you follow the above guidelines, you will realise that it’s larger than that.

In fact, it has all the information that you need in your paper, but you couldn’t mention them all. That’s you need an additional paper that comes next to reference, and becomes a guide for the reader.

So, starting today, apply the suggestions above and make your research paper one level up with a good appendix paper!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an example of an appendix?

Ans: Any figures, tables, maps, images, raw data, computer programmers, musical examples, interview questions, sample surveys etc. that are too long to add in the main body can be put in the appendix.

How do you write an appendix for an essay?

Ans: When writing an essay, set the appendix as supplementary information right after the references page. You can include here additional information about the data or terms etc. elaborately.

How do you write an appendix for a university?

Ans: Below is the preferred step to write an appendix for a university –

• Each appendix should have its own point.
• Write a title for each appendix.
• For multiple list of appendices, follow the ABC format
• For reference within the body, include phrases like (see appendix a) after the text.
• Present the title in the centre alignment
• Each list of appendices should have their own page, regardless of the size.

How do you write an appendix for an article?

Ans: The process of writing an appendix for an article is similar to the essay format. However, depending on the length and number of information in the article, you can add segments like “Appendix A” or “Appendix 1”.

What is written in the appendix?

Ans: In academic writing, an appendix is a section at the end that contains more information about the subject that can be useful to the reader. They frequently include graphs, maps, pictures, or unprocessed statistical data.

What is an appendix in project writing?

Ans: When you are preparing a project report, your appendices will include figures, tables, maps, images, raw data, computer programmes, musical examples, interview questions, sample surveys etc. You have to arrange them in alphabetical order in a separate list as well.

How does an appendix look?

Ans: An appendix looks like a long list of information related to the different segments of a research paper, book etc. In this blog you can explore a few examples that will give you a visual experience.

How do you format an appendix in a report?

Ans: The ideal format of an appendix in a report should be created on its own individual page labelled “Appendix”. Next, it should be followed by a title that describes the subject of the appendix. Apart from that, bold the title at the top of the page and write it in the title case.

What is an appendix page?

Ans: The page of an appendix is basically the section at the end of an academic text where you include all the extra information that doesn’t fit into the main body of the paper.