Try For Free
The Appendix (How to Use One in an Essay)
  • 2-minute read
  • 30th March 2017

The Appendix (How to Use One in an Essay)

The appendices in an essay are not typically essential, but they can play an important supporting role. Not everyone knows how to use an appendix in academic writing, though, so we’ve prepared this handy guide.






What Is an Appendix?

An appendix (plural: appendices) is a section at the end of a book or essay containing details that aren’t essential to your work, but which could provide useful context or background material.

In the main body of your essay, you should indicate when you’re referring to an appendix by citing it in parentheses. For example:

The interviews show that most people like ice cream (see Appendix C).

What Should Go in the Appendices?

Appendices can include many things depending on your topic. Common examples of information added to an appendix include:

Find this useful?

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

  • Raw data from tests
  • Technical figures, graphs or tables
  • Maps, charts or images
  • Letters or emails used in research
  • Sample questionnaires or surveys
  • Full interview transcripts

What these have in common is that you might need to refer to them in an essay without going into too much detail. For example, you might summarise the results of a test in the ‘Results’ section of a dissertation, then include the full data in appendices to ensure clarity.

How to Format Appendices

Exactly how to format appendices can vary between universities, so you should always check your style guide. Generally, though, appendices should:

  • Appear at the end of your document, often after the reference list
  • Be divided into sections depending on topic (e.g. separate sections for questionnaire results and interview transcripts)
  • Have each appendix section start on a new page
  • Be labelled with a letter or number, along with a title clarifying content (Appendix A: Instrument Diagrams, Appendix B: Test Results, etc.)
  • Appear in the table of contents at the beginning of your document
How not to format appendices: as a large pile of unsorted paper on your desk. (Photo: Phil Whitehouse/flickr)
How not to format appendices: as a pile of unsorted paper.
(Photo: Phil Whitehouse/flickr)

Are Appendices Included in the Word Count?

Appendices are not usually included in the word count for an essay. Consequently, you can focus on key information in your work and place extra data in an appendix without worrying about the word count.

However, you should always check your style guide on this. And remember that if you rely on something in your main essay, it needs to be included there: you can’t just shuffle it into the appendices to reduce the word count!

Comments (64)
Ashleigh
17th February 2020 at 12:57
Can the information within the appendix be copied and pasted from a source and referenced or does it have to be all in your own words ?
Reply
    Proofed
    18th February 2020 at 08:59
    Hi, Ashleigh. There's no reason you can't quote a source in the appendix, but remember that it should only be material that isn't essential to your main argument (e.g. if it was a case of quoting a source at greater length so your reader had it available for reference, that would be fine, but you might need to quote/cite the same source somewhere in the main document to justify including in it the appendix). You may also want to check your style guide for advice on how to cite sources in an appendix (if it doesn't have any specific information, do whatever seems clearest).
    Reply
Georgia
19th April 2020 at 12:04
Could you refer to your appendix within the introduction, or is it solely for the main body of an essay?
Reply
    Proofed
    20th April 2020 at 11:49
    Hi, Georgia. It should be fine to refer to the appendix in your introduction, but remember to check your style guide if you have one.
    Reply
Kaitlyn
29th April 2020 at 00:19
How do you phrase a referral to the appendix in the main body of the essay? Do you state "Refer to Appendix A for further information on ..."
Reply
    Proofed
    29th April 2020 at 11:32
    Hi, Kaitlyn. As mentioned in the post, something like 'See Appendix A' or 'Refer to Appendix A' is usually a sufficient reference in the main text of an essay, but you may also want to check your university's style guide (if you have one) for any specific advice.
    Reply
Natasha Williams
9th May 2020 at 17:40
Hi ya, I was wondering if I could use a user guide as my appendices
Reply
    Proofed
    11th May 2020 at 11:13
    Hi, Natasha. If it is a supplementary document (e.g. something used for a case study or a document you created as part of your research), it should be fine to include it as an appendix, but you may want to check your style guide to confirm (if you are using one).
    Reply
Lauren
16th May 2020 at 16:03
Hi, could I use it to reference the achievements of a particular theatre company that I am referring to as a recognition of their work? This would solidify my argument.
Reply
    Proofed
    18th May 2020 at 13:50
    Hi, Lauren. We cannot offer much guidance without knowing what exactly you intend to include in an appendix (e.g. is it a specific document from the theatre company?) or how you intend to reference it in the main part of your paper, but if your arguments depend on something then you should usually keep it in the main text. You may also want to check your style guide if you have one, as different publishers/universities have different rules on what to include in appendices.
    Reply
May
18th June 2020 at 15:06
Hi, if I use charts and figures, then do I have to seperate each figure into e.g Appendix A, Appendix B or just mention as figure 1, figure 2? Thanks.
Reply
    Proofed
    18th June 2020 at 15:12
    Hi, May. If you have multiple images in a single appendix, you should add figure captions to clarify which one you mean when referring to them in the text. If the images are important to the point you're making, though, you may want to include them in the main part of your document.
    Reply
sylvia
16th December 2020 at 06:48
Does everything you want to put in your appendix need to be in a table. I want to move my appraisal to the appendix
Reply
    Proofed
    16th December 2020 at 09:34
    Hi, Sylvia. As we mention in the post, there are lots of things you can include an appendices, not just tables. If your appraisal isn't essential to your work but offers a useful point of reference for something (see the post for more detail), then it should be fine to add it to an appendix.
    Reply
Peri
5th January 2021 at 10:21
Hi — thank you so much for writing this article. It is very helpful! Within my dissertation, I am using various charts and graphs to represent the statistical data I gathered. Do I need to include the raw data and tables etc. in the appendices, or is that not a requirement? Thank you in advance, P
Reply
    Proofed
    5th January 2021 at 10:25
    Hi, Peri. There is no universal requirement to include full results in appendices, so you only need to include them if you plan to refer to the full results in your work. That said, it rarely hurts to make the full data available. You may also want to check with your professor to see if they would like you to include the complete data somewhere when you write up your study.
    Reply
      Peri
      6th January 2021 at 13:10
      Thank you so much for your reply! That’s very helpful :)
Aaron
14th January 2021 at 08:44
Does your appendix or people interviewed in an appendix need to be referenced in the bibliography?
Reply
    Proofed
    14th January 2021 at 10:02
    Hi, Aaron. No, the appendices are part of your own work, not a separate source (although you should cite any sources in your appendices if you've quoted/paraphrased another published work there).
    Reply
Kirsty Landragin
18th January 2021 at 12:43
Hi, I have my appendix list but where do I write where I sourced them? is it under the image itself? or is it in the reference list? If so how do I identify the appendix in the reference list?
Reply
    Proofed
    19th January 2021 at 09:36
    Hi, Kirsty. I'm afraid I'm not very clear what you mean. The appendices are sections for non-essential information in an essay or book. If you have used an image that isn't your own work in the appendices, you should cite it like you would an image anywhere else in your work (i.e. include a citation with the image and give full publication details in your reference list, in line with your style guide). But you shouldn't have to list the appendices themselves in the reference list.
    Reply
Dana
20th January 2021 at 09:31
Hello, so I am using information gathered from other sources but converting it in to table form to use in my appendices. Does appendices use/choices count towards your grade, as it still shows I have done the research to put it together if you see what I mean? or does it not work like that? Basically, I am using it to show comparison of something but only have a limited amount of words left so can't discuss it in as much depth as I would like in the main body of the report, but I'm hoping the fact I've put the table together still shows I have fulfilled this?
Reply
    Proofed
    20th January 2021 at 10:46
    Hi, Dana. I'm afraid that only the person marking your work can really answer this! I'd imagine that including it in your appendices to show that you've done the work is better than not doing so, but if you depend on anything in the table for your main argument you should try to include it in the main paper as well. We have a few tips on concise writing here that might help you reduce the word count elsewhere (if you've not already tried these tips at least), potentially giving you a bit more space to discuss the sources you mention if required: https://proofed.co.uk/writing-tips/writing-concisely/
    Reply
Ed
23rd January 2021 at 22:42
I have several different items that would qualify as an appendix. Should the section where these items appear be titled "Appendices" or "Appendix"
Reply
    Proofed
    25th January 2021 at 10:36
    Hi, Ed. If you have more than one appendix (i.e. separate sections covering different materials and each with its own title, such as 'Appendix A', 'Appendix B' and so on), then you can call the overall section 'Appendices'.
    Reply
Jayne
16th March 2021 at 20:20
Every time I use information from the interview, (which I will put as an appendix), do I have to cite it throughout my essay?
Reply
    Proofed
    17th March 2021 at 08:24
    Hi, Jayne. It may depend on how you are using the information. If you are quoting it within the text and it wouldn't be clear who you're quoting otherwise, a citation would be helpful. But if the context makes it clear who you're referring to, it should be enough to just signal where the full interview can be found the first time you mention it. Having said that, if you're using a specific style guide, it may be worth checking to see if it has any guidance on citing appendices.
    Reply
AP
18th March 2021 at 17:48
Hi! I have very little words left in my word count, do i have to put "see appendix A" or can I just put "Appendix A"? I know it's only one word, but they add up!! Thank you
Reply
    Proofed
    19th March 2021 at 10:09
    Hi, AP. You will need to check your style guide to see how it recommends referring to appendices, but if it doesn't specify a method then just 'Appendix A' should be fine (as long as it is clear in context that you're pointing the reader toward it for more information). If you'd like more advice on how to cut down your word count, moreover, we have some tips here: https://proofed.co.uk/writing-tips/writing-concisely/
    Reply
Fran
1st May 2021 at 11:30
I used an established scale (the ASI) for my research, do I need to include the full scale in the appendix or do i just need to include original material i created for my research?
Reply
    Proofed
    3rd May 2021 at 09:46
    Hi, Fran. You could include it if you think it would be a useful point of reference for the reader, but if it's an established scale it shouldn't be entirely necessary (although you might want to cite it somewhere if the scale is based on a particular piece of research).
    Reply
cly
4th May 2021 at 01:26
Can i upload say a design sketchbook onto a cloud and use the link in the appendices?
Reply
    Proofed
    4th May 2021 at 09:20
    Hi, Cly. If it's a single URL, you might be better off just adding it somewhere else in the document (e.g. in a footnote in the relevant part of the document) than adding an appendix just for the link. Although if you're including other material from the sketchbook in the appendix, you can certainly add the link as well.
    Reply
      Cly
      4th May 2021 at 12:34
      Thank you, how do i refer to the footnote in the body? The sketchbook is a sizable document with design iterations and justifications
      Proofed
      4th May 2021 at 15:36
      Usually, you'd add a superscript number in the main text, which would then point to a corresponding numbered note at the bottom of the same page. We have some more information on how to add footnotes to a Microsoft Word document here, if that helps: https://proofed.co.uk/writing-tips/footnotes-endnotes-essays/
Jasmin
4th May 2021 at 10:56
Hi, I'm using a few episodes of a tv program as my data set. How do i transcribe the data in the appendices? I'm taking this data to study dialectology so I only need one person's lines in the program. should i include the whole conversation, or only the parts i used for analysis will be enough?
Reply
    Proofed
    4th May 2021 at 15:38
    Hi, Jasmin. Unless your institution's style guide says otherwise, anything you're analyzing directly should be included and cited in the main body of your work, though you could include a longer transcript (for context) in an appendix if you think that would be useful for your reader(s).
    Reply
JUSTICE INUSAH
8th May 2021 at 16:38
what two materials can i include in my appendix of a long essay
Reply
    Proofed
    10th May 2021 at 08:55
    Hi, Justice. Unless you have a style guide that specifies what to include in appendices, it really depends on what you need to include to support your arguments.
    Reply
Daniel Gatsey
8th May 2021 at 17:07
Please are these all the materials you can include in the appendix of a long essay?
Reply
    Proofed
    10th May 2021 at 08:58
    Hi, Daniel. Unless you're using a style guide with specific instructions about appendices, they can include whatever supporting materials you've used in your work: the list here includes some common examples, but as long as you include any directly relevant data or information in your main essay, you can then put additional materials in appendices.
    Reply
Sharon
24th June 2021 at 03:20
I have 2 tables that need to go in my appendix. I am not sure if I should label the tables separately as Appendix A and Appendix B or put them in a single appendix and label them Table 1 and Table 2. What would be the best way to do this?
Reply
    Proofed
    24th June 2021 at 09:04
    Hi, Sharon. Either should be fine, but if they're in a single appendix you'll need to make sure to reference the table number as well as the appendix itself when referring to it in the main text.
    Reply
Sharon A Davidson
24th June 2021 at 16:54
Thank you for clarifying this. Just to confirm, it would be: (see Appendix, Table 1) in the text?
Reply
    Proofed
    24th June 2021 at 17:18
    Hi, Sharon. If you're following a specific style guide, it might be worth checking for rules on how to reference appendices. Otherwise, though, the only requirement is clarity, so '(see Appendix, Table 1)' should be fine if there is only one appendix.
    Reply
Sharon
24th June 2021 at 17:55
Thank you so much for your help! The rules are not very specific so I will adopt your suggestion.
Reply
aoife
27th October 2021 at 19:08
Hi, thanks so much for the helpful article. I'm writing a reflective paper and I'm a little confused on the table of contents part. Is the table of contents at the very beginning of the paper with the paper and page numbers, references and appendices all included in the table of contents? or does the table come at the end of the reference list only including the appendices?
Reply
    Proofed
    28th October 2021 at 09:32
    Hi, Aoife. A table of contents is a page at the start of your paper (usually, after the cover page but before the introduction) where you list all of the chapters or sections, ending with your appendices. Typically, a short reflective paper wouldn't need either a table of contents or appendices (both are usually only necessary in longer documents), but you can always check your style guide or ask your course leader if you're unsure what to include in your essay.
    Reply
Andrew
18th November 2021 at 13:13
I have an appendix item that spans over 4 pages. Do I label the pages consecutively (app 1, app 2...) or just the first page (app 1, app 1 ctd..? Thank you
Reply
    Proofed
    18th November 2021 at 16:21
    Hi, Andrew. If it is a single appendix that covers multiple pages and it will be obvious to readers that all of the pages are part of the same appendix, it should be enough to just have a heading on the first page. You might also want to check your style guide for advice if you have one, though.
    Reply
Thom K.
24th January 2022 at 16:04
Nowadays (hey it's 2022!) I don't like documents in which I have to switch through a lot of pages to find detailed information with the summary or contextual main articles. You might lose track. Why not put all relevant information in the right place? Nowadays we can make use of clickable links and I would recommend to use that as much as possible. You can even make (internal) links in the document that also work in a PDF created version.
Reply
    Proofed
    24th January 2022 at 16:43
    Hi, Thom. This post is specifically about using appendices in academic essays. The main paper should, of course, contain all of the key information, but appendices are useful precisely for adding supplemental materials so they don't distract from the point/argument being made. Likewise, while internal links can be helpful in digital media, most academic institutions still follow common conventions for laying out and navigating documents from the print publishing world. Thus, unless a school's style guide explicitly permits use of hyperlinks in essays (whether for internal links or citing external sources), they're not usually an option in this context.
    Reply
Kat
13th April 2022 at 18:43
Hi, I am writing a reflective assignment and just wondered if I can include further research that I have done within my appendix. I am not referring to a research paper or anything like that but I have mentioned within my essay that I intend to research the importance of communication in health and social care. I have then included in an action plan that I have researched communication and what it means for the sector as well as what it means for me. Can I add my findings (with references to different sources) in my appendix?
Reply
    Proofed
    14th April 2022 at 09:09
    Hi, Kat. I'm afraid you'll have to ask your lecturer/tutor whether including extra research in appendices is acceptable (and whether you'll be assessed on that as well or just the main paper). But putting the extra material in an appendix to supplement the main paper sounds like a good idea in general.
    Reply
Cali
14th April 2022 at 10:09
Hi, I have completed a project report (my dissertation) and i wondered if it would be correct to add raw data from an experiment which failed into the appendices? i want to discuss reasons for the observed result and how we can rectify this in the future and therefore will only refer to this raw data in my discussion
Reply
    Proofed
    14th April 2022 at 13:45
    Hi, Cali. This is probably something you'll need to discuss with your lecturer to be sure (or whoever else might be assessing or supervising your work), but it seems like a good idea to include the raw data in an appendix if you think it will be a useful point of reference for people reading your discussion.
    Reply
Sophie
18th April 2022 at 22:18
If I wanted to include a substantial spreadsheet from the office for national statistics would it be appropriate to add it as an appendix or should this just be being referenced from the web page that leads me to the excel spreadsheet? If an appendix is suitable how would I then include the spreadsheet as it is on an excel spreadsheet?
Reply
    Proofed
    19th April 2022 at 09:27
    Hi, Sophie. If the spreadsheet is publicly available, then I imagine just citing it should be fine. You can also copy and paste data from a spreadsheet into Microsoft Word (and some other word processors) if required, where it will appear as a chart, so you could add data to an appendix or a set of appendices that way. Assuming this is for student work, though, you should ask your tutor/supervisor/lecturer how best to accommodate the data you have in mind.
    Reply
Nicole
2nd May 2022 at 13:00
Hello, How do I provide copies of emails in the appendices? Do I write them out in a certain way? Thank you, Nicole
Reply
    Proofed
    3rd May 2022 at 10:20
    Hi, Nicole. There isn't any standard way of presenting emails in appendices (unless you're using a style guide that mentions this, so possibly worth checking if you have one). The only requirements that jump to mind are that a) they are formatted in a way that is easy to read (e.g. make sure you clearly distinguish the subject lines from the main email text) and b) that you can reference each email clearly (e.g. make sure that each one has a unique title you can cite in the main text if required).
    Reply
Rebecca
19th May 2022 at 18:05
Hiya, so I am writing a report about a study I did and I have to include a diary in my appendix. In this diary, I detailed the method of something. I need to write about the method in the report too. Am I allowed to copy and paste from my appendix or should the words be different in the main report and diary? thank you!
Reply
    Proofed
    20th May 2022 at 09:21
    Hi, Rebecca. You would usually want to rewrite for the main report to ensure it is written as clearly and concisely as possible (as well as making sure it is consistent with the rest of the text). However, you may be able to reuse some or all of it. I'm afraid you'll have to ask your tutor/lecturer/whomever will mark your work to be sure, though.
    Reply
somaya
18th July 2022 at 20:36
Do all references need an appendix? e.g. I have 40 references so I need 40 appendices.
Reply
    Proofed
    19th July 2022 at 08:37
    Hi, Somaya. References are usually compiled in a reference list or bibliography, not appendices. The exact format for this will depend on which referencing system you're using, so make sure to check your style guide (or ask a tutor/lecturer) if you're not sure about this.
    Reply

Try For Free




Get help from a language expert.

Try our proofreading services for free.

Try For Free
More Writing Tips?
Read More On Our Blog
Trusted by thousands of leading
institutions and businesses

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

Let's Get Started. Try for free!