How to Write Appendices?

Write Appendices

Appendices are the plural form of an appendix. An appendix holds content that is more than the main body of the work. However, it is not compulsorily necessary to add them. It includes a summary of the raw data, a reference section for the reader, or further information on the research methodology. You may require an appendix for your school projects or you may need it for a personal project you are working on. The first and foremost step while writing an appendix is gathering information and properly structuring them. And finally, you will need to refine the appendix so the information is accessible, informative, and entertaining for your reader.

So, how to write an effective appendix?

Here, we will discuss in length the steps to follow when writing appendices.

Also Read : Professional Reference Letter

The entire process can be broken down into 3 parts, collection of data, formatting of data, and then finally reviewing and refining data.

Start with data collection for the Appendix

Include raw data

The appendix is the place where you can add raw data collected during your paper or easy research. You can add any raw data that ‌may be relevant to your paper, specifically if it helps to support your findings. Add only the raw data of what you discuss in your paper, as the data should be relevant to your readers.

Raw data may also have sample calculations that are referred to in ‌the body of the paper along with ‌specialized data that provides detailed information you talk about in the paper. You can also add raw statistical data in the appendix.

This data can also include contributory facts from various sources to support your findings in the paper. Also, ensure you have done a proper citation of all the information you are taking from other sources.

Include supporting visual documents

The visual supporting documents, like charts, maps, graphs, images, drawings, or photographs. Put only those visuals that will support your research work in your paper.

Both graphs or charts created by you and charts from another source can be added. However, do not forget to properly cite any visuals that are not your own creation.

Mention all your research tools

Make sure you have mentioned all the tools of research in your appendix. This may include your smartphone, video camera, voice/audio recorder, or any device that helped you conduct your research and collect information. It will help readers know how devices were used to conduct research for the paper.

Like, you can note, “All videos were shooted in person in a private setting”

Include interview documentation

Also include interview documentation and observation conducted while interviewing as part of your research. Make sure your documentation wraps up the entire interview, along with questions and answers that you may have asked. Include photocopies of the surveys done, that you may have either written on by hand or recorded digitally.

Additionally, you can also add all the correspondence you had in your research work with subjects, like copies of letters, written notes, and emails, to or from the person.

Also Read : How To Reference Paraphrasing?

Now comes the second part of ‌appendix creation. And it is about appendix formatting

Formatting the Appendix

Appendix title

Clearly mention at the top of the page in all upper letters “APPENDIX” or you can also use normal sentence letters, “Appendix.” Use the same font size you used for chapter headings in your story or paper.

For more than one appendix, make sure you put them in order by letter or number and be uniform throughout. For instance, for ordering, if you use letters, ensure the appendices be titled “Appendix A,” “Appendix B,” etc., and for numbers, the appendices be titled “Appendix 1,” “Appendix 2,” etc.

Moreover, if you have more than one appendix, each appendix should begin on a new page. This will make your appendix more readable and user-friendly.

The order of the body content and appendix content should be the same

The order of the content in the appendix should be based on when the content in the main body or story appears. This will make the appendix easy to understand and also easier to access.

So, the order of the chapters/topics or sub-headers and their mention in the appendix should be the same.

The appendix should be placed after the reference list

Make sure the appendix or appendices appear after the reference list or sources list. However, if your instructor or professor suggests the appendix appear in a different space after your paper like before the reference list, follow them.

Also, if you have a ‘table of content’ section in your paper, list the appendix in your table of contents. List it by the name of the title, like, “Appendix”, or “Appendix A” and if you have more appendices, list them all.

Include page numbers

Also, your appendices should have page numbers like other pages in the paper or story have. You can add it at the bottom center or bottom right corner of the page. Page number formation should be the same as you have used for other pages of the paper. It should be continued from the text into the appendix so it appears as part of the same story or paper.

Also Read : Writing Argumentative Essays

Now comes the final step, refine the Appendix and make it look professional and clean. Reviewing is one of the most important steps in the process to make the appendix error-free.

Review and eliminate unnecessary content

Review the appendix to make it more cohesive

Appendix does not have any word limitations, but make sure it is not made unnecessarily long. Recheck and review the appendices and ensure all the information added is relevant and related to the paper or the text. Eliminate all information that is irrelevant or does not match the text. Unnecessarily long appendices may look cluttered and unprofessional and leave a bad impression.

See if you can make someone read through the appendix, like your batchmate, instructor, or your mentor. They can give your their perspective and it will help you. Ask them to give you honest feedback about your appendices, and also ask them to check the relevancy of the information to the paper. Then you can remove all that appears unnecessary.

Spelling or grammar checks

This is almost the final touch that you are giving to your appendices. After all the above steps are done, review the appendices and ensure they are free from spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. You can use spell check on your computer and in the end, give it another round of proofreading on your own. Your appendices should appear professional.

Use appendix references in your text

Once you have completed the appendix, you should go back into your paper and make sure you cite the information in the appendix by title. Doing this will show your reader that the appendix incorporates information that is appropriate to your text. It will also allow them to use the appendix to get access to additional information related to the topic of the text as they walk through the paper or story.

For example, you may mention something like this in your appendix, “My research produced similar results (see Appendix (the exact number of the Appendix))”.

Conclusion

The above details will definitely help you create an impressive appendix for your paper or story. Follow each of the steps carefully and you will achieve your goal smoothly.

Also Read : Best Essay Header Guide To Get It Right The First Time!