how to refer to appendix in research paper

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Footnotes & Appendices 

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

APA style offers writers footnotes and appendices as spaces where additional, relevant information might be shared within a document; this resource offers a quick overview of format and content concerns for these segments of a document. Should additional clarification be necessary, it is always recommended that writers reach out to the individual overseeing their work (i.e., instructor, editor, etc.). For your convenience, a student sample paper is included below; please note the document is filled with  Lorem Ipsum  placeholder text and references to footnotes and appendices are highighlighted. Additional marginal notes also further explain specific portions of the example. 

Footnotes 

Footnotes are supplementary details printed at the bottom of the page pertaining to a paper’s content or copyright information. This supporting text can be utilized in any type of APA paper to support the body paragraphs.

Content-Based Footnotes

Utilizing footnotes to provide supplementary detail can enrich the body text and reinforce the main argument of the paper. Footnotes may also direct readers to an alternate source for more detail on a topic. Though content footnotes can be useful in providing additional context, it is detrimental to include tangential or convoluted information. Footnotes should detail a focused subject; lengthier sections of text are better suited for the body paragraphs.

Acknowledging Copyright

When citing long quotations, images, tables, data, or commercially published questionnaires in-text, it is important to credit the copyright information in a footnote. Functioning much like an in-text citation, a footnote copyright attribution provides credit to the original source and must also be included in a reference list. A copyright citation is needed for both direct reprinting as well as adaptations of content, and these may require express permission from the copyright owner.

Formatting Footnotes

Each footnote and its corresponding in-text callout should be formatted in numerical order of appearance utilizing superscript. As demonstrated in the example below, the superscripted numerals should follow all punctuation with the exception of dashes and parentheses.

For example: 

Footnote callouts should not be placed in headings and do not require a space between the callout and superscripted number. When reintroducing a footnote that has previously been called out, refrain from replicating the callout or footnote itself; rather, format such reference as “see Footnote 4”, for example. Footnotes should be placed at the bottom of the page on which the corresponding callout is referenced. Alternatively, a footnotes page could be created to follow the reference page. When formatting footnotes in the latter manner, center and bold the label “Footnotes” then record each footnote as a double-spaced and indented paragraph. Place the corresponding superscripted number in front of each footnote and separate the numeral from the following text with a single space.

Formatting Copyright Information

To provide credit for images, tables, or figures pulled from an outside source, include the accreditation statement at the end of the note for the visual. Copyright acknowledgements for long quotations or questionnaires should simply be placed in a footnote at the bottom of the page.

When formatting a copyright accreditation, utilize the following format:

• Establish if the content was reprinted or adapted by using language such as “from” for directly copied material or “adapted from” for material that has been modified
• Include the content’s title, author, year of publication, and source
• Cite the copyright holder and year of copyright or indicate that the source is public domain or licensed under Creative Commons
• If express permission was required to reprint the material, include a statement indicating that permission was acquired

Appendices 

When introducing supplementary content that may not fit within the body of a paper, an appendix can be included to help readers better understand the material without distracting from the text itself. Primarily used to introduce research materials, specific details of a study, or participant demographics, appendices are generally concise and only incorporate relevant content. Much like with footnotes, appendices may require an acknowledgement of copyright and, if data is cited, an adherence to the privacy policies that protect participant identities.

Formatting Appendices

An appendix should be created on its own individual page labelled “Appendix” and followed by a title on the next line that describes the subject of the appendix. These headings should be centered and bolded at the top of the page and written in title case. If there are multiple appendices, each should be labelled with a capital letter and referenced in-text by its specific title (for example, “see Appendix B”). All appendices should follow references, footnotes, and any tables or figures included at the end of the document.

Text Appendices 

Appendices should be formatted in traditional paragraph style and may incorporate text, figures, tables, equations, or footnotes. In an appendix, all figures, tables, and other visuals should be labelled with the letter of the corresponding appendix followed by a number indicating the order in which each appears. For example, a table labelled “Table B1” would be the first table in Appendix B. If there is only one appendix in the document, the visuals should still be labelled with the letter A and a number to differentiate them from those contained in the paper itself (for example, “Figure A3” is the third figure in the singular appendix, which is not labelled with a letter in the heading). 

Table or Figure Appendices 

When an appendix solely contains a table or figure, the title of the figure or table should be substituted with the title of the appendix. For example, if Appendix B only includes a figure, the figure should be labelled “Appendix B” rather than “Figure B1”, as it would be named if there were multiple figures included.

If an appendix does not contain text but includes numerous figures or table, the appendix should be formatted like a text appendix. The appendix would receive a name and label, and each figure or table would be given a corresponding letter and number. For example, if Appendix C contains two tables and one figure, these visuals would be labelled “Table C1”, “Table C2”, and “Figure C1” respectively.

Sample Paper    

Media File: APA 7 - Student Sample Paper (Footnotes & Appendices)

• Franklin University |
• Help & Support |
• Locations & Maps |

• | Research Guides

To access Safari eBooks,

• Select not listed in the Select Your Institution drop down menu.
• Enter your Franklin email address and click Go
• click "Already a user? Click here" link
• Enter your Franklin email and the password you used to create your Safari account.

Continue Close

APA Citation Style 7th Edition

• APA Style Overview
• Sample Documents & Guides
• Multiple Sources With the Same Author and Year
• Websites & Web Documents
• Course Materials (Slides, Lecture Notes, Specialty Software)
• Citing Business Databases
• Film, Videos, & Podcasts
• Art, Photos, Tables & Figures
• Legal Materials & Tax Codes
• Dissertations
• Pamphlet or Brochure
• Interviews, E-mail, Intranet, Religious Works, & Secondary Sources (7th edition)
• Footnotes This link opens in a new window

What goes into an Appendix?

Where is an appendix placed, labeling the appendix, formatting the appendix.

• Evaluating Sources This link opens in a new window
• Understanding Plagiarism
• RefWorks This link opens in a new window

"Material that supplements the content of the paper, but would be distracting or inappropriate to include in the body of the paper is to be placed in an appendix." This includes "materials that are relatively brief and that are easily presented in print format" ( Publication Manual of the APA: 6th edition , section 2.13; Publication Manual of the APA: 7th edition , section 2.14). Examples include "mathematical proofs, lists of words, a questionnaire used in the research, a detailed description of an apparatus used in the research, etc" ( Purdue OWL .)

An appendix (or appendices) follow the reference list. Use the following order for your paper:

• Abstract ( if required, start on a new page, numbered page 2)
• Text (start on a new page, numbered 3)
• References (start on a new page)
• Tables (start each on a new page)
• Figures (start each on a new page; include caption on page with figure)
• Appendices (start each on a new page)
• If only one appendix, label it Appendix
• If more than one appendix: label each one with a capital letter (Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.) in the order in which it is mentioned in the text
• Each appendix must have a title
• In the text, refer to appendices by their labels:

"produced the same results for both studies (see Appendices A and B for complete proofs)."

• Begin each appendix on a separate page
• At the top of the page, center the word Appendix and the identifying capital letters (A, B, etc.) in the order in which they are mentioned in the text.
• Center the title of the appendix using uppercase and lowercase letter on the next line
• Begin the text of the appendix flush left, followed by indented paragraphs.

A sample appendix is below:

• << Previous: Footnotes
• Next: Evaluating Sources >>
• Last Updated: Oct 25, 2023 2:14 PM
• URL: https://guides.franklin.edu/APA

How do I do an APPENDIX in APA style?

How do I create an APPENDIX in APA style?

What is an appendix?

• A section at the end of a paper that includes information that is too detailed for the text of the paper itself and would "burden the reader" or be "distracting," or "inappropriate" (APA, 2019, p. 41-42).
• lengthy lists (short lists belong in the paper itself)
• detailed descriptions (essential details should be in the paper itself)
• instructions to participants; tests, scales, inventories
• demographic details for subpopulations studied by the paper

Where does the Appendix appear in the paper?

• text of paper
• references list
• tables 

How to format an appendix:

• You may have more than one appendix (aka appendices)
• Each appendix should deal with a separate topic
• In addition to the limitations of email, Cummings et al. (2002) reviewed studies that focused on international bank employees and college students (see Appendix B for demographic information).
• The first appendix referred to in the paper would be named Appendix A
• The second appendix referred to in the paper would be named Appendix B
• If you have more than 26 appendices, start the alphabet over with AA, BB, CC, and so on.
• If there is only one appendix, it is just called Appendix
• Each appendix must also have a title
• Begin each appendix on a separate page with page number
• Place the label and title of each appendix at the top of the page, centered, bold, using normal capitalization. Label first, title second.
• The first paragraph is flush left and not indented.
• The second and following paragraphs are indented as "normal" paragraphs are.
• All paragraphs are double spaced.
• Exception to the tables/figures numbering rule: add the letter of the appendix (A, B, C, etc.) to the figure or table number (e.g., Table B3 would be the third table in Appendix B).
• If your appendices use information from an outside source, cite it parenthetically within the text of the appendix and include the reference in the main references list for the paper (do not create a separate references list).

A sample appendix is below.

• Abstracts & Appendices
• Last Updated Jul 06, 2020
• Views 3042174
• Answered By Kerry Louvier

FAQ Actions

• Share on Facebook

Comments (40)

• Not only did this answer my question, it answered several questions I hadn't even considered yet. Excellent resource! by Magnus on Nov 23, 2016
• Great resource to use, very helpful info. Thank you for the visual example. by Anonymous on Dec 15, 2016
• Extraordinarily helpful by Ashna on Feb 27, 2017
• This information was very helpful! The instructions and example provided clarity. by Student on Mar 06, 2017
• What about page numbering? Is it continuous or does it restart at the beginning of the appendix section or does each appendix have its own page numbering (e.g. A1, A2, B1, B2...)? Sara, Librarian Answer: Page numbering is continuous, it does not restart at the appendix section. by Brent on Apr 21, 2017
• Does APA style require a whole section page for appendices? As in, a page with APPENDIX (or APPENDICES) written in the middle of the page before the actual appendices themselves? Sara, Librarian Answer: No. A page like that is unnecessary. by Sara on Apr 28, 2017
• When I have an assignment limiting to a particular number of pages (lets say 6 pages), do the appendix pages count as one of those six pages? Sara, Librarian Answer: Typically the appendix pages do not count as part of the paper. However, we suggest that you check with your instructor to make sure that's their expectation. by Katie on May 03, 2017
• Hello If I add tables or/and figures to my appendix. Do I have to make a new page for every new table/figure or am I allowed to just leave a line and then begin with the new table/figure? Sara, Librarian Answer: You can have as many figures and/or tables in one single appendix as makes sense. Each figure/table should still be formatted in APA and include a caption. by Kerstin on May 09, 2017
• If I have multiple pages to a report that I'd like to include in one appendix (they are all part of the same report), do I continue to title each page Appendix A? Sara, Librarian Reply: No. You only need to title the first page of each different appendix. by Allison on Jun 06, 2017
• Thank you for this exceedingly abundantly helpful resource. Janie Richter by Jane Richter on Jun 23, 2017
• How are appendices displayed in the ToC? Since the title is on a separate line my template is only showing "Appendix" but I'm wondering if it should show "Appendix - Title." Sara, Librarian Reply: Hi Brad, different colleges and universities, departments and individual instructors have their own preferences for the format of the title page, table of contents, and other items that are particular to academic papers, so the APA manual doesn’t cover these formats. Since your instructor is responsible for the curriculum and grading rubrics, check with them to find out how they would like your appendix titles to appear in the table of contents. by Brad on Jul 29, 2017
• I'm required to transcript an interview and add it to my paper. My first question is, do I add this interview as an appendix? If so, how do I do this considering the parameters of the APA style? Thank you in advance! Sara, Librarian Reply: You can add an interview transcript as an appendix. We highly recommend you talk to your instructor about how they want the transcript formatted and added to your paper. If your instructor doesn't have any specific parameters for formatting in the appendix, we recommend sticking to standard APA formatting style: 12pt, Times New Roman font, double spaced, and 1 inch margins. by dcrada on Aug 01, 2017
• Hi, I was just wondering what you name your appendix if you have more than 26 and have run out of alphabet letters? Sara, Librarian Reply: If you run through the alphabet and still have additionally appendices, then we recommend you start over again with Appendix AA, BB, CC, and so on. by F on Aug 31, 2017
• This is great! Much easier and quicker to read and grasp than the APA style guide. by Lily on Sep 03, 2017
• How do I provide in text reference to a table which appears in my appendix? I know I have to refer to the table by table number but how do I say which page it is on in the appendices? Sara, Librarian Reply: Hi Robin, you would do an in-text reference like you would for any other source: (Appendix B, Figure 1). See the APA Style Blog for more information about citing parts of a work: http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2013/11/how-to-cite-part-of-a-work.html by Robin on Oct 30, 2017
• How would you reference a figure from an appendix in-text? (see Fig. 4) or (see Appendix B, Fig.4 for more information). Sara, Librarian Reply: Hi TJ, we recommend that you include which appendix you are referencing in-text. So the example you would use is (Appendix B, Figure 4). Please see the APA Style Blog if you need any additional clarification http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2013/11/how-to-cite-part-of-a-work.html by Me on Oct 31, 2017
• Do I need to reference an appendix each time it comes up in the document or just the first time it is referenced? Sara, Librarian Reply: Just as you would with an in-text citation, every time you mention an appendix make sure you reference it. by Linda G on Nov 05, 2017
• If the appendix is a survey or other pre-formatted document, what are the requirements for spacing of the body? Does it still need to be double spaced? Sara, Librarian Reply: Different colleges and universities, departments and individual instructors have their own preferences for the formatting of documents added as appendices. We highly recommend that you talk with your instructor/advisor about if they want your document reformatted to be double spaced. by Deborah on Dec 21, 2017
• Nice work helped me alot by Leo Rice on Mar 04, 2018
• How would I go about citing information that I used to create a figure within my appendix? Do I need to cite in the appendix where I obtained the information that I used in the graphs/tables? Sara, Librarian Reply: Do an in-text citation in your appendix (just like you would in the body of your paper) for the information you are quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing. Then add the full reference/citation information to the main references list for your paper. by Nikki on Mar 13, 2018
• Hi, can you clarify how I refer to tables in an appendix in APA 6th? Do I need to write (see Table 1 in Appendix A) or is it (see Table A1) or is there another way? thank you. Sara, Librarian Reply: Hi Bill, to refer to the Appendix within your text, write (see Appendix A) at the end of the sentence in parentheses. If you are referring to a table, you would then write (see Appendix A, Table 1). I hope that helps clarify things for you! by Bill on Mar 14, 2018
• I adapted a figure from an image I found in the 2nd page of a paper Appendix. In the caption of figure, should I write ,Appendices, instead of the page number which is not available? Thank you in advance. Sara, Librarian Reply: Yes, in the caption you should write which appendix you got the figure from. by Souha on Mar 14, 2018
• Excellent and detailed explanation. Very helpful... by Murox Tobby on Mar 20, 2018
• Thank you this was so helpful by angie on Mar 25, 2018
• My paper includes a long part with a lot of different events and dates. Therefore, I want to summarize each event and attach it as a table in the Appendix. Do I have to add citations in this table, although I already included all citations in the text and the table does solely contain information from my main text? Sara, Librarian Reply: Hi Jake. Yes, if your appendix includes tables or figures, treat them as they would be treated in the main text and add the citations. by Jake on Apr 26, 2018
• If a text in my paper refers to the Appendix more than once in my text, should I reference the Appendix each time? Sara, Librarian Reply: Yes. As with citing, so with referencing your appendices: always cite/reference your source. by Adrian on Apr 30, 2018
• Hello :) If I have a few pages from a manual I used for my dissertation, and I want to place them in the appendix, how do I do so? Because if I insert them normally, the plagiarism detection software will detect them as copied, I presume. Thanks! Sara, Librarian Reply: Hi Martina, is there a reason you want to put them in an appendix instead of just citing the section of the source in your dissertation? Do the pages themselves add something to your paper that justifies the duplication? If you still want to add those pages to your appendix, then add them normally. You should also ask your faculty advisor for their opinion or reference your institution's formatting guide. by Martina on May 01, 2018
• Thank you so much for this! The visual representation was very helpful, particularly because the APA Guide was very hard to interpret in respect to the Appendices. I would've put the label and name down incorrectly in my thesis if it wasn't for this! by Maddy on Oct 27, 2018
• Great work! Your presentation helps me a lot, including the questions and answers portion! by Belen,php on Nov 23, 2018
• Does the appendix include a page number and a header? Sara, Librarian reply: Yes. The appendix should include a page number and a header. by Alyssa on Feb 03, 2019
• I am trying to cite the appendix of my e-book for my paper. How do I do that? by Shashi on Mar 21, 2019
• Very helpful. Well detailed and on point. Thank you so much by Peter Wanyangi on Apr 02, 2019
• Thank you for this reference. The example helped solidify my questions about how to effectively use and appendix. Great! by A on May 07, 2019
• A very useful and highly relevant information. Thank you all. by Dr Sam V Daniel on Sep 23, 2019
• Excellent, nicely presented and comprehensive. Loved going through it. by Anoop Tiwari on Oct 28, 2019
• Excellent explanation, love it, fully helped and thanks a lot. by Godwine Okoth on Jan 22, 2020
• This was exceedingly helpful,thanks a lot by Favour Anne on Mar 18, 2020
• This resource is so incredibly helpful - thank you by Jennifer on Jun 06, 2021
• This is a very useful explanation. It has answered more than one question.Highly relevant information. by Carol Nelson on Nov 14, 2022
• This is a great reference. thank you! by Carlos on Apr 28, 2023

Hello! We're here to help! Please log in to ask your question.

Need an answer now? Search our FAQs !

How can I find my course textbook?

You can expect a prompt response, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM Central Time (by the next business day on weekends and holidays).

Questions may be answered by a Librarian, Learning Services Coordinator, Instructor, or Tutor. 

• USC Libraries
• Research Guides

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

• Purpose of Guide
• Design Flaws to Avoid
• Independent and Dependent Variables
• Glossary of Research Terms
• Reading Research Effectively
• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
• Academic Writing Style
• Applying Critical Thinking
• Choosing a Title
• Making an Outline
• Paragraph Development
• Research Process Video Series
• Executive Summary
• The C.A.R.S. Model
• Background Information
• The Research Problem/Question
• Theoretical Framework
• Citation Tracking
• Content Alert Services
• Evaluating Sources
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Tiertiary Sources
• Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Insiderness
• Using Non-Textual Elements
• Limitations of the Study
• Common Grammar Mistakes
• Writing Concisely
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Footnotes or Endnotes?
• Further Readings
• Generative AI and Writing
• USC Libraries Tutorials and Other Guides
• Bibliography

An appendix contains supplementary material that is not an essential part of the text itself but which may be helpful in providing a more comprehensive understanding of the research problem or it is information that is too cumbersome to be included in the body of the paper. A separate appendix should be used for each distinct topic or set of data and always have a title descriptive of its contents.

Tables, Appendices, Footnotes and Endnotes. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University.

Importance of...

Appendices are always supplementary to the research paper. As such, your study must be able to stand alone without the appendices, and the paper must contain all information including tables, diagrams, and results necessary to understand the research problem. The key point to remember when including an appendix or appendices is that the information is non-essential; if it were removed, the reader would still be able to  comprehend the significance, validity , and implications of your research.

It is appropriate to include appendices for the following reasons:

• Including this material in the body of the paper that would render it poorly structured or interrupt the narrative flow;
• Information is too lengthy and detailed to be easily summarized in the body of the paper;
• Inclusion of helpful, supporting, or useful material would otherwise distract the reader from the main content of the paper;
• Provides relevant information or data that is more easily understood or analyzed in a self-contained section of the paper;
• Can be used when there are constraints placed on the length of your paper; and,
• Provides a place to further demonstrate your understanding of the research problem by giving additional details about a new or innovative method, technical details, or design protocols.

Appendices. Academic Skills Office, University of New England; Chapter 12, "Use of Appendices." In Guide to Effective Grant Writing: How to Write a Successful NIH Grant . Otto O. Yang. (New York: Kluwer Academic, 2005), pp. 55-57; Tables, Appendices, Footnotes and Endnotes. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University.

Structure and Writing Style

I.  General Points to Consider

When considering whether to include content in an appendix, keep in mind the following:

• It is usually good practice to include your raw data in an appendix, laying it out in a clear format so the reader can re-check your results. Another option if you have a large amount of raw data is to consider placing it online [e.g., on a Google drive] and note that this is the appendix to your research paper.
• Any tables and figures included in the appendix should be numbered as a separate sequence from the main paper . Remember that appendices contain non-essential information that, if removed, would not diminish a reader's ability to understand the research problem being investigated. This is why non-textual elements should not carry over the sequential numbering of non-textual elements in the body of your paper.
• If you have more than three appendices, consider listing them on a separate page in the table of contents . This will help the reader know what information is included in the appendices. Note that some works list appendices in the table of contents before the first chapter while other styles list the appendices after the conclusion but before your references. Consult with your professor to confirm if there is a preferred approach.
• The appendix can be a good place to put maps, photographs, diagrams, and other images , if you feel that it will help the reader to understand the content of your paper, while keeping in mind the study should be understood without them.
• An appendix should be streamlined and not loaded with a lot information . If you have a very long and complex appendix, it is a good idea to break it down into separate appendices, allowing the reader to find relevant information quickly as the information is covered in the body of the paper.

II.  Content

Never include an appendix that isn’t referred to in the text . All appendices should be summarized in your paper where it is relevant to the content. Appendices should also be arranged sequentially by the order they were first referenced in the text [i.e., Appendix 1 should not refer to text on page eight of your paper and Appendix 2 relate to text on page six].

There are very few rules regarding what type of material can be included in an appendix, but here are some common examples:

• Correspondence -- if your research included collaborations with others or outreach to others, then correspondence in the form of letters, memorandums, or copies of emails from those you interacted with could be included.
• Interview Transcripts -- in qualitative research, interviewing respondents is often used to gather information. The full transcript from an interview is important so the reader can read the entire dialog between researcher and respondent. The interview protocol [list of questions] should also be included.
• Non-textual elements -- as noted above, if there are a lot of non-textual items, such as, figures, tables, maps, charts, photographs, drawings, or graphs, think about highlighting examples in the text of the paper but include the remainder in an appendix.
• Questionnaires or surveys -- this is a common form of data gathering. Always include the survey instrument or questionnaires in an appendix so the reader understands not only the questions asked but the sequence in which they were asked. Include all variations of the instruments as well if different items were sent to different groups [e.g., those given to teachers and those given to administrators] .
• Raw statistical data – this can include any numerical data that is too lengthy to include in charts or tables in its entirety within the text. This is important because the entire source of data should be included even if you are referring to only certain parts of a chart or table in the text of your paper.
• Research instruments -- if you used a camera, or a recorder, or some other device to gather information and it is important for the reader to understand how, when, and/or where that device was used.
• Sample calculations – this can include quantitative research formulas or detailed descriptions of how calculations were used to determine relationships and significance.

NOTE:   Appendices should not be a dumping ground for information. Do not include vague or irrelevant information in an appendix; this additional information will not help the reader’s overall understanding and interpretation of your research and may only distract the reader from understanding the significance of your overall study.

ANOTHER NOTE :   Appendices are intended to provide supplementary information that you have gathered or created; it is not intended to replicate or provide a copy of the work of others. For example, if you need to contrast the techniques of analysis used by other authors with your own method of analysis, summarize that information, and cite to the original work. In this case, a citation to the original work is sufficient enough to lead the reader to where you got the information. You do not need to provide a copy of this in an appendix.

III.  Format

Here are some general guideline on how to format appendices . If needed, consult the writing style guide [e.g., APA, MLS, Chicago] your professor wants you to use for more detail:

• Appendices may precede or follow your list of references.
• Each appendix begins on a new page.
• The order they are presented is dictated by the order they are mentioned in the text of your research paper.
• The heading should be "Appendix," followed by a letter or number [e.g., "Appendix A" or "Appendix 1"], centered and written in bold type.
• If there is a table of contents, the appendices must be listed.
• The page number(s) of the appendix/appendices will continue on with the numbering from the last page of the text.

Appendices. The Structure, Format, Content, and Style of a Journal-Style Scientific Paper. Department of Biology. Bates College;  Appendices. Academic Skills Office, University of New England; Appendices. Writing Center, Walden University; Chapter 12, "Use of Appendices." In Guide to Effective Grant Writing: How to Write a Successful NIH Grant . Otto O. Yang. (New York: Kluwer Academic, 2005), pp. 55-57 ; Tables, Appendices, Footnotes and Endnotes. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Lunsford, Andrea A. and Robert Connors. The St. Martin's Handbook . New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989; What To Know About The Purpose And Format Of A Research Paper Appendix. LoyolaCollegeCulion.com.

Writing Tip

Consider Putting Your Appendices Online

Appendices are useful because they provide the reader with information that supports your study without breaking up the narrative or distracting from the main purpose of your paper. If you have a lot of raw data or information that is difficult to present in textual form, consider uploading it to an online site. This prevents your paper from having a large and unwieldy set of appendices and it supports a growing movement within academe to make data more freely available for re-analysis. If you do create an online portal to your data, note it prominently in your paper with the correct URL and access procedures if it is a secured site.

Piwowar, Heather A., Roger S. Day, and Douglas B. Fridsma. “Sharing Detailed Research Data Is Associated with Increased Citation Rate.” PloS ONE (March 21, 2007); Wicherts, Jelte M., Marjan Bakker, and Dylan Molenaar. “Willingness to Share Research Data Is Related to the Strength of the Evidence and the Quality of Reporting of Statistical Results.” PLoS ONE (November 2, 2011).

• << Previous: 9. The Conclusion
• Next: 10. Proofreading Your Paper >>
• Last Updated: Apr 20, 2024 2:57 PM
• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide

APA 7th edition - Paper Format: Appendices

• Introduction
• Mechanics of Style
• Overall Paper
• Sample Papers
• Reference List
• Tables and Figures
• APA Citations This link opens in a new window
• Additional Resources
• Writing Skills This link opens in a new window

How to Format An Appendix - Tutorial

• APA Appendices - JIBC Tip Sheet All you need to know about appendices in APA Style.

Information in this section is as outlined in the APA Publication Manual (2020), sections 2.14, 2.17, 2.24, and 7.6.

Appendices are used to include information that supplement the paper’s content but are considered distracting or inappropriate for the overall topic. It is recommended to only include an appendix if it helps the reader comprehend the study or theoretical argument being made. It is best if the material included is brief and easily presented. The material can be text, tables, figures, or a combination of these three.

Placement :

Appendices should be placed on a separate page at the end of your paper after the references, footnotes, tables, and figure. The label and title should be centre aligned. The contents of the appendix and the note should be left-aligned.

• If you are choosing to include tables and figures in your appendix, then you can list each one on a separate page or you may include multiple tables/figures in one appendix, if there is no text and each table and/or figure has its own clear number and title within the appendix.
• Tables and figures in an appendix receive a number preceded by the letter of the appendix in which it appears, e.g. Table A1 is the first table in Appendix A or of a sole appendix that is not labeled with a letter.

The follow elements are required for appendices in APA Style:

Appendix Labels:

Each appendix that you place in your paper is labelled “Appendix.” If a paper has more than one appendix, then label each with a capital letter in the order the appendices are referred to in your paper (“Appendix A” is referred to first, “Appendix B” is referred to second, etc).

• The label of the appendix should be in bold font, centre-aligned, follow Title Casing, and is located at the top of the page.
• If your appendix only contains one table or figure (and no text), then the appendix label takes the place of the table/figure number, e.g. the table may be referred to as “Appendix B” rather than “Table B1.”

Appendix Titles:

Each appendix should have a title, that describes its contents. Titles should be brief, clear, and explanatory.

• The title of the appendix should be in bold font, centre-aligned, follow Title Casing, and is one double-spaced line down from the appendix label.
• If your appendix only contains one table or figure (and no text), then the appendix title takes the place of the table/figure title. 

Appendix Contents:

• Left aligned and indented; written the same as paragraphs within the body of the paper
• Double-spaced and with the same font as the rest of the paper
• If the appendix contains a table and/or figure, then the table/figure number must contain a letter to correlate the table and/or figure to the appendix and not the body of the paper, e.g. “Table A1” rather than “Table 1” to clarify that the table appears in the appendix and not in the body of the paper.
• All tables and figures in an appendix must be mentioned in the appendix and numbered in order of mention. 
• All tables and figures must be aligned to the left margin, (not center aligned), and positioned after a paragraph break, preferably the paragraph in which they are referred to, with a double-spaced blank line between the table and the text. 
• Each table and figure should include a note afterwards to further explain the supplement or clarify information in the table or figure to your paper/appendix and can be general, specific, and probability. See “Table Notes” in the section “Table and Figures” above for more details.

Referring to Appendices in the Text:

In your paper, refer to every appendix that you have inserted. Do not include an appendix in your work that you do not clearly explain in relation to the ideas in your paper.

• In general, only refer to the appendix by the label (“Appendix” or “Appendix A” etc.) and not the appendix title.

Reprinting or Adapting:

If you did not create the content in the appendix yourself, for instance if you found a figure on the internet, you must include a copyright attribution in a note below the figure. 

• A copyright attribution is used instead of an in-text citation. 
• Each work should also be listed in the reference list. 

Please see pages 390-391 in the Manual for example copyright attributions.

• << Previous: Tables and Figures
• Next: Workshops >>
• Last Updated: Feb 7, 2024 1:05 PM
• URL: https://libguides.jibc.ca/apa/formatyourpaper

• Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How to refer to appendices in the text of my paper in APA 7?

• Netter Library
• 2 AccessMedicine
• 16 Adding Items to RefWorks (New/Blue)
• 1 Blackboard
• 1 Clinical Trials
• 1 ClinicalKey
• 1 Computers
• 2 Continuing Education
• 5 Coronavirus
• 1 Diagnostic Audio
• 1 Differential Diagnosis Ddx
• 2 Digital Object Identifier
• 2 Dissertations
• 2 Drug Resource
• 5 Email Alerts
• 1 Epocrates
• 1 Filespace
• 2 Google Scholar
• 2 Grey Literature
• 1 Human Anatomy Atlas
• 2 Interlibrary Loan
• 2 Learning Commons
• 2 Lexis Nexis Academic
• 1 Library hours
• 1 MicroMedex
• 13 Mobile Resources
• 1 Natural Medicines
• 1 Natural Standard
• 1 NetAnatomy
• 1 Newspapers
• 3 Peer review
• 1 Proofreading
• 1 PsychInfo
• 6 PubMed (New)
• 42 RefWorks (New/Blue)
• 7 RefWorks Citation Manager (New/Blue)
• 2 Remote Access
• 1 Research Impact
• 11 Resource Evaluation
• 3 Systematic reviews
• 1 Tests & Instruments
• 1 Visible Body
• 1 Write-N-Cite

Contact us!

Related topics, answered by: rachel lerner last updated: jul 12, 2021     views: 468.

The only thing that APA stipulates is that you refer to the appendix by its label (appendix a, etc). There are in-line references with and without further information (ex: see Appendix A for details on the questionnaire), but it does lend more clarity, so you can include it if you wish.

For more information on APA 7, please visit the  Netter Library APA 7 Citation Help Guide .

• Share on Facebook

Was this helpful? Yes 0 No 1

Submit a Question

Resources »

• Find Databases
• Find Journals
• Anatomy Resources
• Clinical Decision Tools
• Images/Video Resources
• Mobile Resources
• Research Guides
• Interlibrary Loan
• Renew a Book
• Request New Materials
• Copyright Information
• Hours/Location
• Off Campus Access
• Ask a Librarian
• Special Collections
• Library Newsletters

• Bipolar Disorder
• Therapy Center
• When To See a Therapist
• Types of Therapy
• Best Online Therapy
• Best Couples Therapy
• Best Family Therapy
• Managing Stress
• Sleep and Dreaming
• Understanding Emotions
• Self-Improvement
• Healthy Relationships
• Student Resources
• Personality Types
• Guided Meditations
• Verywell Mind Insights
• 2023 Verywell Mind 25
• Mental Health in the Classroom
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board
• Crisis Support

How to Write an APA Appendix

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Amanda Tust is a fact-checker, researcher, and writer with a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

 damircudric / Getty Images

• When to Use an Appendix
• What to Include
• Basic Rules

If you are writing a psychology paper for a class or for publication, you may be required to include an appendix in APA format. An APA appendix is found at the end of a paper and contains information that supplements the text but that is too unwieldy or distracting to include in the main body of the paper. 

APA format is the official writing style used by the American Psychological Association . This format dictates how academic and professional papers should be structured and formatted. 

Does Your Paper Need an APA Appendix?

Some questions to ask about whether you should put information in the body of the paper or in an appendix:

• Is the material necessary for the reader to understand the research? If the answer is yes, it should be in your paper and not in an appendix.
• Would including the information interrupt the flow of the paper? If the answer is yes, then it should likely appear in the appendix.
• Would the information supplement what already appears in your paper? If yes, then it is a good candidate for including in an appendix.

Your appendix is not meant to become an information dump. While the information in your appendices is supplementary to your paper and research, it should still be useful and relevant. Only include what will help readers gain insight and understanding, not clutter or unnecessary confusion.

What to Include in an APA Appendix

The APA official stylebook suggests that the appendix should include information that would be distracting or inappropriate in the text of the paper.

Some examples of information you might include in an appendix include:

• Correspondence (if it pertains directly to your research)
• Demographic details about participants or groups
• Examples of participant responses
• Extended or detailed descriptions
• Lists that are too lengthy to include in the main text
• Large amounts of raw data
• Lists of supporting research and articles that are not directly referenced in-text
• Materials and instruments (if your research relied on special materials or instruments, you might want to include images and further information about how these items work or were used)
• Questionnaires that were used as part of your research
• Raw data (presented in an organized, readable format)
• Research surveys

While the content found in the appendix is too cumbersome to include in the main text of your paper, it should still be easily presented in print format.

The appendices should always act as a supplement to your paper. The body of your paper should be able to stand alone and fully describe your research or your arguments.

The body of your paper should not be dependent upon what is in the appendices. Instead, each appendix should act to supplement what is in the primary text, adding additional (but not essential) information that provides extra insight or information for the reader. 

Basic Rules for an APA Appendix

Here are some basic APA appendix rules to keep in mind when working on your paper:

• Your paper may have more than one appendix.
• Each item usually gets its own appendix section.
• Begin each appendix on a separate page.
• Each appendix must have a title.
• Use title case for your title and labels (the first letter of each word should be capitalized, while remaining letters should be lowercase).
• If your paper only has one appendix, simply title it Appendix. 
• If you have more than one appendix, each one should be labeled Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, and so on.
• Put the appendix label centered at the top of the page.
• On the next line under the appendix label, place the centered title of the appendix. 
• If you refer to a source in your appendix, include an in-text citation just as you would in the main body of your paper and then include the source in your main reference section.
• Each appendix may contain headings, subheadings, figures, and tables. 
• Each figure or table in your appendix should include a brief but explanatory title, which should be italicized. 
• If you want to reference your appendix within the text of your paper, include a parenthetical note in the text. For example, you would write (See Appendix A).

Formatting an APA Appendix

How do you format an appendix in APA? An APA appendix should follow the overall rules on how to format text. Such rules specify what font and font size you should use, the size of your margins, and the spacing of the text.

Some of the APA format guidelines you need to observe:

• Use a consistent font, such as 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Calibri
• Double-space your text
• All paragraphs should be indented on the first line
• Page numbering should be continuous with the rest of your paper

The appendix label should appear centered and bolded at the top of the page. A descriptive title should follow and should also be bolded and centered. As with other pages in your paper, your APA format appendix should be left-aligned and double-spaced. Each page should include a page number in the top right corner. You can also have more than one appendix, but each one should begin on a new page.

Data Displays in an APA Appendix

When presenting information in an appendix, use a logical layout for any data displays such as tables or figures. All tables and figures should be labeled with the words “Table” or “Figure” (sans quotation marks) and the letter of the appendix and then numbered.

For example, Table A1 would be the first table in an Appendix A. Data displays should be presented in the appendix following the same order that they first appear in the text of your paper.

In addition to following basic APA formatting rules, you should also check to see if there are additional guidelines you need to follow. Individual instructors or publications may have their own specific requirements.

Where to Include an APA Appendix

If your paper does require an appendix, it should be the very last pages of your finished paper. An APA format paper is usually structured in the following way:

Your paper may not necessarily include all of these sections. At a minimum, however, your paper may consist of a title page, abstract, main text, and reference section. Also, if your paper does not contain tables, figures, or footnotes, then the appendix would follow the references.

Never include an appendix containing information that is not referred to in your text. 

A Word From Verywell

Writing a paper for class or publication requires a great deal of research, but you should pay special attention to your APA formatting. Each section of your paper, including the appendix section, needs to follow the rules and guidelines provided in the American Psychological Association’s stylebook.

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington DC: The American Psychological Association; 2020.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

• How To Write A Research Paper Appendix: A Step-by-Step Guide

Think of appendices like bonus levels on your favorite video game. They are not a major part of the game, but they boost your points and they make the game worthwhile. 

Appendix are important facts, calculations, or data that don’t fit into the main body of your research paper. Having an appendix gives your research paper more details, making it easier for your readers to understand your main ideas.

Let’s dive into how to create an appendix and its best practices.

Understanding the Purpose of an Appendix

If you’re looking to add some extra depth to your research, appendices are a great way to do it.  They allow you to include extremely useful information that doesn’t fit neatly into the main body of your research paper, such as huge raw data, multiple charts, or very long explanations.

Think of your appendix as a treasure chest with different compartments. You can include different information including, extra data, surveys, graphs, or even detailed explanations of your methods. You can fit anything too big or detailed for the main paper in the appendix.

Planning Your Appendix

Before you dive into making your appendix, it’s a good idea to plan things out; think of it as drawing a map before going on an adventure. 

You want your appendix to be organized and provide more context to your research. Not planning it will make the process time-consuming and make the appendix confusing to people reading your research paper.

How to Decide What to Include in Your Research Paper

You have to sort through the content that you will include in your appendix. Think of what your readers need to know to understand your key points. Anything that’s overly detailed, off-topic, or clutters up your paper is a good candidate for your appendix.

Tips for Organizing Your Appendix

Once you’ve figured out what to put in your appendix, it’s time to organize it. Your appendix is a place to add extra information, but it shouldn’t be cluttered or confusing to your readers. Instead, it should make your research paper easier to understand.

Use clear headings, labels, and even page numbers to help your readers find the information they need in the appendix. This way, it’s not a jumbled mess, but a well-organized part of your research paper

Formatting Guidelines

Yes, your appendix must be formatted. Most of the time, you’ll want to keep the font and margin sizes consistent with your main paper. 

However, some universities and journals may have specific guidelines for appendix formatting. Verify if your institution has special guidelines, if they do, follow them, if they don’t use the same format as your main text.

Here’s a typical breakdown of how to format your appendix:

(1) Labeling and Titling 

If you have different types of information in your appendix, use letters to label them, such as “Appendix A” and “Appendix B”. Then, give each appendix a title that explains the information inside it. 

For example, if the first section of your appendix contains raw survey data, you could call it “Appendix A (Survey Data of People Living with Diabetes Under 18 in Texas)”. If the second section of your appendix contains charts, you could call it “Appendix B (The Effect of Sugar Tax in Curbing Diabetes in Children and Young Adults)”.

(2) Numbering Tables, Figures, and More 

If you have tables, figures, or other things in your appendix, number them like a list. For example, “Table A1,” “Figure A1,” and more. This numbering helps your readers know what they’re looking at, sort of like chapters in a book.

Creating Tables and Figures

Using tables and figures helps you organize your data neatly in your appendix. Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating tables and figures in your appendix:

Choose the Right Format for Your Appendix Data

Before creating tables or figures, you need to pick the right format to display the information. Think about what makes your data most clear and understandable. 

For example, a table is better for detailed numbers, while a graph is great for showing trends. The right format makes your information easy to grasp and makes your paper look organized.

How to Create Tables in Your Appendix

You can use a spreadsheet program (like Excel or Google Sheets) to create tables to arrange information neatly. Make sure to give your table a clear title so readers know what it’s about.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating tables with a spreadsheet program:

• Open Google Sheets/Excel : Access Google Sheets or Excel through the web or download the app
• Open a New Spreadsheet or Existing File : Create a new spreadsheet or open an existing one where you want to insert a table.
• Select Data : Click and drag to select the data you want to include in the table.
• Insert Table : Once your data is selected, go to the “Insert” menu, then select “Table.
• Create Table : A dialog box will appear, confirming the selected data range. Make sure the “Use the first row as headers” option is checked if your data has headers. Click “Insert .”
• Customize Your Table : After inserting the table, you can customize it by adjusting the style, format, and other table properties using the “Table” menu in Google Sheets or Excel.

You can use software like PowerPoint, Google Slides, or graphic design tools to create them. If you have a chart or graph, make sure it’s easy to understand and add a title or labels to explain it. 

You can use the editing tools for images to change the size and other aspects of the image.

Stop Struggling with Research Proposals! Get Organized and Impress Reviewers with our Template

Including Raw Data

The major reasons for including raw data in your appendix are transparency and credibility. Raw data is like your research recipe; it shows exactly what you worked with to arrive at your conclusions.

Raw data also provides enough information to guide researchers in replicating your study or getting a deeper understanding of your research.

Formatting and Presenting Raw Data 

Formatting your raw data makes it easy for anyone to understand. You can use tables, charts, or even lists to display your data. For example, if you did a survey, you could put the survey responses in a table with clear headings.

When presenting your raw data, clear organization is your best friend. Use headings, labels, and consistent formatting to help your readers find and understand the data. This keeps your appendix from becoming a confusing puzzle.

Citing Your Appendix

Referencing your appendix in the main text gives readers a full picture of your research while they’re reading- They don’t have to wait until the end to figure out important details of your research.

Unlike actual references and citations, citing your appendix is a very straightforward process. You can simply say, “See Appendix A for more details.”

In-Text Citations for Appendix Content

If you would like to cite information in your appendix, you usually mention the author, year, and what exactly you’re citing. This allows you to give credit to the original creator of the content, so your readers know where it came from.

For instance, if you included a chart from a book in your appendix, you’d say something like (Author, Year, p. X). Keep in mind that there are different citation styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, and others), so your appendix may look a little different.

Proofreading and Editing

Proofreading and editing your appendix is just as important as proofreading and editing the main body of your paper. A poorly written or formatted appendix can leave a negative impression on your reader and detract from the overall quality of your work. 

Make sure that your appendix is consistent with the main text of your paper in terms of style and tone unless otherwise stated by your institution. Use the same font, font size, and line spacing in the appendix as you do in the main body of your paper. 

Your appendix should also be free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting.

Tips for Checking for Errors in Formatting, Labeling, and Content

Here are some tips for checking for errors in formatting, labeling, and content in your appendix:

• Formatting : Make sure that all of the elements in your appendix are formatted correctly, including tables, figures, and equations. Check the margins, line spacing, and font size to make sure that they are consistent with the rest of your paper.
• Labeling : All of the tables, figures, and equations in your appendix should be labeled clearly and consistently. Use a consistent numbering system and make sure that the labels match the references in the main body of your paper.
• Content : Proofread your appendix carefully to catch any errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and content. You can use grammar editing tools such as Grammarly to help you automatically detect errors in your context.

Appendix Checklist

Having an appendix checklist guarantees a well-organized appendix and helps you spot and correct any overlooked mistakes.

Here’s a checklist of key points to review before finalizing your appendix:

• Is all of the information in the appendix relevant and necessary?
• Is the appendix well-organized and easy to understand?
• Are all the tables, numbers, and equations clearly labeled?
• Is the appendix formatted correctly and consistently with the main body of the paper?
• Is the appendix free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and content?

Sample Appendix

We have discussed what you should include in your appendix and how to organize it. Let’s take a look at what a well-formatted appendix looks like:

Appendix A. (Raw Data of Class Scores)

The following table shows the raw data collected for the study.

How the Sample Appendix Adheres to Best Practices

• The appendix is labeled clearly and concisely as “Appendix A. (Raw Data of Class Score).”
• The appendix begins on a new page.
• The appendix is formatted consistently with the rest of the paper, using the same font, font size, and line spacing.
• The table in the appendix is labeled clearly and concisely as “Table A1.”
• The table is formatted correctly, with consistent column widths and alignment.
• The table includes all of the necessary information, including the participant number, age, gender, and score.
• The appendix is free of grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

Having an appendix easily makes your research paper impressive to reviewers, and increases your likelihood of achieving high grades or journal publication.  It also makes it easier for other researchers to replicate your research, allowing you to make a significant contribution to your research field.

Ensure to use the best practices in this guide to create a well-structured and relevant appendix. Also, use the checklist provided in this article to help you carefully review your appendix before submitting it.

Connect to Formplus, Get Started Now - It's Free!

• appendix data
• business research
• Moradeke Owa

You may also like:

43 Market Research Terminologies You Need To Know

Introduction Market research is a process of gathering information to determine the needs, wants, or behaviors of consumers or...

Projective Techniques In Surveys: Definition, Types & Pros & Cons

Introduction When you’re conducting a survey, you need to find out what people think about things. But how do you get an accurate and...

Subgroup Analysis: What It Is + How to Conduct It

Introduction Clinical trials are an integral part of the drug development process. They aim to assess the safety and efficacy of a new...

Desk Research: Definition, Types, Application, Pros & Cons

If you are looking for a way to conduct a research study while optimizing your resources, desk research is a great option. Desk research...

Formplus - For Seamless Data Collection

Collect data the right way with a versatile data collection tool. try formplus and transform your work productivity today..

• Walden University
• Faculty Portal

General Research Paper Guidelines: Appendices

If you have some information you would like to include in your research but it could potentially be distracting to readers or inappropriate within the body of your research paper, you can always include supplemental information as an appendix to your work. An appendix or appendices should always be inserted after your Reference List; however, the appropriateness of appendix content really depends on the nature and scope of your research paper.

For a more in-depth review of what supplemental materials might be included in a social science appendix, be sure to review Section 2.14 “Appendices” (pp. 41-42) of your 7 th edition APA manual.

Appendices Formatting

APA 7 addresses appendices and supplemental materials in Section 2.14 and on page 41:

• The appendices follow the reference list.
• They are lettered "Appendix A," "Appendix B," "Appendix C," and so forth. If you have only one appendix, however, simply label it Appendix.
• Put figures and tables in separate appendices. The appendix title serves as the title for a table if it is the only table in the appendix.
• If you decide that certain figures and tables should appear in the same appendix, number them A1, A2, A3, and so forth, according to the appendix in which they appear.
• The materials in the appendix must not extend beyond the margins of the rest of the paper: Reduce the appendix materials as needed.

As a general guide, appendices are appropriate for any material that, if presented in the main body of the document, would unnecessarily interrupt the flow of the writing. Note that it is unlikely that you will use appendices in Walden course papers. For doctoral capstone studies, you might include some appendices with supplementary information.

• Previous Page: References
• Office of Student Disability Services

Walden Resources

Departments.

• Academic Residencies
• Academic Skills
• Career Planning and Development
• Customer Care Team
• Field Experience
• Military Services
• Student Success Advising
• Writing Skills

Centers and Offices

• Center for Social Change
• Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services
• Office of Degree Acceleration
• Office of Research and Doctoral Services
• Office of Student Affairs

Student Resources

• Doctoral Writing Assessment
• Form & Style Review
• Quick Answers
• ScholarWorks
• SKIL Courses and Workshops
• Walden Bookstore
• Walden Catalog & Student Handbook
• Student Safety/Title IX
• Legal & Consumer Information
• Website Terms and Conditions
• Cookie Policy
• Accessibility
• Accreditation
• State Authorization
• Net Price Calculator
• Contact Walden

Walden University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com Walden University is certified to operate by SCHEV © 2024 Walden University LLC. All rights reserved.

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game New
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• Journal Writing
• Reading Journals

How to Use an Appendix

Last Updated: April 1, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Annaliese Dunne and by wikiHow staff writer, Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA . Annaliese Dunne is a Middle School English Teacher. With over 10 years of teaching experience, her areas of expertise include writing and grammar instruction, as well as teaching reading comprehension. She is also an experienced freelance writer. She received her Bachelor's degree in English. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 74,052 times.

You’ve probably seen an appendix (or appendices) at the end of an academic paper. However, you might be unsure of how to include them in your own work. When you’re writing an academic paper, you can use an appendix to add important information that doesn’t fit into your paper. You might include your research materials, raw data, or detailed information that’s good to know but not necessary for readers to understand.

Things You Should Know

• Format your appendix in traditional paragraph style, and put each appendix on a separate page.
• Label all your figures, tables, and visuals with the letter of the corresponding appendix, and number the elements within each appendix to make it clear what you’re referring to.
• Refer to each appendix in the text of your paper, and put your appendices in the order that they’re mentioned.

Deciding When to Use an Appendix

• Surveys or questionnaires you used in your research
• Copies of letters or emails
• Transcripts from interviews

• Important words that need to be defined
• Further description of the testing methods or process for choosing a particular testing method
• A detailed description of the materials or testing equipment you used
• Interesting details that might interest the reader but aren’t necessary to understand your conclusions
• Additional background about your topic

• For instance, you might include your raw data in 1 appendix and your mathematical proofs in a separate appendix.

• For example, let’s say you conducted an environmental study. You might include a map of the area you studied.
• Similarly, you might include a photo of your lab setup for a chemistry experiment.

Formatting Appendices

• For instance, let’s say you want to create appendices for a questionnaire, emails you exchanged with an expert on your topic, and raw data from an experiment you did. You’d need 3 separate appendices.

• For instance, Appendix A might be on pg. 23, Appendix B may be on pg. 25, and Appendix C could be on pg. 26.
• If you have 3 or fewer short appendices, you may decide to include them on the same page. However, it’s easier for readers to scan them if they’re on separate pages.

• You don’t need to describe what’s included in the appendix in the title.

Variation: You can use numbers if you prefer. You might choose to label multiple appendices “Appendix 1,” “Appendix 2,” Appendix 3,” and so on. [8] X Research source

• For instance, you might have an “Appendix A,” Appendix B,” and Appendix C” at the end of your paper. Similarly, you could write, “Appendix 1,” Appendix 2,” and “Appendix 3.”

• For instance, you might start over with “Appendix Table 1” or “Appendix Figure A.”
• If a particular table or graph is necessary for your reader to understand your conclusions, include in your paper rather than an appendix.

Inserting Appendices into Your Paper

• For instance, when discussing survey results, you might include this text: “See Appendix A for a copy of the survey.”

• For example, let’s say you have an appendix for a survey, an appendix for your raw data, and an appendix for an interview transcript. If you reference the interview first, followed by the survey and data, you’d put the appendices in that order.

• Check the instructions from your instructor or the journal where you’re submitting to see if they have specific rules about where the appendices should be placed.

• For instance, if your paper ended on page 22, your first appendix would be page 23.

• You don't need a table of contents to have appendices.

Expert Q&A

• You can typically use an appendix for information or materials that mess up your paper structure. For instance, putting a copy of a survey in your paper would likely throw off the format of the paper. [16] X Research source
• If information is essential for your reader to know, include it in the body of your paper instead of an appendix. [17] X Research source
• Don’t include your appendices in your word count.

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about writing, check out our in-depth interview with Annaliese Dunne .

• ↑ https://www.une.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/392156/WE_Appendices.pdf
• ↑ https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/appendices
• ↑ https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803&p=185936
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_the_social_sciences/writing_in_psychology_experimental_report_writing/tables_appendices_footnotes_and_endnotes.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/footnotes_appendices.html
• ↑ https://www.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/page_files/3/13_AppendixFormat.pdf

About This Article

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Moonqueen B.

Did this article help you?

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

How to Write a Research Paper Appendix

Link Copied

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on LinkedIn

Presentation aced!

Writing a research paper isn’t just a work of mere writing. Writing the perfect research paper takes a lot of research, analysis, framing, formatting, and much more. Correctly writing one of the most essential and academically popular segments of a research paper, the appendix, is one such effort that goes into a dissertation.  In this blog , we will discuss with you the functions of an appendix in-depth and give you some tried and tested tips to craft the perfect appendix section of a research paper! Let’s dive in! 

What is an Appendix?

The appendix on a research paper is a supplementary segment at the end of a dissertation or the research paper. This section isn’t considered a part of the main body text of the dissertation, but it is an important part of doing research. Appendices often feature raw data in the form of tables, figures, maps, diagrams and statistics and thus contribute to the credibility of the research and make it a perfect research paper . 

Using academic resources, books, and research tools can help frame an appendix better. Appendices are essential since they provide extra support to your research and make the dissertation seem more transparent regarding data. 

However, the appendix section of a research paper should only be supplementary; thus, you cannot depend on it to help the reader understand the main text. Your dissertation text should be detailed enough to be understandable without appendices, and they should only be placed to support your arguments presented in the research report. 

How to Write an Appendix for a Research Paper

Writing the perfect research paper appendix can be overwhelming if it’s your first time doing so. However, drafting the appendix section of a research paper can be quite fun if you know the basics and understand how exactly you should go about it. Here are our 5 tips on how to write the perfect appendix for your dissertation: 

Step 1: Organize the Appendix

With all the raw data, stats, and information, an appendix on a research paper can be difficult to go through and understand if they’re drafted disorganizedly. So, while writing your research paper appendix, make sure you are not just ramming all information into it but organising it well so the reader can utilise it. Structure it well, for it can very well come across as a reflection of your daily choices.

Step 2: Consider Accessibility

A research paper appendix can include non-textual information like tables, diagrams, graphs, images, illustrations, etc. If you’re adding such visual data elements to your appendices, ensure the material is clear and readable so the reader can comprehend the data. You should also ensure you are labelling these elements well and adding brief descriptions to each figure. 

Step 3: Review for Relevance

It is easy to lose track of the relevance of your data while preparing appendices since you have to work with many different types of data simultaneously. However, you have to remember that the goal is not to stuff your appendices with data. Rather, craft a precise, careful research paper appendix that can give your reader relevant and additional data that supports your research.

Step 4: Proofread and Revise

When it comes to dissertation writing, typos, grammatical errors, and spelling mistakes can cost you way more than just miscommunication. These seemingly harmless errors can make your work look casual and unprofessional, bringing in questions about the credibility of your work. It is a similar case when it comes to writing an appendix for a research paper. 

Step 5: Seek Guidance

It is important to remember that seeking guidance when you feel stuck is pretty normal, and there is nothing to be embarrassed about it. You may feel lost while writing an appendix for a research paper, and it is the perfect time to seek guidance from your peers, advisor or even dissertation committee members. 

How to Format an Appendix

Ensuring proper formatting is crucial for the seamless integration of the research paper appendix into the main body. Follow the guidelines below for a sharp-looking appendix:

Consistency with the Main Body

Formatting elements, fonts, font sizes and margins should have uniformity. Consistent and professional appearance gives your research paper a neat look.

Organisation and Structure

Use headings and subheadings to categorise your data logically. You can also use a well-structured numbering system to facilitate easy navigation.

Descriptive Elements

Introduce each content with short descriptions and paragraphs. Giving additional context makes the information more accessible and interpretable.

Consistent Formatting Style

Use a formatting style that goes well with the rest of your dissertation, along with font styles, sizes, and other formatting guidelines instructed by your academic institution.

Visual Accessibility

Any non-textual elements, such as tables, graphs, or images, should be clear and readable. Label these visual elements and add alternative texts for inclusivity in the digital appendix.

Where does the appendix go in your dissertation? 

Although the appendix section of a research paper is an essential part of your dissertation, it is not to be included in the main body of the dissertation. As a compilation of supplementary material and raw data, your research paper appendix should go at the end of the dissertation, typically inserted after the reference lists. Some even present appendices as separate supplementary documents, mostly done in specially requested cases. 

The format of the research paper appendix should be similar to the rest of your report for consistency. It should thus be drafted and formatted in the same style as the dissertation in terms of fonts, margins, and font sizes.

What to include in your appendix 

While drafting your research paper appendix, remember that it needs to be as precise as possible. Thus, there cannot be unnecessary information in it. Typically, appendices include raw data that supports your research and is referenced in the dissertation you have prepared. Here are some of the elements that you should include in your appendix: 

• Research results 
• Transcribed interviews 
• Survey/questionnaire details 
• Table and figures 
• Co-respondence 
• List of abbreviations used 
• Calculations and formulas 

Explore student accommodations for a focused academic experience!

Book through amber today!

Referring appendix in-text 

Only adding your appendix to the research paper at the end of the dissertation would not make sense if there are no references to them in the main text. To justify its existence and inclusion in the research report, you should reference the appendix at least once in the whole report. A neatly labelled and properly referred research paper appendix can make your dissertation look more professional and supported. 

How to refer to an appendix

Referring to the research paper appendix within the main text is important in highlighting its relevance. Use these five methods for referencing:

In-text references

Specific references embedded in your sentences contextually shape your information. For example, "In Table 2 of Appendix B, the commonality between subjects A and B is illustrated.

Parenthetical references

You can use parentheses for concise references without disrupting the main text's flow. For instance, "The result [refer to Appendix C, Fig. 2] is not consistent with the previous findings."

Referring to the entire appendix

Refer to the entire research paper appendix in your text when appropriate. For example, "The data supporting this conclusion can be found in Appendix B."

Clarity and labelling

References should be clear and well-labelled. Proper labelling ensures easy identification of referenced material within the appendix, polishing your research paper professionally.

Cross-referencing

Cross-referencing helps you establish connections between the main text and the appendix. Phrases like "As discussed in Appendix A" guide readers to supporting material.

Crafting the perfect appendix section of a research paper involves meticulous attention to detail and adherence to formatting and referencing guidelines. As an integral part of your dissertation, the appendix contributes significantly to the transparency, credibility, and overall professionalism of your research. By following the comprehensive guidelines provided in this guide, you can ensure that your appendix not only complements your main text but also serves as a valuable resource for readers seeking additional insights. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What do i write in a research paper appendix, why is an appendix important for a dissertation, where is the appendix placed in the research paper, is writing a research paper appendix difficult, what are the basic guidelines for writing an appendix.

Your ideal student home & a flight ticket awaits

Follow us on :

Related Posts

How To Get Into Oxford University 2024-25

A Comprehensive Guide to UK Intakes: Spring, Winter, and Fall

UK Grading System Guide 2024: Everything You Need To Know!

Planning to Study Abroad ?

Your ideal student accommodation is a few steps away! Please fill in your details below so we can find you a new home!

We have got your response

amber © 2024. All rights reserved.

4.8/5 on Trustpilot

Rated as "Excellent" • 4800+ Reviews by students

Rated as "Excellent" • 4700+ Reviews by Students

amber © 2023. All rights reserved.

• Privacy Policy

Buy Me a Coffee

Home » Appendices – Writing Guide, Types and Examples

Appendices – Writing Guide, Types and Examples

Table of Contents

Definition:

Appendices refer to supplementary materials or documents that are attached to the end of a Book, Report , Research Paper , Thesis or other written work. These materials can include charts, graphs, tables, images, or other data that support the main content of the work.

Types of Appendices

Types of appendices that can be used depending on the content and purpose of the document. These types of Appendices are as follows:

Statistical Appendices

Statistical appendices are used to present raw data or statistical analysis that is relevant to the main text but would be too bulky to include in the main body of the document. These appendices may include tables, graphs, charts, or other types of visual aids that help to illustrate the data.

Technical Appendices

Technical appendices are used to provide detailed technical information that is relevant to the main text but would be too complex or lengthy to include in the main body of the document. These appendices may include equations, formulas, diagrams, or other technical details that are important for understanding the subject matter.

Bibliographical Appendices

Bibliographical appendices are used to provide additional references or sources that are relevant to the main text but were not cited in the main body of the document. These appendices may include lists of books, articles, or other resources that the author consulted in the course of their research.

Historical Appendices

Historical appendices are used to provide background information or historical context that is relevant to the main text but would be too lengthy or distracting to include in the main body of the document. These appendices may include timelines, maps, biographical sketches, or other historical details that help to contextualize the subject matter.

Supplemental Appendices

Supplemental appendices are used to provide additional material that is relevant to the main text but does not fit into any of the other categories. These appendices may include interviews, surveys, case studies, or other types of supplemental material that help to further illustrate the subject matter.

Applications of Appendices

Some applications of appendices are:

• Providing detailed data and statistics: Appendices are often used to include detailed data and statistics that support the findings presented in the main body of the document. For example, in a research paper, an appendix might include raw data tables or graphs that were used to support the study’s conclusions.
• Including technical details: Appendices can be used to include technical details that may be of interest to a specialized audience. For example, in a technical report, an appendix might include detailed calculations or equations that were used to develop the report’s recommendations.
• Presenting supplementary information: Appendices can be used to present supplementary information that is related to the main content but doesn’t fit well within the main body of the document. For example, in a business proposal, an appendix might include a list of references or a glossary of terms.
• Providing supporting documentation: Appendices can be used to provide supporting documentation that is required by the document’s audience. For example, in a legal document, an appendix might include copies of contracts or agreements that were referenced in the main body of the document.
• Including multimedia materials : Appendices can be used to include multimedia materials that supplement the main content. For example, in a book, an appendix might include photographs, maps, or illustrations that help to clarify the text.

Importance of Appendices

Appendices are important components of research papers, reports, Thesis, and other academic papers. They are supplementary materials that provide additional information and data that support the main text. Here are some reasons why appendices are important:

• Additional Information : Appendices provide additional information that is too detailed or too lengthy to include in the main text. This information includes raw data, graphs, tables, and charts that support the research findings.
• Clarity and Conciseness : Appendices help to maintain the clarity and conciseness of the main text. By placing detailed information and data in appendices, writers can avoid cluttering the main text with lengthy descriptions and technical details.
• Transparency : Appendices increase the transparency of research by providing readers with access to the data and information used in the research process. This transparency increases the credibility of the research and allows readers to verify the findings.
• Accessibility : Appendices make it easier for readers to access the data and information that supports the research. This is particularly important in cases where readers want to replicate the research or use the data for their own research.
• Compliance : Appendices can be used to comply with specific requirements of the research project or institution. For example, some institutions may require researchers to include certain types of data or information in the appendices.

Appendices Structure

Here is an outline of a typical structure for an appendix:

I. Introduction

• A. Explanation of the purpose of the appendix
• B. Brief overview of the contents

II. Main Body

• A. Section headings or subheadings for different types of content
• B. Detailed descriptions, tables, charts, graphs, or images that support the main content
• C. Labels and captions for each item to help readers navigate and understand the content

III. Conclusion

• A. Summary of the key points covered in the appendix
• B. Suggestions for further reading or resources

IV. Appendices

• A. List of all the appendices included in the document
• B. Table of contents for the appendices

V. References

• A. List of all the sources cited in the appendix
• B. Proper citation format for each source

Example of Appendices

here’s an example of what appendices might look like for a survey:

Appendix A:

Survey Questionnaire

This section contains a copy of the survey questionnaire used for the study.

• What is your age?
• What is your gender?
• What is your highest level of education?
• How often do you use social media?
• Which social media platforms do you use most frequently?
• How much time do you typically spend on social media each day?
• Do you feel that social media has had a positive or negative impact on your life?
• Have you ever experienced cyberbullying or harassment on social media?
• Have you ever been influenced by social media to make a purchase or try a new product?
• In your opinion, what are the biggest advantages and disadvantages of social media?

Appendix B:

Participant Demographics

This section includes a table with demographic information about the survey participants, such as age, gender, and education level.

Age Gender Education Level

• 20 Female Bachelor’s Degree
• 32 Male Master’s Degree
• 45 Female High School Diploma
• 28 Non-binary Associate’s Degree

Appendix C:

Statistical Analysis

This section provides details about the statistical analysis performed on the survey data, including tables or graphs that illustrate the results of the analysis.

Table 1: Frequency of Social Media Platforms

Use Platform Frequency

• Facebook 35%
• Instagram 28%
• Twitter 15%
• Snapchat 12%

Figure 1: Impact of Social Media on Life Satisfaction

Appendix D:

Survey Results

This section presents the raw data collected from the survey, such as participant responses to each question.

Question 1: What is your age?

Question 2: What is your gender?

And so on for each question in the survey.

How to Write Appendices

Here are the steps to follow to write appendices:

• Determine what information to include: Before you start writing your appendices, decide what information you want to include. This may include tables, figures, graphs, charts, photographs, or other types of data that support the main content of your paper.
• Organize the material: Once you have decided what to include, organize the material in a logical manner that follows the sequence of the main content. Use clear headings and subheadings to make it easy for readers to navigate through the appendices.
• Label the appendices: Label each appendix with a capital letter (e.g., “Appendix A,” “Appendix B,” etc.) and provide a brief descriptive title that summarizes the content.
• F ormat the appendices: Follow the same formatting style as the rest of your paper or report. Use the same font, margins, and spacing to maintain consistency.
• Provide detailed explanations: Make sure to provide detailed explanations of any data, charts, graphs, or other information included in the appendices so that readers can understand the significance of the material.
• Cross-reference the appendices: In the main text, cross-reference the appendices where appropriate by referring to the appendix letter and title (e.g., “see Appendix A for more information”).
• Review and revise: Review and revise the appendices just as you would any other part of your paper or report to ensure that the information is accurate, clear, and relevant.

When to Write Appendices

Appendices are typically included in a document when additional information needs to be provided that is not essential to the main text, but still useful for readers who want to delve deeper into a topic. Here are some common situations where you might want to include appendices:

• Supporting data: If you have a lot of data that you want to include in your document, but it would make the main text too lengthy or confusing, you can include it in an appendix. This is especially useful for academic papers or reports.
• Additional examples: I f you want to include additional examples or case studies to support your argument or research, but they are not essential to the main text, you can include them in an appendix.
• Technical details: I f your document contains technical information that may be difficult for some readers to understand, you can include detailed explanations or diagrams in an appendix.
• Background information : If you want to provide background information on a topic that is not directly related to the main text, but may be helpful for readers, you can include it in an appendix.

Purpose of Appendices

The purposes of appendices include:

• Providing additional details: Appendices can be used to provide additional information that is too detailed or bulky to include in the main body of the document. For example, technical specifications, data tables, or lengthy survey results.
• Supporting evidence: Appendices can be used to provide supporting evidence for the arguments or claims made in the main body of the document. This can include supplementary graphs, charts, or other visual aids that help to clarify or support the text.
• Including legal documents: Appendices can be used to include legal documents that are referred to in the main body of the document, such as contracts, leases, or patent applications.
• Providing additional context: Appendices can be used to provide additional context or background information that is relevant to the main body of the document. For example, historical or cultural information, or a glossary of technical terms.
• Facilitating replication: In research papers, appendices are used to provide detailed information about the research methodology, raw data, or analysis procedures to facilitate replication of the study.

Advantages of Appendices

Some Advantages of Appendices are as follows:

• Saving Space: Including lengthy or detailed information in the main text of a document can make it appear cluttered and overwhelming. By placing this information in an appendix, it can be included without taking up valuable space in the main text.
• Convenience: Appendices can be used to provide supplementary information that is not essential to the main argument or discussion but may be of interest to some readers. By including this information in an appendix, readers can choose to read it or skip it, depending on their needs and interests.
• Organization: Appendices can be used to organize and present complex information in a clear and logical manner. This can make it easier for readers to understand and follow the main argument or discussion of the document.
• Compliance : In some cases, appendices may be required to comply with specific document formatting or regulatory requirements. For example, research papers may require appendices to provide detailed information on research methodology, data analysis, or technical procedures.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

How to Cite Research Paper – All Formats and...

Data Collection – Methods Types and Examples

Delimitations in Research – Types, Examples and...

Research Paper Format – Types, Examples and...

Research Process – Steps, Examples and Tips

Research Design – Types, Methods and Examples

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

How to Cite an Appendix in Harvard Referencing

2-minute read

• 21st January 2023

You’ve got your hands on some highly useful – yet non-essential – information that provides background information for your reader on the issue you’re writing about. You decide to include it as an appendix in your academic paper. Good move!

But how do you cite an appendix in your academic paper using Harvard referencing? Look no further! We’ve got you covered.

Original Work or Borrowed?

The first question to ask yourself is: who authored the supplementary information you’re offering as an appendix? Did you write it, or did someone else?

If the ideas and work in the appendix are your own, there’s no need to cite it. Instead, simply call attention to the appendix by signposting it in your text. Perhaps you’ve transcribed some interviews for an assignment. In this case, you might write:

You can help your readers to find additional information easily by assigning appendices letters (A) or numbers (1). It’s important to be consistent with this.

If you refer to someone else’s work in any part of the appendix, simply cite it as you normally would in the Harvard referencing style with an in-text citation corresponding to the entry in your references list.

Referencing an Appendix from Someone Else’s Work

If you stumble upon an already compiled appendix of useful information that you think would be perfect to highlight in your own work, by all means, do so. As long as you give credit where credit’s due, there’s no problem. Simply add the appendix information and page number to the in-text and reference citations as needed. For example:

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

If you’re thinking about citing an appendix in a Harvard style paper, we hope this post helps you to:

●  Call attention to an appendix.

●  Cite the work of others within an appendix.

●  Reference an appendix from another’s work.

If you’d like the added peace of mind of having your work reviewed by one of our team of professional proofreaders, consider submitting a free sample of your work today.

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Get help from a language expert. Try our proofreading services for free.

How to cite the cdc in apa.

If you’re writing about health issues, you might need to reference the Centers for Disease...

5-minute read

Six Product Description Generator Tools for Your Product Copy

Introduction If you’re involved with ecommerce, you’re likely familiar with the often painstaking process of...

3-minute read

What Is a Content Editor?

Are you interested in learning more about the role of a content editor and the...

4-minute read

The Benefits of Using an Online Proofreading Service

Proofreading is important to ensure your writing is clear and concise for your readers. Whether...

6 Online AI Presentation Maker Tools

Creating presentations can be time-consuming and frustrating. Trying to construct a visually appealing and informative...

What Is Market Research?

No matter your industry, conducting market research helps you keep up to date with shifting...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation
• Research Paper Appendix | Example & Templates

Research Paper Appendix | Example & Templates

Published on 15 August 2022 by Kirsten Dingemanse and Tegan George. Revised on 25 October 2022.

An appendix is a supplementary document that facilitates your reader’s understanding of your research but is not essential to your core argument. Appendices are a useful tool for providing additional information or clarification in a research paper , dissertation , or thesis without making your final product too long.

Appendices help you provide more background information and nuance about your topic without disrupting your text with too many tables and figures or other distracting elements.

We’ve prepared some examples and templates for you, for inclusions such as research protocols, survey questions, and interview transcripts. All are worthy additions to an appendix. You can download these in the format of your choice below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.

Table of contents

What is an appendix in a research paper, what to include in an appendix, how to format an appendix, how to refer to an appendix, where to put your appendices, other components to consider, appendix checklist.

In the main body of your research paper, it’s important to provide clear and concise information that supports your argument and conclusions . However, after doing all that research, you’ll often find that you have a lot of other interesting information that you want to share with your reader.

While including it all in the body would make your paper too long and unwieldy, this is exactly what an appendix is for.

As a rule of thumb, any detailed information that is not immediately needed to make your point can go in an appendix. This helps to keep your main text focused but still allows you to include the information you want to include somewhere in your paper.

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

An appendix can be used for different types of information, such as:

• Supplementary results : Research findings  are often presented in different ways, but they don’t all need to go in your paper. The results most relevant to your research question should always appear in the main text, while less significant results (such as detailed descriptions of your sample or supplemental analyses that do not help answer your main question), can be put in an appendix.
• Statistical analyses : If you conducted statistical tests using software like Stata or R, you may also want to include the outputs of your analysis in an appendix.
• Further information on surveys or interviews : Written materials or transcripts related to things such as surveys and interviews can also be placed in an appendix.

You can opt to have one long appendix, but separating components (like interview transcripts, supplementary results, or surveys) into different appendices makes the information simpler to navigate.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Always start each appendix on a new page.
• Assign it both a number (or letter) and a clear title, such as ‘Appendix A. Interview transcripts’. This makes it easier for your reader to find the appendix, as well as for you to refer back to it in your main text.
• Number and title the individual elements within each appendix (e.g., ‘Transcripts’) to make it clear what you are referring to. Restart the numbering in each appendix at 1.

It is important that you refer to each of your appendices at least once in the main body of your paper. This can be done by mentioning the appendix and its number or letter, either in parentheses or within the main part of a sentence. It is also possible to refer to a particular component of an appendix.

Appendix B presents the correspondence exchanged with the fitness boutique. Example 2. Referring to an appendix component These results (see Appendix 2, Table 1) show that …

It is common to capitalise ‘Appendix’ when referring to a specific appendix, but it is not mandatory. The key is just to make sure that you are consistent throughout your entire paper, similarly to consistency in capitalising headings and titles in academic writing.

However, note that lowercase should always be used if you are referring to appendices in general. For instance, ‘The appendices to this paper include additional information about both the survey and the interviews.’

The simplest option is to add your appendices after the main body of your text, after you finish citing your sources in the citation style of your choice . If this is what you choose to do, simply continue with the next page number. Another option is to put the appendices in a separate document that is delivered with your dissertation.

Remember that any appendices should be listed in your paper’s table of contents .

There are a few other supplementary components related to appendices that you may want to consider. These include:

• List of abbreviations : If you use a lot of abbreviations or field-specific symbols in your dissertation, it can be helpful to create a list of abbreviations .
• Glossary : If you utilise many specialised or technical terms, it can also be helpful to create a glossary .
• Tables, figures and other graphics : You may find you have too many tables, figures, and other graphics (such as charts and illustrations) to include in the main body of your dissertation. If this is the case, consider adding a figure and table list .

Checklist: Appendix

All appendices contain information that is relevant, but not essential, to the main text.

Each appendix starts on a new page.

I have given each appendix a number and clear title.

I have assigned any specific sub-components (e.g., tables and figures) their own numbers and titles.

My appendices are easy to follow and clearly formatted.

I have referred to each appendix at least once in the main text.

Your appendices look great! Use the other checklists to further improve your thesis.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

Dingemanse, K. & George, T. (2022, October 25). Research Paper Appendix | Example & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved 15 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/appendix/

Is this article helpful?

Kirsten Dingemanse

Other students also liked, thesis & dissertation acknowledgements | tips & examples, dissertation title page, how to write a results section | tips & examples.

University Libraries      University of Nevada, Reno

• Skill Guides
• Subject Guides

APA Citation Guide (7th Edition): Reference List and Sample Papers

• Audiovisual Media
• Books and eBooks
• Dictionaries, Thesauruses and Encyclopedias
• Figures and Tables
• Government Documents
• Journal, Magazine and Newspaper Articles
• Personal Communications
• Presentations and Class Notes
• Social Media
• Websites and Webpages
• Generative AI
• In-Text Citation
• Reference List and Sample Papers
• Annotated Bibliography
• Citation Software

Sample Papers

The APA Style website contains several  sample papers formatted in seventh edition APA Style. The sample papers were published in both annotated and non-annotated formats. The annotations draw attention to relevant content and formatting and provide users with the relevant sections of the Publication Manual (7th ed.) to consult for more information.

Sometimes authors wish to include material that supplements the paper's content but that would be distracting in the text of the paper. Such material can often be included in an appendix. If you are adding an appendix to your paper, here are a few rules to follow:

• The appendix appears after the Reference list, tables, and figures.
• Each appendix begins on a new page.
• If you only have one appendix, label it Appendix. If you have more than one appendix, name the first appendix Appendix A, the second appendix Appendix B, etc.
• The appendices should appear in the order that the information is mentioned in your paper.
• Each appendix should be mentioned (called out) at least once in the text by its label (e.g., "see Appendix A").
• Place the appendix label and title in bold and centered on separate lines at the top of the page on which the appendix begins.
• Use title case for the appendix label and title.

Reference List

A Reference list provides a reliable way for readers to locate the works authors cite. Here are a few rules for a Reference list:

• The Reference list appears after the text and before any tables, figures, and appendices.
• The Reference list begins on a new page.
• Label the Reference list "References." Center this heading and use a bold font.
• Double-space the list.
• Start the first line of each reference at the left margin; indent each subsequent line 0.5 inches (a hanging indent).
• Put your list in alphabetical order. Alphabetize the list by the first word in the reference. In most cases, the first word will be the author’s last name. Where the author is unknown, alphabetize by the first word in the title, ignoring the words a, an, the.
• << Previous: In-Text Citation
• Next: Annotated Bibliography >>

• Western Libraries
• Ask Us! Answer Service

Q. How should I cite my paper's appendices in-text for APA format?

• Research & Writing Studio
• 21 Accounts
• 14 Acquisitions
• 4 Anthropology
• 71 APA citations and formatting
• 35 Archives
• 31 Archives & Special Collections
• 36 Articles
• 14 Business resources
• 11 Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
• 3 Chemistry
• 8 Chicago citations and formatting
• 85 Circulation Services (check out/return/renew items)
• 42 Citations and style guides
• 44 Collections
• 50 Community services
• 1 Computer science
• 38 Computers
• 47 Copyright
• 79 Databases
• 22 Digital collections
• 87 Directions
• 7 Education (studies)
• 3 Engineering
• 2 English literature
• 7 Environmental studies/sciences
• 23 Equipment
• 42 Faculty services
• 3 Fairhaven
• 9 Fines and fees
• 12 Fun facts
• 21 Government information
• 5 Graduate students
• 2 Grant writing
• 1 Guest services
• 5 Human Services
• 50 Inter-library loan
• 17 Journals
• 29 Learning Commons
• 8 Library instruction
• 78 Library services
• 13 MLA citations and formatting
• 29 Multimedia
• 6 Newspapers
• 55 OneSearch
• 4 Online Learning
• 64 Outreach and Continuing Education
• 29 Policies
• 2 Political science
• 29 Primary sources
• 30 Printing related
• 3 Psychology
• 2 Rehabilitation Counseling
• 86 Research
• 17 Research & Writing Studio
• 37 Reserves
• 6 Scholarly communication
• 3 Sociology
• 10 Special Collections
• 1 Streaming video
• 44 Student services
• 28 Student Technology Center
• 1 Teaching and Learning Academy
• 16 Technology
• 3 Troubleshooting
• 4 Tutoring Center
• 5 Undergraduate Research Award
• 5 Undergraduate Students
• 18 Video tutorial
• 11 Western CEDAR
• 1 Women's Studies
• 37 Writing related
• 93 WWU general info

Answered By: Gabe Gossett Last Updated: May 22, 2020     Views: 464271

Note: This is an answer only for citing appendices you create in the body of your paper . If you are looking for information on how to cite sources within your appendix, please follow this link .

When citing an appendix you are including in your paper refer to a single appendix simply as Appendix. If you include an appendix, you should refer to it in the text of your paper. If you have more than one appendix add letters to differentiate them in the order they appear in your text. For example, we could say something like "Please see Appendix A for more information on educational outcomes and Appendix B for the questionnaire used to collect student responses."

Links & Files

• APA Workshop
• Citation Quick Guides and Style Manuals
• Share on Facebook

Was this helpful? Yes 42 No 70

Comments (11)

• Useful for me by kate huddson on Apr 20, 2017
• Thanks for this information by Juanita Cyrus on Jun 24, 2018
• Once you cite an appendix in text, is that enough, or do you need to cite each time you refer to it? Do I need to say repeatedly "See Appendix A" or is the first reference enough? by Christy Johanson on Sep 16, 2020
• @Christy, this is one of those things where it all depends on context and your practice can be very similar to how you would do other citations in-text. Ultimately, make it clear for your reader. If it is clear based on the narrative of your text that you are still referring to the appendix, it is not necessary to cite it again. On the other hand, if it might be unclear whether you are writing in reference to the appendix, then cite it again. by Gabe Gossett on Sep 16, 2020
• What if you are referencing two different appendices (in-text citation)? Should it be (see Appendix A and Appendix B) or (see Appendices A and B) ... I can't find any rules around the parenthetical reference to the appendices. Thank you! by Barbara on Mar 21, 2021
• @Barbara: I don't know of any particular guidance on plural references to appendices. Either would probably be fine, though my suggestion would be to go with (see Appendices A and B) for conciseness. by Gabe Gossett on Mar 31, 2021
• When I cite a document I have included in an appendix AND in my reference list, how do I write the in-text citation? Or, if I have it as an appendix, should I simply not cite the reference? Eg, "As stated in document X (Doc X, 2004; see Appendix B)..." by Gunita on Jan 23, 2022
• @gunita: How to cite the document will probably depend how it is presented in the appendix. If the entire document is the appendix. Say Appendix A presents the in-depth research results from something related to your paper, and you reference the results in your paper/report you can direct the reader to the table in Appendix A for more detail. If you are pulling the table from another resource, you would, of course, cite the source in the Appendix as well. If your appendix contains information that you did not create (like a research study) and is presenting info from another document, I would cite the direct source (example: "Jones (2004) indicated in their research report that X and Y causes Z. (pp. 198-200). See Appendix A for a detailed table." And then include another citation to Jone in your appendix. If you created the info in the Appendix (it was based on original research and was a report you wrote expanding or explaining details related to the research), you can refer to the Appendix (Example: "In the preliminary research, A and B did not contribute to the success of C. See Appendix A for more detail...") Keep in mind that these are only two examples and they are based on my interpretation of APA. There are different ways to present similar information. by Elizabeth Stephan on Jan 26, 2022
• 1. When citing in text for example (see Appendix J), does this have to be in italics? and does the ("see") bit need a capital S ("See...") in text or does this not matter? 2. Also, when you have an Appendix which contains more than 1 part e.g questionnaire measures how can I cite this in the text? For example, would it be appropriate to say (see Appendix B6, Appendix B) or would (see Appendix B6) be sufficient? 3. When you are referring to a figure from the Appendix would I say (see Figure J9, Appendix J) and if I am referring to more than one figure would I say (see Figures J1, J2 & J3, Appendix J) by Maera on Aug 18, 2022
• Is necessary to have appendix reference in parentheses or is okay to end a sentance with a reference without parentheses? E.g. "...assumptions were not met, see appendix A." by Marge on Sep 10, 2022
• @Marge and Maera: Apologies for the late reply on your questions in the comments here. Marge, I don't see specific guidance in the APA Manual on this, but if you are referring to the appendix in the narrative of your text I would assume that a parenthetical citation for the appendix would be unnecessary, just like narrative in-text citations for sources cited. Maera, the example provided in the APA Manual does not use italics. For your other questions, while there is not specific information on how to refer to content within an appendix, but having more precise information for readers tends to be helpful, so I suggest erring on the side of including that information. by Gabe Gossett on Sep 19, 2022

• Find the librarian for your subject area

Related Topics

• APA citations and formatting

• Testimonials
• How it works
• Paper Writers Team
• Essay Writing Guide
• Free plagiarism checker
• Essay title generator
• Conclusion Generator
• Citation Generator
• Can ChatGPT Write Essays?

How to Include Appendices in Your Research Paper

November 01, 2023

Did your professor tell you to have a research paper appendix, but you can’t imagine what goes into it? Don’t fret; we’re about to show you! The appendix is a section at the end of the paper with additional information that doesn’t belong in the main text. It shouldn’t have any arguments, quotes, or conclusions. You must use it to support the claims you already made in your essay — appendices help illustrate everything better. Take a look at ten types of content that will fit right in.

Ten Pieces of Information that Belong in Appendices

You finished your research paper and composed a list with references. Now what? That’s right, now it is time for appendices, especially if your essay has a lot of complex information! Look through our list and include relevant options in your work.

• Supplementary Data. Often, students working on a complex paper include a ton of information. There is no place for any additional illustrations, and this is where an appendix could help you. Were you explaining a tricky market situation to your readers? Add a graph to the appendix that helps demonstrate your point better. Were you listing all the numbers to show growth or decline? Create a table that will let your readers see all the data in one concise section. Raw data always has its place there: it could clutter your paper if you included it in the body in its unprocessed form, but it won’t hurt anyone in the appendix. Charts could also come in handy. Imagine comparing three different companies and analyzing their capabilities and limitations. You already explained their similarities and differences with text and numbers. Is adding a chart for a better illustration of these findings necessary? Not at all. But if it could make the picture clearer visually, why not? That’s what supplementary material is for!
• Research Instruments. Most dissertations and other layered research works involve an experiment of a sort. Students present a hypothesis, and then they need to perform a study to either prove or refute it. They rely on various instruments, such as surveys, quizzes, questionnaires, and other mediums. They are vital but don’t have a place in a paper in their full form. Let’s say you have five interview transcripts from questioning five people about their job satisfaction. This interview had ten questions and required ten expanded answers. You cannot possibly copy-paste them all into a body. No, you’ll reference and summarize them, but you won’t show them entirely. You can do it in the appendix, though! Put your raw data in there, and if your audience feels interested, they will look to see just what you asked your interviewees and what they responded with. It creates transparency because there is no place for double meanings left, and it also gives other researchers a chance to use your questions in their work.
• Detailed Methodology. Methodology is a crucial component of every research. You need to decide if it will be quantitative, qualitative, mixed, or experimental. Every student must mention relevant information about their chosen methodology in a paper: they have to say what they plan to do, in what way, and through which methods. But some of them might want to go beyond this. For instance, your experiment might be complex, or you might be so passionate that you want to share everything you did step by step with your readers. It’s not a problem, do it! Create a fitting appendix title and go ahead. That’s the whole point of appendices: they host extra info. Sometimes, students use unique equipment to do their experiments. If this is your case, describe this equipment in detail and put it at the end of the paper in another appendix. Any interested party can go there and take a closer look.
• Code and Algorithms. This point exists mostly for students who study IT or other similar spheres. If your paper deals with endless codes and tricky algorithms, putting them in the body of the paper is not an option. It’ll stretch for eternity, ruin the readability of your text, and your readers will feel bored very quickly. Creating an appendix and shoveling this info in there is a great solution! You could include the entire source code you made for a program, showing how it exists. Multiple readers appreciate the inclusion of raw data like this.  If you’re a bit of a nerd, add a detailed algorithm description in the appendix. Some people will ignore it, but others will enjoy studying it. If you’re having trouble with this paper and you keep thinking, “I’d like to pay someone to write my paper because it’s annoying,” ask for professional help. Our experts are one click away from you: we can perfect your academic writing or show you how to deal with appendices. You only need to mention, “I need someone good to write my research paper today.” One word from you, and we’ll get started.
• Participant Consent Forms. This is a point that many students overlook. Sometimes, professors ask to include complete consent forms personally, but in most cases, it’s up to you. You need to realize why this is essential. You had to find people to test your hypothesis and to write your research paper: most likely, they answered some questions for you or gave you a full interview. You need to prove that you got their consent and didn’t mislead them into participating in your research without telling them everything. This is why consent forms are there and why you must use them. Compose them carefully, covering every detail you shared with your living sample, and then paste this info onto a new page. Yeah, it’ll be the appendix. While your general readers might not be interested in it, we guarantee that your professor will take a look. Ethical considerations are everything where human subjects are concerned, and you should prove that you took them into account when working on your research paper.
• Maps, Images, or Photographs. Another reason appendices are common is their ability to host visual illustrations of your research. If adding photos or images is essential, you could include them in the body, but putting them under your appendix title is a much better idea if there are too many of them or their presence is not required. Did you measure the distance between locations to highlight some historical facts? Add a map to the appendix! It’ll be interesting, especially if you customize it, even if it’s not critical. Maybe you were exploring diseases some people have and how they are displayed. Your research paper mentions symptoms, but for particularly curious readers, you could include images that illustrate everything you described visually. Appendices are a perfect place for this. The same principle applies to photographs. You could take them of your subjects, equipment, and other elements involved in your research. Pasting them within the body isn’t important; it’d distract your audience from your main points, but including them in a separate appendix would do the trick.
• 7) Extended Explanations. Let us warn you, this form of material isn’t the best because most of your readers will find it boring or redundant. But it still exists and is common enough to be mentioned in this list. While it is obvious that you must do everything in your power to explain every point of your research in the body of the paper, sometimes it’s not enough. You might need to provide even more explanations, and this is something you can easily do with appendices. Imagine that you came up with a good formula to solve some task. You quickly explain how you did it, providing the basics and avoiding the boring details. But you want to show every aspect of your work — good news! — appendices allow you to do this. Include your complete formula in there. True, not everyone likes raw data like this, but some will appreciate it, and chances are, your professor will be among them. This is called being thorough. You could do the same with any background information. If you’ve been investigating a psychological profile of someone and this person experienced abuse & shared all the details with you, you can briefly disclose them in the text and then provide a complete overview in the appendix.
• Statistical Analysis. Many students shudder at the thought of doing any calculations, but some love it. Whether you fall into the first or the second category, you might need to write research papers like this, and in this case, you won’t be able to avoid appendices. They might become your best friends. If you had to show how you got from point A to point B, writing down all the formulas and analyses isn’t smart. It’ll turn your essay into a number-filled mess, and by the time people reach the end of the calculation, they’ll forget what they were reading in the first place and what this calculation is for. Place raw statistical data at the end of your research in an appendix. It’ll be there for extra thorough readers who are interested in seeing how you arrived at your conclusions, and, in turn, it won’t be cluttering your main text. As it always is with appendices, include crucial info in a body and mark the rest as supplementary material.
• Supporting Documentation. When students do their research, they accumulate some documentation. It might be full of vague or irrelevant information, but it’s still there, and if it can underline some of your points, you should include it. If you had to organize an extensive interview with your participant, you could have ten or even twenty pages. The most important stuff goes into the body of your essay. All the pages can be linked in an appendix: this will give readers a fuller picture of who the participant is and what they think. If you have some other files, like a case study with all observations or a detailed methodology, you could create multiple appendices and situate all the info there. Make as many of them as you need — unless your professor explicitly restricts it, there are no limits.
• Abbreviations and Acronyms. The last important type of content that has its place in appendices is abbreviations and similar elements. You might be working on a journal-style scientific paper with numerous complex concepts and phenomena. You can spell them out in their complete form once, but doing it repeatedly will be distracting and unnecessary. You’ll make your word count huge for no reason, which might result in a penalty. The solution lies in abbreviating and explaining these concepts on a new page in the appendix. Do the same with acronyms. If, at some point, your readers will forget what this or that abbreviation means, they’ll go to an appendix and look it up.

Format Your Appendices Correctly to Impress Your Readers Further

A clear appendix is a sure way to simplify your info for your readers. They’ll enjoy seeing understandable illustrations of the content they’ve just read. Remember that you could use several appendices simultaneously; there is no rule against it. Some of the materials we listed can go in Appendix A, while others will go to Appendix B. Be thorough, ask for help if you’re in trouble, and keep producing awesome research papers.

While being committed to a number of charitable causes, like volunteering at special events or giving free art lessons to children, Marie doesn’t forget her vocation – writing. She can write about almost anything but has focused on time management, motivation, academic and business writing.

Related posts

November 01 2023

Don`t have an account?

Password recovery instructions have been sent to your email

Back to Log in

• Research Paper Guides
• Basics of Research Paper Writing
• How to Write an Appendix: Step-by-Step Guide & Examples
• Speech Topics
• Basics of Essay Writing
• Essay Topics
• Other Essays
• Main Academic Essays
• Research Paper Topics
• Miscellaneous
• Chicago/ Turabian
• Data & Statistics
• Methodology
• Admission Writing Tips
• Admission Advice
• Other Guides
• Student Life
• Studying Tips
• Understanding Plagiarism
• Academic Writing Tips
• Basics of Dissertation & Thesis Writing

• Essay Guides
• Formatting Guides
• Basics of Research Process
• Admission Guides
• Dissertation & Thesis Guides

How to Write an Appendix: Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

Table of contents

Use our free Readability checker

While composing your work, you may stumble upon a question on how to write an appendix.

An appendix is a supplemental section of a research paper that provides additional information, data, or materials to support the main content. The appendix is usually placed at the end of the document and is numbered with letters or numbers, such as "Appendix A," "Appendix B," etc. The purpose of an appendix is to provide readers with supplementary details that are not included in the main text but are relevant to the topic.

Once you decide on writing appendices, you should collect additional information and format your text as required. Here, we will talk about how you can work with appendices. We will also show some nuances of their preparation process using a real example. Is the deadline around the corner? Consider using professional research paper help from expert scholars.

What Is an Appendix: Definition

Experienced researchers know what an appendix in a paper is. But aspiring authors often have problems with this section of the work. First of all, you should understand that appendices are an additional section of a dissertation or any other scientific paper that includes additional information. Main points are not placed in an appendix meanwhile at the end of your work it can expand on some context or clarify author’s position on a particular issue. Also, an appendix is ​​often placed after the citation page of a work. It is indicated with the help of references in a main text.

What Is the Purpose of an Appendix

Quite often, authors don’t understand the purpose of an appendix. This usually looks like a table and is not included in a main text. Remember that content of your dissertation should be concise and clear. It is also undesirable if you deviate from your theme so as not to confuse readers. Therefore, you can provide a reference, which will lead a reader to an appendix of a thesis. Typically, the purpose of an appendix is to extra information that is usually not included in the text's body. It expresses author's point of view, and provides additional information. It may not address the immediate topic of your dissertation or expand on current research. As a reminder, your work should be clear even without studying an appendix. So make sure you don't put important details there.

What Can You Include in an Appendix

An appendix in a paper is a supplement to a main text, not a replacement. You can put different elements there. It is better if you separate appendices, highlighting one element in each of them. Don’t forget about separate references in your text. Otherwise it will be difficult for a reader to understand your information better. Thus, the following information can be added:

• diagrams with illustrative figures;
• abbreviations ;
• interviews;
• statistics, and much more.

There are no restrictions on content added to your dissertation's appendices. Theoretically, you can attach absolutely any information that is relevant to your topic. Thus, possibilities for evidence base are almost unlimited. All you need to do is add tables or any other information.

How to Write an Appendix: Full Guide

If you already have experience working on dissertations and other scientific texts, you will not wonder how to make an appendix. However, it is still important that you get some advice on how to properly structure an appendices section. This will help add information that may be redundant in the main part of your paper. We offer 4 simple steps to create an informative and readable appendix block.

Step 1. Make an Appendix: Include Your Data

When creating an appendix, include extra data in their raw form. That is, you might not have used some details in your main paper. But you want a reader to know more information. For example, it can be calculations, some results of which are mentioned in your main text. Or maybe, you can add some statistics that clearly demonstrate your research paper conclusion . You can also include facts from other scientific sources that support your position. One thing is important — information should complement your text but not contradict it.

Step 2. Include Visual Supporting Documents in an Appendix 

When you are writing an appendix, you can’t avoid visual additions that clearly demonstrate an information and save an author from lengthy descriptions in the text. Should you need to support your conclusions drawn in the scientific text, these can be used:

Don’t forget: you should quote and indicate the authorship of graphics used in your work. If you took it from any third-party sources, of course. Thus, a reader will be able to find additional data that explains the content of your text. It is good if you personally put results of your research in a graphic form. To do this, you can use Office programs, graphic editors and other programs available to PC users.

Step 3. Describe the Instruments of Your Research in Your Appendices

It is good if your appendix in the research paper has a section for indicating tools that were used during the preparation of your dissertation writing . This way, your reader will understand how you collected information and do it themselves. For example, it could be a dictaphone or tape recorder on which an interview with your expert was recorded. Or you might have used a video camera for recording facts and interviews. In such case, it is advisable to indicate these instruments in your appendix. Specialized equipment for measuring, calculating and making graphics should also be added at the beginning of the appendix. This way, you will demonstrate your skills and knowledge. Research units don’t require extra tools, so make sure they are listed. You can do it even in a short format.

Step 4. Include an Interview and Transcripts in an Appendix

When conducting interviews and surveys for collecting information, make an appendix with photocopies of handwritten materials or electronic copies of digital surveys. Their order is not important. The main thing is that your research text contains references. This will allow you to quickly study the sources. You should not only show that the source contains important data but also explain it. So, even additional content, including questions and answers, needs to be listed. But if you originally had a readable format, you don’t need to do this. In addition to interviews, also add screenshots or photos of correspondences used for surveys. For example, you can refer to a significant researcher with whom you exchanged letters. Or maybe you studied subject, together with this researcher, and they gave some comments on a particular issue. Do not know how to write a discussion section of a research paper ? Do not worry, we have the whole article dedicated to this topic.

Formatting an Appendix: Main Rules

Formatting of appendices is required in any case. First of all, provide correct citations. APA, MLA, and Chicago are the most commonly used standards. Although, you should clarify what formatting requirements your institution has. Correct formatting includes:

• Appendix title. Write it at the top of the content page, indicate its title, using letters or numbers for ordering.
• Sorted by mention. Don’t add appendices randomly, it is better to do it in chronological order. That is, as information from it is given in main text.
• Location after bibliography. This is a general requirement that cannot always be met. For example, if your professor wants the appendices to be put before the bibliography, this will have to be done.
• Page numbers. All dissertation pages should be numbered, even if they are blank. This will make the appendix block the part of main text.

Also, review your appendix before approval. Make sure that its content is clear, error-free, and correctly quoted.

Appendix Example

To do the job successfully, it is recommended to have an example of an appendix at hand. Without it, there are usually problems with a choice of font and mentions that appear in main text. We will show you what the appendix itself looks like at the end of the dissertation using a short interview as an example.

We have one more blog in case you wonder what is an abstract in a paper  or need some examples and writing tips.

How to Make an Appendix: Final Thoughts

Thus, we talked about how to write an appendix. It allows you to include additional details, while avoiding writing them in the body of your text. To do this, one can use graphics, transcriptions of conversations, tables and statistics — anything that complements your research. Be sure to clarify formatting requirements of your university. Arrange appendices in an order in which they appear in your text. Try to use your own materials and not take other people's work. In case of unique findings, they can be used in your work.

Please contact us if you have any difficulties preparing an academic work! Our professional paper writers guarantee high quality and loyal prices. Just choose a writer to your liking, send your requirements and you're good to go!

Frequently Asked Questions About Appendix Writing

1. how do you add an appendix to an essay.

The inclusion of appendix to an essay is the same as to any other paper. You need to provide references in your text of an essay itself, as well as submit attachments after a bibliography. Don't forget to specify name of an appendix for easy navigation.

2. Do I add references to the appendix?

Yes, this is not only recommended but must be done. In this case the appendix will allow your reader to check the reliability of sources you used. Moreover, if you took any information from third-party sources, this protect you from plagiarism charges.

4. How do you create an appendix in Word?

It is not difficult to prepare an appendix in Word, because this Office program contains all the necessary tools. To get started, choose the same font, font size and indentation that were used in the main text, so as not to visually break away from it. We also recommend that you apply title formatting with built-in Word tools. Place the appendix titles at the top in the center of a page. In this case it will be much easier to navigate the paper.

3. What is an appendix in a report example?

You can include a wide range of information into an appendix in a report. It is better to opt for descriptive formats, though. For example, it can be graphical or mathematical research results, statistics of a certain phenomenon, and questionnaires filled in by other people.

Joe Eckel is an expert on Dissertations writing. He makes sure that each student gets precious insights on composing A-grade academic writing.

You may also like

Help | Advanced Search

Computer Science > Computation and Language

Title: how faithful are rag models quantifying the tug-of-war between rag and llms' internal prior.

Abstract: Retrieval augmented generation (RAG) is often used to fix hallucinations and provide up-to-date knowledge for large language models (LLMs). However, in cases when the LLM alone incorrectly answers a question, does providing the correct retrieved content always fix the error? Conversely, in cases where the retrieved content is incorrect, does the LLM know to ignore the wrong information, or does it recapitulate the error? To answer these questions, we systematically analyze the tug-of-war between a LLM's internal knowledge (i.e. its prior) and the retrieved information in settings when they disagree. We test GPT-4 and other LLMs on question-answering abilities across datasets with and without reference documents. As expected, providing the correct retrieved information fixes most model mistakes (94% accuracy). However, when the reference document is perturbed with increasing levels of wrong values, the LLM is more likely to recite the incorrect, modified information when its internal prior is weaker but is more resistant when its prior is stronger. Similarly, we also find that the more the modified information deviates from the model's prior, the less likely the model is to prefer it. These results highlight an underlying tension between a model's prior knowledge and the information presented in reference documents.

Submission history

Access paper:.

• HTML (experimental)
• Other Formats

References & Citations

• Google Scholar
• Semantic Scholar

BibTeX formatted citation

Bibliographic and Citation Tools

Code, data and media associated with this article, recommenders and search tools.

• Institution

arXivLabs: experimental projects with community collaborators

arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.

Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.

Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs .

Main Navigation

• Contact NeurIPS
• Code of Ethics
• Code of Conduct
• Create Profile
• Journal To Conference Track
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Proceedings
• Future Meetings
• Exhibitor Information
• Privacy Policy

NeurIPS 2024

Conference Dates: (In person) 9 December - 15 December, 2024

Homepage: https://neurips.cc/Conferences/2024/

Call For Papers 

Author notification: Sep 25, 2024

Camera-ready, poster, and video submission: Oct 30, 2024 AOE

Submit at: https://openreview.net/group?id=NeurIPS.cc/2024/Conference  

The site will start accepting submissions on Apr 22, 2024 

Subscribe to these and other dates on the 2024 dates page .

The Thirty-Eighth Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS 2024) is an interdisciplinary conference that brings together researchers in machine learning, neuroscience, statistics, optimization, computer vision, natural language processing, life sciences, natural sciences, social sciences, and other adjacent fields. We invite submissions presenting new and original research on topics including but not limited to the following:

• Applications (e.g., vision, language, speech and audio, Creative AI)
• Deep learning (e.g., architectures, generative models, optimization for deep networks, foundation models, LLMs)
• Evaluation (e.g., methodology, meta studies, replicability and validity, human-in-the-loop)
• General machine learning (supervised, unsupervised, online, active, etc.)
• Infrastructure (e.g., libraries, improved implementation and scalability, distributed solutions)
• Machine learning for sciences (e.g. climate, health, life sciences, physics, social sciences)
• Neuroscience and cognitive science (e.g., neural coding, brain-computer interfaces)
• Optimization (e.g., convex and non-convex, stochastic, robust)
• Probabilistic methods (e.g., variational inference, causal inference, Gaussian processes)
• Reinforcement learning (e.g., decision and control, planning, hierarchical RL, robotics)
• Social and economic aspects of machine learning (e.g., fairness, interpretability, human-AI interaction, privacy, safety, strategic behavior)
• Theory (e.g., control theory, learning theory, algorithmic game theory)

Machine learning is a rapidly evolving field, and so we welcome interdisciplinary submissions that do not fit neatly into existing categories.

Authors are asked to confirm that their submissions accord with the NeurIPS code of conduct .

Formatting instructions:   All submissions must be in PDF format, and in a single PDF file include, in this order:

• The submitted paper
• Technical appendices that support the paper with additional proofs, derivations, or results 
• The NeurIPS paper checklist  

Other supplementary materials such as data and code can be uploaded as a ZIP file

The main text of a submitted paper is limited to nine content pages , including all figures and tables. Additional pages containing references don’t count as content pages. If your submission is accepted, you will be allowed an additional content page for the camera-ready version.

The main text and references may be followed by technical appendices, for which there is no page limit.

The maximum file size for a full submission, which includes technical appendices, is 50MB.

Authors are encouraged to submit a separate ZIP file that contains further supplementary material like data or source code, when applicable.

You must format your submission using the NeurIPS 2024 LaTeX style file which includes a “preprint” option for non-anonymous preprints posted online. Submissions that violate the NeurIPS style (e.g., by decreasing margins or font sizes) or page limits may be rejected without further review. Papers may be rejected without consideration of their merits if they fail to meet the submission requirements, as described in this document. 

Paper checklist: In order to improve the rigor and transparency of research submitted to and published at NeurIPS, authors are required to complete a paper checklist . The paper checklist is intended to help authors reflect on a wide variety of issues relating to responsible machine learning research, including reproducibility, transparency, research ethics, and societal impact. The checklist forms part of the paper submission, but does not count towards the page limit.

Supplementary material: While all technical appendices should be included as part of the main paper submission PDF, authors may submit up to 100MB of supplementary material, such as data, or source code in a ZIP format. Supplementary material should be material created by the authors that directly supports the submission content. Like submissions, supplementary material must be anonymized. Looking at supplementary material is at the discretion of the reviewers.

We encourage authors to upload their code and data as part of their supplementary material in order to help reviewers assess the quality of the work. Check the policy as well as code submission guidelines and templates for further details.

Use of Large Language Models (LLMs): We welcome authors to use any tool that is suitable for preparing high-quality papers and research. However, we ask authors to keep in mind two important criteria. First, we expect papers to fully describe their methodology, and any tool that is important to that methodology, including the use of LLMs, should be described also. For example, authors should mention tools (including LLMs) that were used for data processing or filtering, visualization, facilitating or running experiments, and proving theorems. It may also be advisable to describe the use of LLMs in implementing the method (if this corresponds to an important, original, or non-standard component of the approach). Second, authors are responsible for the entire content of the paper, including all text and figures, so while authors are welcome to use any tool they wish for writing the paper, they must ensure that all text is correct and original.

Double-blind reviewing:   All submissions must be anonymized and may not contain any identifying information that may violate the double-blind reviewing policy.  This policy applies to any supplementary or linked material as well, including code.  If you are including links to any external material, it is your responsibility to guarantee anonymous browsing.  Please do not include acknowledgements at submission time. If you need to cite one of your own papers, you should do so with adequate anonymization to preserve double-blind reviewing.  For instance, write “In the previous work of Smith et al. [1]…” rather than “In our previous work [1]...”). If you need to cite one of your own papers that is in submission to NeurIPS and not available as a non-anonymous preprint, then include a copy of the cited anonymized submission in the supplementary material and write “Anonymous et al. [1] concurrently show...”). Any papers found to be violating this policy will be rejected.

OpenReview: We are using OpenReview to manage submissions. The reviews and author responses will not be public initially (but may be made public later, see below). As in previous years, submissions under review will be visible only to their assigned program committee. We will not be soliciting comments from the general public during the reviewing process. Anyone who plans to submit a paper as an author or a co-author will need to create (or update) their OpenReview profile by the full paper submission deadline. Your OpenReview profile can be edited by logging in and clicking on your name in https://openreview.net/ . This takes you to a URL "https://openreview.net/profile?id=~[Firstname]_[Lastname][n]" where the last part is your profile name, e.g., ~Wei_Zhang1. The OpenReview profiles must be up to date, with all publications by the authors, and their current affiliations. The easiest way to import publications is through DBLP but it is not required, see FAQ . Submissions without updated OpenReview profiles will be desk rejected. The information entered in the profile is critical for ensuring that conflicts of interest and reviewer matching are handled properly. Because of the rapid growth of NeurIPS, we request that all authors help with reviewing papers, if asked to do so. We need everyone’s help in maintaining the high scientific quality of NeurIPS.  

Please be aware that OpenReview has a moderation policy for newly created profiles: New profiles created without an institutional email will go through a moderation process that can take up to two weeks. New profiles created with an institutional email will be activated automatically.

Venue home page: https://openreview.net/group?id=NeurIPS.cc/2024/Conference

If you have any questions, please refer to the FAQ: https://openreview.net/faq

Abstract Submission: There is a mandatory abstract submission deadline on May 15, 2024, six days before full paper submissions are due. While it will be possible to edit the title and abstract until the full paper submission deadline, submissions with “placeholder” abstracts that are rewritten for the full submission risk being removed without consideration. This includes titles and abstracts that either provide little or no semantic information (e.g., "We provide a new semi-supervised learning method.") or describe a substantively different claimed contribution.  The author list cannot be changed after the abstract deadline. After that, authors may be reordered, but any additions or removals must be justified in writing and approved on a case-by-case basis by the program chairs only in exceptional circumstances. 

Ethics review: Reviewers and ACs may flag submissions for ethics review . Flagged submissions will be sent to an ethics review committee for comments. Comments from ethics reviewers will be considered by the primary reviewers and AC as part of their deliberation. They will also be visible to authors, who will have an opportunity to respond.  Ethics reviewers do not have the authority to reject papers, but in extreme cases papers may be rejected by the program chairs on ethical grounds, regardless of scientific quality or contribution.  

Preprints: The existence of non-anonymous preprints (on arXiv or other online repositories, personal websites, social media) will not result in rejection. If you choose to use the NeurIPS style for the preprint version, you must use the “preprint” option rather than the “final” option. Reviewers will be instructed not to actively look for such preprints, but encountering them will not constitute a conflict of interest. Authors may submit anonymized work to NeurIPS that is already available as a preprint (e.g., on arXiv) without citing it. Note that public versions of the submission should not say "Under review at NeurIPS" or similar.

Dual submissions: Submissions that are substantially similar to papers that the authors have previously published or submitted in parallel to other peer-reviewed venues with proceedings or journals may not be submitted to NeurIPS. Papers previously presented at workshops are permitted, so long as they did not appear in a conference proceedings (e.g., CVPRW proceedings), a journal or a book.  NeurIPS coordinates with other conferences to identify dual submissions.  The NeurIPS policy on dual submissions applies for the entire duration of the reviewing process.  Slicing contributions too thinly is discouraged.  The reviewing process will treat any other submission by an overlapping set of authors as prior work. If publishing one would render the other too incremental, both may be rejected.

Anti-collusion: NeurIPS does not tolerate any collusion whereby authors secretly cooperate with reviewers, ACs or SACs to obtain favorable reviews. 

Author responses:   Authors will have one week to view and respond to initial reviews. Author responses may not contain any identifying information that may violate the double-blind reviewing policy. Authors may not submit revisions of their paper or supplemental material, but may post their responses as a discussion in OpenReview. This is to reduce the burden on authors to have to revise their paper in a rush during the short rebuttal period.

After the initial response period, authors will be able to respond to any further reviewer/AC questions and comments by posting on the submission’s forum page. The program chairs reserve the right to solicit additional reviews after the initial author response period.  These reviews will become visible to the authors as they are added to OpenReview, and authors will have a chance to respond to them.

After the notification deadline, accepted and opted-in rejected papers will be made public and open for non-anonymous public commenting. Their anonymous reviews, meta-reviews, author responses and reviewer responses will also be made public. Authors of rejected papers will have two weeks after the notification deadline to opt in to make their deanonymized rejected papers public in OpenReview.  These papers are not counted as NeurIPS publications and will be shown as rejected in OpenReview.

Publication of accepted submissions:   Reviews, meta-reviews, and any discussion with the authors will be made public for accepted papers (but reviewer, area chair, and senior area chair identities will remain anonymous). Camera-ready papers will be due in advance of the conference. All camera-ready papers must include a funding disclosure . We strongly encourage accompanying code and data to be submitted with accepted papers when appropriate, as per the code submission policy . Authors will be allowed to make minor changes for a short period of time after the conference.

Contemporaneous Work: For the purpose of the reviewing process, papers that appeared online within two months of a submission will generally be considered "contemporaneous" in the sense that the submission will not be rejected on the basis of the comparison to contemporaneous work. Authors are still expected to cite and discuss contemporaneous work and perform empirical comparisons to the degree feasible. Any paper that influenced the submission is considered prior work and must be cited and discussed as such. Submissions that are very similar to contemporaneous work will undergo additional scrutiny to prevent cases of plagiarism and missing credit to prior work.

Plagiarism is prohibited by the NeurIPS Code of Conduct .

Other Tracks: Similarly to earlier years, we will host multiple tracks, such as datasets, competitions, tutorials as well as workshops, in addition to the main track for which this call for papers is intended. See the conference homepage for updates and calls for participation in these tracks. 

Experiments: As in past years, the program chairs will be measuring the quality and effectiveness of the review process via randomized controlled experiments. All experiments are independently reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Financial Aid: Each paper may designate up to one (1) NeurIPS.cc account email address of a corresponding student author who confirms that they would need the support to attend the conference, and agrees to volunteer if they get selected. To be considered for Financial the student will also need to fill out the Financial Aid application when it becomes available.

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left ‘at her feet’

Jury selection in Donald Trump’s hush money trial has encountered new setbacks as two seated jurors were excused. Attorneys now need to pick 13 more jurors to serve on the panel.(AP Video: David R. Martin)

FILE - Stormy Daniels appears at an event, May 23, 2018, in West Hollywood, Calif. The hush money trial of former President Donald Trump begins Monday, April 15, 2024, with jury selection. It’s the first criminal trial of a former U.S. commander-in-chief. The charges in the trial center on $130,000 in payments that Trump’s company made to his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen. He paid that sum on Trump’s behalf to keep Daniels from going public, a month before the election, with her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)

• Copy Link copied

Former President Donald Trump approaches to speak to reporters as he leaves a Manhattan courtroom after the second day of his criminal trial, Tuesday, April 16, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)

The latest: Get live updates from Donald Trump’s hush money trial

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president’s criminal trial , refused to take it and walked away.

A process server working for Trump’s lawyers said he approached Daniels with papers demanding information related to a documentary recently released about her life and involvement with Trump, but was forced to “leave them at her feet,” according to a court filing made public Wednesday.

“I stated she was served as I identified her and explained to her what the documents were,” process server Dominic DellaPorte wrote. “She did not acknowledge me and kept walking inside the venue, and she had no expression on her face.”

The encounter, prior to a screening of the “Stormy” film at the 3 Dollar Bill nightclub, has touched off a monthlong battle between Trump’s lawyers and Daniels’ attorney that continued this week as the presumptive Republican nominee’s criminal trial began in Manhattan.

Trump’s lawyers are asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to force Daniels to comply with the subpoena. In their filing, they included a photo they said DellaPorte took of Daniels as she strode away.

Daniels’ lawyer Clark Brewster claims they never received the paperwork. He described the requests as an “unwarranted fishing expedition” with no relevance to Trump’s criminal trial.

“The process — instituted on the eve of trial — appears calculated to cause harassment and/or intimidation of a lay witness,” Brewster wrote in an April 9 letter to Merchan. Brewster didn’t immediately reply to a message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

The hush money case is the first of Trump’s four criminal cases to go to trial. Seven jurors have been seated so far. Jury selection is set to resume Thursday.

Daniels is expected to testify about a $130,000 payment she got in 2016 from one of Trump’s lawyers at the time, Michael Cohen, in order to stop her from speaking publicly about a sexual encounter she said she had with Trump years earlier.

Cohen was later reimbursed by Trump’s company for that payment. Trump is accused of falsifying his company’s records to hide the nature of that payment, and other work he did to bury negative stories during the 2016 campaign.

Trump pleaded not guilty last year to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He denies having a sexual encounter with Daniels. His lawyers argue the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses, and were recorded correctly.

In a separate filing made public Wednesday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said that if Trump chooses to testify at the trial, prosecutors plan to challenge his credibility by questioning him about his recent legal setbacks. The filing was made last month under seal.

Trump was recently ordered to pay a $454 million civil penalty following a trial in which a judge ruled he had lied about his wealth on financial statements. In another trial, a jury said he was liable for $83.3 million for defaming writer E. Jean Carroll after she accused him of sexual assault.

Merchan said he plans to hold a hearing Friday to decide whether that will be allowed.

Under New York law, prosecutors can question witnesses about past legal matters in certain circumstances. Trump’s lawyers are opposed. Trump has said he wants to testify, but he is not required to and can always change his mind.

As for the subpoena dispute, it marks the latest attempt by Trump’s lawyers to knock loose potentially damaging information about Daniels, a key prosecution witness.

They are demanding an array of documents related to the promotion and editing of the documentary, “Stormy,” which explores Daniels’ career in the adult film industry and rise to celebrity since her alleged involvement with Trump became publicly known.

They are also requesting Daniels reveal how much, if anything, she was compensated for the film.

Trump’s lawyers contend the film’s premiere last month on NBC’s Peacock streaming service — a week before the trial was originally scheduled to start — stoked negative publicity about Trump, muddying his ability to get a fair trial.

In the filings made public Wednesday, Trump’s attorneys accuse Daniels of “plainly seeking to promote her brand and make money based on her status as a witness.”

The subpoena also demands communications between Daniels and other likely witnesses in the trial, including Cohen and Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who alleges she had an affair with Trump. It also requests any communications between Daniels and Carroll.

Earlier this month, Merchan blocked an attempt by Trump to subpoena NBC Universal for information related to the documentary. He wrote that subpoena and the demands therein “are the very definition of a fishing expedition.”