What Is an Appendix in a Paper? – A Guide on Various Formats

In many academic works, for example, a writing assignment or a research paper, certain topics cannot fully explain the information. It is where an appendix comes into use. It facilitates your readers to better comprehend the data that’s included in these topics or paragraphs. The appendix section enables the reader to get more insight into the information you have put there. There are varied ways or styles in which an appendix can be drafted. It mainly depends on your professor. In general, there are three formats in which you can prepare an appendix in a paper. In this guide, you’ll learn what is an appendix in a paper and the guidelines for drafting it in various formats.

What Is an Appendix in a Paper?

An appendix in a paper is additional information or raw data, which is generally given when the academic work draws to an end. It can also be given following the citation page, along with references in the major body of the text. It imparts the readers’ various insights on the issue that you are discussing in your document.

You might wonder when we are using an appendix in a paper that why is it always placed at the end and not between the main body? It is so because it contains additional information that isn’t necessarily of use to your audience. It also backs the critical points you have made in your paper. Still, not every reader will feel the need to go through this additional information. As a result, if you include it in the main body, it will become more or less irrelevant.

Purpose of an Appendix in a Paper?

Often, students are confused about whether they should or shouldn’t include an appendix in a paper. But it is necessary as it conveys complex information to your reader or audience in a highly systematic way. So, this section is critical for sharing complex information. When you include an appendix in a paper, you impart a comprehensive understanding of your research problem, which in turn facilitates your audience to understand it on a deeper level.

This section not only enlightens your target audience but also allows them to confirm if they are interested in exploring further topics you have introduced. The information in this section can be of a variety of forms. For example, you can attach surveys, interviews, correspondence, research tools, and other non-textual items like graphs and tables. appendix in a paper illustrates the topic to your audience or readers.

How to Structure an Appendix in a Paper?

Every appendix format is according to a specific structure. However, they can also differ. It is essential to understand the general structure of the appendix in a paper if you want to learn more about it. This section in MLA form and APA form is different but adheres to an identical structure. It is given below.

Ensure that this section has the following.

• The letter or appendix number.
• References for the paragraphs in the body part.
• For reference to this section of your document, put a hashtag (#) after the specific sentence.
• Page number for several appendices.
• A label and title will be at the page’s center in normal capital fonts.
• The cross-over of body text as well as an appendix.
• Para one is not needed.
• The subsequent body text is paragraphs two and three.
• Format every para as double-spaced.
• If this section has information, you should include its reference number in your body paragraph text.
• If you have used references from third-party sources, cite them normally in this section and the body text. It isn’t a wise option to form an individual reference list in your document.

General Format of Appendix – What Should Be Included in It?

There’s a need to learn about the guidelines and format of the different kinds of appendices to implement them in your academic paper properly. You can easily understand the guidelines of an appendix. There’s no need to by heart the format of different styles like APA, MLA, and PA. If you draft the appendix rightly, your academic work can become quite effective and insightful for your readers. Keep the following things in mind for structuring this section in your paper.

• Headings should be given as ‘Appendix #.’ The # denotes alphabets and associated numbers.
• Index table. This table follows a set of appendices.
• Footnotes
• Page number
• List of references.

How to Write an Appendix in Different Formats?

There are different styles or formats for this section in your research document. A professor in a specific university can ask you to write in a particular form, while that in another may ask you to write in another one. Given below are guidelines and rules for writing this section in different formats. Although the styles may look similar, they have some distinct features of their own. You should follow the various rules of different appendices while creating one for your academic work.

Guidelines for writing Appendix in APA format

Numerous professors ask their pupils to write this section in the APA format in their papers. To structure this form of appendix correctly, you need to follow the rules and guidelines to write in this format. The guidelines are listed below.

• The appendices should begin with ‘Appendix’ as the heading, succeeded by ABC.
• It needs to be written above the title of your appendix.
• Abstracts
• Every appendix should follow the sequence of the information or data stated in your paper.
• This section should be included following the reference list.
• Page numbers should be included for every appendix.
• Appendices, regardless of their size, should have their own specific page.
• Always include footnotes in this section.

You should strictly adhere to these guidelines when creating an appendix in APA format. Your professors look at whether you have followed the guidelines or not when they ask you to write this section in your document in this style. It’s suggested that you learn the guidelines to better create them every time you are asked for them.

Rules for creating an appendix in APA format

Like the guidelines, there are specific rules for creating appendices in the APA format. They are given below.

• Every appendix should have its own point.
• All your appendices should have a title.
• If you have numerous appendices, you should use ABC to tilt them.
• Write ‘see appendix A’ following a certain text if you want to put reference within the body.
• The title must be centered on the page.
• Appendices, irrespective of their size, should have their own specific page.
• Write para one without indents.
• The remaining paras must have intended formatting.
• Put double-spacing.

Guidelines for writing appendix in Chicago style

Generally, the Chicago style of formatting is done for history papers. This style of writing, when referring to research papers, is also called Turabian Style. If you want to write an appendix in Chicago format, know that it’s quite similar to the APA. There are only some slight differences. You can understand it better by knowing the guidelines. They are described below.

• Appendices is the term used to describe multiple or more than one appendix.
• The font you need for creating this section in Chicago style is Times New Roman, and the text size is 12 points.
• You should display the page numbers on the top right part of every page.
• Never forget to label your page numbers as pages 1, 2, 3.
• Do not include the number of a page on the front cover.
• The final page should be the bibliography. The bibliography should never share a page with different content in your document.
• You can include footnotes in your bibliography.

Guidelines for writing appendix in MLA format

Here again, the guidelines for creating an appendix in MLA format are quite similar to that of APA. There are only a few differences that you need to take into consideration. A chief difference between these types of appendices is that the MLA appendix occurs prior to the list of references. You can understand this format in a better way once you know the various guidelines. They are explained below for you.

• This section comes before your list of references.
• Make use of ABC for tilting this section if there are multiple appendices.
• All appendices in MLA format require to adhere to the sequence of the stated data on your paper.
• Every appendix should have a page number included.
• All appendices must have their own specific page, irrespective of the size.

If you desire to learn how to create this section in this format, then the best course of action is to go through its examples. It will allow you to learn to make it more effective. When you go through various examples, you also boost your likelihood of grasping the varying MLA rules. It, in turn, will enable you to meet all the needs that your professor has outlined for your academic paper.

What are the rules for creating appendices in MLA format?

Students need to strictly adhere to certain rules for creating appendices in MLA format. These rules are explained below for you.

• The title must be centered on your page.
• The list must be double-spaced.
• There should be each reference in the first line in the left margin. The line after it should be formatted in a manner, so it’s invented. It can also be called a ‘hanging indent’ for the purpose of making things easier.
• Ensure that your reference list is in an alphabetical sequence. You can do it with the first letter of the title of your reference. Note that this is done usually in cases when the writer or author is unknown. If the author is known, you can use the first letter of the person’s surname.
• If you are including the name of an author that is known, follow the order of SURNAME, FIRST NAME, YEAR.
• You need to make use of italic fonts for writing the titles of completed writings, recordings, books, and websites on the internet.
• Remember never to use an italic font on your reference titles, which refer only to a particular part of a source. It consists of poetry, PDF sections, tabloids, short papers, and scholarly entries.

Final Words

It’s always a great option to adhere to the appendix in APA, MLA, and Chicago formats. Now that you know what is an appendix in a paper, you can make your academic work more insightful for your readers. It’s essential to follow the rules and guidelines of every format so that you can correctly write appendices in your paper. They are useful for dissertations or essays of any kind. If you need extra help for this task or are stuck on some part of it, feel free visit to writingmyessay.com