Clear, Practical Examples of Appendix Formatting for Your Thesis

Examples of Appendix Formatting Examples for Your Thesis (APA, MLA, Chicago)

Let’s start with what most students actually want: concrete, on‑the‑page models. These examples of appendix formatting examples for your thesis use three common styles you’ll see in 2024–2025: APA (7th edition), MLA (9th edition), and Chicago (17th edition).

Imagine you’re writing a psychology thesis in APA style and you have a survey, consent form, and a long table that won’t fit in the main text. Here’s how that might look.

APA‑Style Example of a Single Appendix

On a new page after your references:

Page heading (centered, bold):

Appendix

Appendix title (centered, bold, on the next double‑spaced line):

Participant Survey Instrument

Then your content follows, double‑spaced like the rest of the paper. In this example of an appendix page, your page header and page number continue the same way as your main text.

Within your chapter, you’d refer to it like this:

Participants completed a 20‑item survey assessing perceived stress (see Appendix for the full instrument).

This is one of the simplest examples of appendix formatting examples for your thesis: one appendix, one clear title, and a single in‑text reference.

For current APA rules, you can check the APA Style site: https://apastyle.apa.org

APA‑Style Example with Multiple Appendices

Now imagine you have three different types of material:

• A survey
• A consent form
• A long results table

In APA, each appendix gets a letter:

Appendix A
Participant Survey Instrument

Appendix B
Informed Consent Form

Appendix C
Supplementary Results Tables

Each one starts on a new page. Titles are centered and bold. In your chapters, you’d write:

The complete survey is provided in Appendix A.

A copy of the informed consent form is included in Appendix B.

Supplementary analyses are reported in Appendix C.

These are some of the best examples of appendix formatting for a thesis that needs to keep multiple data types organized but still easy to find.

MLA‑Style Example of Appendix Formatting in a Thesis

If you’re writing in MLA (common in literature or humanities), you’ll still see very similar patterns, but with MLA‑style headings and page numbers.

A simple MLA example of an appendix page:

Centered at the top of a new page:

Appendix A
Interview Questions for Participants

Content is double‑spaced, with your usual header and page number in the upper right. In your chapter, you might write:

For the full list of interview questions, see Appendix A.

The MLA Handbook (9th edition) and many writing centers show real examples. Purdue OWL has MLA appendix guidance here: https://owl.purdue.edu

Chicago‑Style Example for a History or Social Science Thesis

Chicago style is common in history and some social sciences. A Chicago‑style appendix example might look like this:

Centered, bold or caps (depending on your department template):

APPENDIX A. ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS CONSULTED

Content is usually single‑spaced or 1.5‑spaced (check your department rules), with a blank line between items. In your text:

A list of all archival documents consulted is provided in Appendix A.

The University of Chicago Press offers updated Chicago Manual of Style guidance: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org

These three style‑based examples of appendix formatting examples for your thesis should give you a feel for how similar the basic structure is across systems, even though the details (like capitalization and spacing) differ.

Practical Content Types: Real Examples of What Goes in an Appendix

Students often ask, “What actually belongs in the appendix?” Here are real examples of appendix materials that show up in 2024–2025 theses across disciplines.

Example of a Survey Instrument Appendix

Imagine you ran an online survey using Qualtrics or Google Forms.

Appendix A
Student Well‑Being Survey Instrument

Then you’d include:

• Instructions exactly as participants saw them
• All questions, in order
• Response scales (for example, 1 = Strongly disagree … 5 = Strongly agree)
• Any skip logic or branching, described in words

In your methods chapter, you’d write:

The full survey instrument, including all items and response options, is provided in Appendix A.

This is one of the most common examples of appendix formatting examples for your thesis in psychology, education, and public health.

For survey design best practices, see the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): https://nces.ed.gov

Example of Interview or Focus Group Transcripts

Qualitative theses often include at least one sample transcript.

Appendix B
Sample Semi‑Structured Interview Transcript (Participant 07)

You might:

• Use single spacing for the transcript
• Add a blank line between speakers
• Label speakers clearly (Interviewer, Participant)
• Remove identifying details with brackets, like [school name]

In the main text:

A sample coded transcript is provided in Appendix B to illustrate the analytic process.

This kind of real example of appendix formatting shows examiners how you actually worked with your data, without bloating the main chapters.

Example of Ethics and Consent Documentation

Since 2020, many programs have pushed for more transparency about ethics approvals, especially in health and social science research.

Appendix C
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval Letter

Appendix D
Informed Consent Form Template

You would:

• Include a scanned or exported PDF text of the IRB approval letter (with signatures, if allowed)
• Provide the final version of the consent form participants saw

In the methods chapter:

Documentation of institutional review board approval is provided in Appendix C, and the informed consent form is provided in Appendix D.

For ethics guidance and real examples, see the U.S. Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP): https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp

Example of Large Tables, Figures, or Extra Analyses

When tables are too wide or long for the main text, the appendix is your friend.

Appendix E
Supplementary Regression Output

You might:

• Export full regression tables from R, SPSS, or Stata
• Keep them in landscape orientation
• Use a smaller but readable font (often allowed in appendices)

Then you reference them like this:

Full regression output, including all control variables, is reported in Appendix E.

This is one of the best examples of appendix formatting for quantitative theses where you don’t want to overwhelm the reader in Chapter 4.

Example of Code or Algorithms (Data Science / Engineering)

With the rise of data science and AI‑related theses in 2024–2025, code appendices are becoming more common.

Appendix F
Python Scripts for Data Cleaning and Analysis

Tips for formatting:

• Use a monospaced font (like Courier New) if your university allows font changes in appendices
• Maintain indentation exactly as in your IDE
• Add short comments at the top of each script explaining its purpose

In your methods chapter:

All Python scripts used for data cleaning and analysis are provided in Appendix F.

If your codebase is large, many departments now allow a link to a GitHub repository in addition to a short example of code in the appendix.

Example of Policy Documents or Archival Material

For public policy, law, or history theses, you might include excerpts of long documents.

Appendix G
Excerpts from 2018–2023 State Climate Policy Documents

You could:

• Provide key sections only, with clear citations
• Use ellipses (…) to show that some text has been omitted
• Add a short note at the top: “Excerpts only; full documents available at [URL].”

In the main text:

Key excerpts from the climate policy documents analyzed are provided in Appendix G.

These real examples of appendix formatting examples for your thesis show how to balance transparency with length limits.

How to Label, Order, and Refer to Appendices in Your Thesis

Now that you’ve seen different content types, let’s talk about the structure that makes them easy to use.

Ordering: The Same Order You Mention Them

A simple rule: order your appendices in the same order you first mention them in the text. If you first talk about the survey, then the consent form, then the transcripts, your appendices should follow that order.

This keeps your examples of appendix formatting examples for your thesis logically aligned with your narrative.

Labeling: Letters, Not Numbers (Usually)

Most style guides prefer letters:

• Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C

If you only have one appendix, some styles allow just “Appendix” without a letter. But many universities still like the letter system because it’s very clear.

Within each appendix, you can number tables and figures like this:

• Table A1, Table A2, Figure B1, Figure B2

So, an in‑text reference might look like:

See Table A1 in Appendix A for the full list of survey items.

Cross‑Referencing in the Text

Good cross‑references are what turn your appendices from a dumping ground into a helpful resource.

Stronger phrasing looks like this:

For a complete list of variables and coding schemes, see Appendix C.

Sample interview questions are provided in Appendix A, and a coded transcript is provided in Appendix B.

Notice how these examples of appendix formatting examples for your thesis always:

• Use the exact appendix label (A, B, C)
• Briefly say what’s inside

That tiny bit of description saves examiners from flipping back and forth in confusion.

Layout Details: Fonts, Spacing, Page Numbers, and Headings

This is where students often get stuck in the weeds. Here’s how to keep it simple and clean.

Fonts and Spacing

Most universities want the appendix to match the main text:

• Same font family and size
• Same line spacing (often double)

But there are reasonable exceptions in real examples:

• Code blocks in a monospaced font
• Tables in slightly smaller font to fit on the page
• Single‑spaced transcripts with a blank line between paragraphs

When in doubt, check your grad school’s thesis manual. Many universities host their manuals on .edu sites; for example, Harvard’s guidelines: https://gsas.harvard.edu

Page Numbers and Table of Contents

Your appendices usually:

• Continue the same page numbering as the main text
• Are listed in the table of contents

A typical table of contents section might show:

Appendix A: Student Well‑Being Survey Instrument ........ 145
Appendix B: Sample Interview Transcript (Participant 07) ... 151

This kind of listing matches the best examples of appendix formatting in published dissertations.

Headings Inside the Appendix

If your appendix is long, treat it like a mini‑chapter with headings.

For example, in Appendix A: Survey Instrument, you might have:

• Section headings for each scale (Perceived Stress Scale, Sleep Quality Items)
• Short notes explaining scoring

This is one of those quiet but powerful examples of appendix formatting examples for your thesis: clear internal organization so your reader doesn’t feel lost.

2024–2025 Trends: Digital Materials, Data Transparency, and Reproducibility

Theses submitted in 2024–2025 are living in a much more digital world than those from a decade ago. That changes how appendices are used.

Linking to Online Repositories

Many programs now encourage (or require) students to upload:

• Large datasets to repositories like OSF or institutional servers
• Code to GitHub or GitLab

In those cases, your appendix might include:

• A short example of the dataset structure (a few rows/columns)
• A description of variables and file organization
• A link to the full dataset

For example:

A sample of the cleaned dataset is shown in Table A1. The full dataset and codebook are available through the university repository (see Appendix F for access details).

Transparency in Methods and Materials

There is growing pressure for transparent methods, especially in health and behavioral research. Appendices are where that transparency lives: full questionnaires, coding schemes, and detailed protocols.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has open science guidance that often influences grad program expectations: https://www.nih.gov

Real examples of appendix formatting examples for your thesis now often include:

• Pre‑registration documents
• Detailed analysis plans
• Full lists of exclusion criteria

These additions reassure examiners that your work is reproducible and honest.

FAQ: Short Answers About Thesis Appendices

Q1. Do I always need an appendix in my thesis?
No. If everything fits comfortably in the main text and you don’t have long instruments, raw data, or extra analyses, you may not need one. But many modern theses use at least one appendix for transparency.

Q2. Can I put references in the appendix?
You can cite sources in the appendix, but they should still appear in your main reference list or bibliography. The appendix is an extension of your thesis, not a separate document.

Q3. What are some examples of materials that should not go in an appendix?
You usually should not include:

• Entire articles or book chapters you did not create (copyright issues)
• Highly sensitive personal data that cannot be properly anonymized
• Content that is central to your argument (that belongs in the main chapters)

Q4. Is there a best examples layout for labeling multiple appendices?
The most widely accepted layout uses letters (Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.), each on a new page, with a clear title describing the content. The examples of appendix formatting examples for your thesis in this article follow that pattern because it works well across APA, MLA, and Chicago.

Q5. Can I mix different formatting (fonts, spacing) inside the same appendix?
You can, but keep it purposeful. For instance, body text double‑spaced, code in monospaced single‑spaced blocks, and tables slightly smaller. Just don’t make it look chaotic. Most graduate schools care more about clarity and consistency than rigidity inside appendices.

If you treat the examples of appendix formatting examples for your thesis above as templates rather than rigid rules, you’ll be in great shape. Start by deciding what truly belongs in the appendix, label it clearly, mirror your style guide, and make sure every appendix is easy to find from the main text. That’s how you turn an often‑ignored section into a quiet strength of your thesis.