Where to Find a Proper Dissertation Appendix Example: Helpful Advice

An appendix is supposed to be a supplement to a thesis paper. Students who have never read through an entire thesis may be unfamiliar with this particular concept. Before students can write out their appendix, they should research how this particular section of the paper is written,

What is an Appendix?

An appendix in a paper is normally included after the reference list. As one of the last pages of the paper, the appendix will include any supplemental materials that were used in creating the paper. This may include the questions used in a survey, the actual surveys, supplemental graphs, or participant forms. An appendix is a necessary part of the paper because it demonstrates the actual data that was used to create the essay.

A Few Things to Remember

When creating the appendix, students need to make sure that some of the personal information is redacted. The physical addresses, signatures, phone numbers or email addresses of the participants should be removed completely. In addition to being a common practice, it is also a safety precaution and a privacy issue for the participants in the study.

Using Media Files

In some cases, an interview, video or recording may need to be attached to the appendix. Obviously, a tape recording cannot be printed out and submitted with the file. Instead, students can include the supplemental material in a library submission record. The academic committee in charge of reviewing the dissertation can access the file if they need to through the library.

Order and Heading

When writing out the appendices, students should use letters to label them. The first appendix would be Appendix A, the second would be Appendix B and it would continue in this fashion. Listing the appendix like this allows the reader to easily find what they are looking for. To make the appendices easier to use, the student should make sure that all of the materials are included in the order that they are introduced in the text.

Getting Online Help

If formatting the appendices seems impossible, students can always find assistance online. There are writing and dissertation websites that contain examples of the exact format to use. Likewise, the college's English department may have online examples of how to write the dissertation. If there is enough time, students can always bring in their appendices to their academic adviser during office hours. It is the adviser's job to help with these types of questions, so students should not be afraid to ask for help.