Dissertation Appendix | Essay Advice | Appendices Section

appendices section

Creating an appendix section

An appendix (plural is "appendices") is a section added to the end of your dissertation. It includes material that expands and explains the subject matter you have discussed in earlier sections. Each appendix should cover a distinct aspect of your subject. Follow the steps below and you will learn how to write an appendix and its importance to your writing.

The appendices section should contain all the additional matter that you’ve referenced in the main body of your dissertation and the reader may find interesting. It can contain transcripts of interviews, statistical research, a copy of a questionnaire you deployed as part of your methodology, images, diagrams, graphs, and so on. If you have a large amount of significant matter, it might be worth having more than one appendix, so Appendix A might contain images, Appendix B interview transcripts. Keep it ordered and make sure you caption everything to explain what it is. Do not include everything you used in the overall design of your dissertation, you do not want the reader to lose attention and interest right at the very end. An appendix can be a valuable addition to your paper. It will give additional support and/or clarification to the points you make in the paper. If you learn how to write an appendix you can add a touch of professionalism to your writing. Be sure to add appendices for the right reasons. Don’t use them to expand the length of your dissertation; the appendices do not ordinarily add to the page count of your dissertation or thesis.

Numerous items are appropriate for inclusion in the appendix. The nature of your dissertation will determine what is appropriate. Consult with your dissertation supervisor for specific requirements. The following are some examples of material that might be included;

• Copy of questionnaire or survey
• Copies of personal correspondence
• Interview questions
• Transcripts of interviews
• Large graphs
• Maps
• Illustrations or photographs
• Explanation of technical information or formulas
• Diagrams
• Raw data

And that’s it, everything you need to include. As with everything, it’s a good idea to check with your dissertation supervisor before handing in as they’re the authority on how your University wants your dissertation. Remember, it’s the starting that’s the hard part, once you’ve sat down and committed the time, it should come quite easily.