Dissertation Appendix: What to Include and How to Format It
Reviewed by Prof. Dr. Alexander Holtermann · Updated 16 October 2026 · 5 min read
Appendices hold supporting material like questionnaires, interview guides, consent forms, and extra tables. Label them A, B, C and refer to each in the text.
Key takeaways
- An appendix contains material that supports your dissertation but would interrupt the main text: research instruments, consent forms, additional results, transcripts excerpts, code.
- In APA style, label appendices with capital letters (Appendix A, Appendix B); a single appendix is just “Appendix”.
- Every appendix must be referred to in the main text at least once (“see Appendix B”), in the order of first mention.
- Appendices usually do not count toward the word limit, so examiners are not obliged to read them: anything essential belongs in the main text.
- Anonymize everything: no names, signatures, or identifying details of participants in consent forms or transcripts.
What belongs in an appendix?
The appendix is for transparency and completeness. It lets examiners verify how you collected and analyzed data without forcing every reader through all the details. A good rule: if a reader needs it to understand your argument, it goes in the main text; if a reader might want it to check or replicate your work, it goes in the appendix.
One rule beats every guide on the internet, including this one: your own university’s or department’s style guide, handbook, or assignment brief always takes precedence. If it differs from what you read here, follow it. You can upload that handbook to Professor Digital, and everything (outline, citations, checks) is tailored to it.
| Typical appendix content | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Questionnaire or survey instrument | Shows exact wording and response options |
| Interview or focus group guide | Documents the questions and structure |
| Participant information sheet, blank consent form | Shows ethical procedure |
| Ethics approval letter (without personal data) | Confirms approval and reference number |
| Coding frame or codebook | Makes qualitative analysis transparent |
| Additional tables and statistical output | Supplements results without cluttering them |
| Transcript excerpts | Illustrates data (full transcripts only if required and permitted) |
| Code, search strings, PRISMA flow details | Enables replication |
| AI-use log or statement | Documents tool use as required by your university |
What does not belong in an appendix
Appendices are not a storage place for material that did not fit your word limit. Examiners notice when key content is “hidden” there, and some universities penalize it.
- Essential findings or core arguments: put them in the main text.
- Unanalyzed raw data dumps (e.g., hundreds of pages of output).
- Full transcripts, if your ethics approval or consent forms promised confidentiality or did not cover sharing.
- Signed consent forms or any document with participants’ names.
- Material you never refer to in the text.
- Copyrighted instruments you have no permission to reproduce (describe and cite them instead).
Formatting appendices in APA 7
APA 7 gives clear rules that many universities apply to dissertations. Your graduate school or department may add its own requirements, such as including appendices in the table of contents.
- Position: after the reference list (and after tables and figures if those are placed at the end).
- New page: each appendix starts on a new page.
- Label: bold, centered at the top: “Appendix A” (or “Appendix” if there is only one).
- Title: bold, centered, title case, on the line below the label: “Interview Guide”.
- Order: in the order in which you first mention them in the text.
- Tables and figures inside appendices: number them with the appendix letter: Table A1, Figure B2.
- Page numbers: continue the main page numbering.
Referring to appendices in the text
Mention each appendix at the point where the reader might want it, usually in the methodology chapter. Use the label exactly as it appears on the appendix.
Word count and examiners
At most US and UK universities, appendices are excluded from the word count. That has two consequences. First, you cannot use them to extend your discussion: examiners grade the main text and only consult appendices to check details. Second, length should be proportional. Twenty pages of appendices are normal for an empirical master’s dissertation; two hundred pages usually signal that you have not selected.
Some universities set a page limit for appendices or require that large datasets be submitted separately (for example in a data repository or as electronic supplementary files). Check before you compile your final document.
Anonymization and permissions checklist
Before you include any participant material, check it carefully against your ethics approval and consent forms. In the US, your IRB protocol defines what you may disclose; in the UK, your ethics committee approval and data protection law (UK GDPR) apply.
- Names replaced with pseudonyms or codes (P01, P02).
- Places, employers, and other identifying details removed or generalized.
- Only blank consent forms and information sheets included.
- Ethics letter included without personal contact details, if required.
- Permission obtained for any copyrighted scale or instrument you reproduce.
- Transcripts included only if consent covered it.
Frequently asked questions
What goes in the appendix of a dissertation?
Supporting material such as questionnaires, interview guides, blank consent forms, information sheets, codebooks, additional tables, transcript excerpts, code, and the ethics approval letter.
Do appendices count toward the word count?
At most universities, no. That is why essential content must be in the main text; examiners are not required to read appendices in full.
How do you label appendices in APA?
Use “Appendix A”, “Appendix B”, and so on, bold and centered, with a bold title in title case below. A single appendix is labeled just “Appendix”.
Should I include full interview transcripts in the appendix?
Only if your university requires it and your consent forms and ethics approval permit it. Often excerpts or one anonymized sample transcript are enough.
Where do appendices go in a dissertation?
After the reference list, each starting on a new page, in the order you first mention them in the text.
Sources and further reading
- American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). American Psychological Association.
- Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., Williams, J. M., Bizup, J., & FitzGerald, W. T. (2016). The Craft of Research (4th ed.). University of Chicago Press.
Your university’s examination regulations and style guide always take precedence.
Related articles
- Dissertation structureMost dissertations have five chapters: introduction, literature review, methodology, results, and discussion/conclusion, plus front and back matter.
- Tables and figuresIn APA 7, label tables and figures in bold (Table 1), add an italic title in title case above, put notes below, and cite any source in a copyright note.
- Questionnaire designA good questionnaire starts from your research question, uses validated scales, neutral wording and a logical order, and is pilot tested before launch.
- Interview transcriptionTranscription turns interview recordings into text. Choose verbatim or intelligent verbatim, set clear rules and pseudonymize names before analysis.
- Research ethicsResearch with people needs informed consent, ethics approval (IRB in the US, ethics committee in the UK/EU) and data protection that meets the GDPR.
- CodebookA codebook lists every code with a name, definition, inclusion and exclusion criteria and examples, so that coding is consistent and transparent.
