Best examples of raw data appendix examples for research papers

Concrete examples of raw data appendix examples for research papers

Let’s skip theory and start with what you actually want to see: real examples of raw data appendix content that work in actual research papers. Think of the appendix as the place where you park the “receipts” for your analysis—too detailed for the main text, but still important for transparency.

Across disciplines, the best examples of raw data appendix examples for research papers usually share three traits:

• They show the structure of the data clearly (variables, units, coding scheme).
• They give enough rows or excerpts to be representative, without dumping everything.
• They point to a full dataset in a repository when the file is too large for the paper.

Below are discipline-specific scenarios that you can adapt directly.

Social science examples of raw data appendix content

Survey-based psychology or sociology study

Imagine a psychology paper on social media use and anxiety among college students. The main text summarizes descriptive statistics and regression results. The appendix might include:

• A table with the first 30–50 rows of raw survey responses, each row representing a participant ID, not their name.
• Columns for variables such as age, gender, hours_social_media_per_day, GAD7_score (anxiety scale), and sleep_hours.
• A short codebook directly below the table explaining how each variable was coded.

For instance, a portion of the appendix table might look like:

Followed by a coding note such as: Gender: 1 = woman, 2 = man, 3 = non-binary, 4 = prefer not to say.

In 2024–2025, many journals expect you to pair this kind of example of raw data appendix table with a link to a full de-identified dataset in a repository like the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), or your institution’s data repository.

Qualitative interview study in education or sociology

For a qualitative project—say, teacher experiences with remote learning—your raw data appendix examples for research papers will look different. You’re not listing thousands of rows; you’re sharing textual excerpts.

A strong example of an appendix for this kind of study could include:

• Several sample interview transcript excerpts showing speaker labels (e.g., INT: for interviewer, T1: for Teacher 1).
• A short coding snapshot: a segment of transcript with line numbers and margin notes showing thematic codes.
• A table mapping participant IDs to basic demographics (age range, years teaching, subject area), but not names.

For instance, an excerpt might be formatted like this:

T3 (High school math, 8 years experience): “During the 2020–2021 year, I felt like I was teaching into a void. Students rarely turned on cameras, and I had no idea if they were following.”

Code: Engagement challenges; Remote instruction; Teacher emotional strain

These examples of raw data appendix examples for research papers help readers understand exactly how you moved from raw text to themes.

STEM and health science examples of raw data appendix examples for research papers

Biology or environmental science lab experiment

Suppose you’re writing a biology paper on plant growth under different fertilizer conditions. The main text reports ANOVA results and graphs. The appendix can show:

• A raw data table with each plant as a row, and columns for treatment_group, initial_height_cm, height_week4_cm, soil_moisture_%, and light_hours_per_day.
• Notes on any missing data or excluded plants (e.g., plants that died from unrelated causes).

A useful example of appendix layout here might be:

• Appendix A1: Raw growth measurements (subset) – first 40 plants, clearly labeled.
• Appendix A2: Sensor calibration logs – short table showing calibration dates and reference readings.

With large or continuous measurements (like minute-by-minute soil moisture data), current 2024 practice is to include sample slices of the raw file in the appendix and link the full dataset in a repository such as Dryad or your university’s data archive.

Public health or medical research study

In health research, privacy rules are strict. A good example of raw data appendix examples for research papers in a public health paper might:

• Show aggregated or de-identified raw data, never names or direct identifiers.
• Include a table of raw counts by age group, gender, and outcome—e.g., vaccine uptake by county.
• Provide the exact wording of survey questions and response scales.

For instance, a public health paper using CDC behavioral data might have an appendix section labeled:

• Appendix B1: Raw count table for vaccination status by age group and county (collapsed categories).
• Appendix B2: Survey instrument and response options.

For current standards on public health data handling, the CDC’s guidance on data and privacy is a solid reference point: CDC Data & Statistics.

Engineering, computer science, and data science examples

Engineering sensor data

In an engineering thesis testing a new vibration-damping material, raw data might come from accelerometers mounted on a bridge model. The appendix could include:

• A snippet of time-series data: time stamps, acceleration in three axes, temperature, and load.
• A short explanation of the sampling rate and any filtering applied.

Because the full file might be millions of rows, examples include:

• A 1–2 second segment of the raw CSV file in the appendix.
• A note such as: “Full raw sensor data (15 GB) available at [institutional repository URL].”

These kinds of raw data appendix examples for research papers show reviewers that you’re not hiding preprocessing steps.

Computer science / machine learning project

For a machine learning paper using a public dataset, you probably won’t paste the entire dataset into an appendix. Instead, strong 2024–2025 examples of raw data appendix examples for research papers in CS often include:

• A few representative rows from your training and test sets.
• A table summarizing class distribution before and after balancing.
• A sample of preprocessed inputs (e.g., tokenized text, normalized image pixel values) next to the raw version.

For instance, if you’re using a subset of the UCI Machine Learning Repository, your appendix might show:

• Three example text reviews in raw form.
• The same three reviews after cleaning (lowercasing, stop-word removal, stemming).

This gives readers a tangible example of how you transformed raw data before modeling.

How to organize examples of raw data appendix content

Good examples of raw data appendix examples for research papers share not just content, but structure. Sloppy appendices are one of the fastest ways to annoy reviewers.

Here’s how experienced researchers typically organize them:

Clear labels and cross-references

Use labels like “Appendix A,” “Appendix B,” and, within each, “Table A1,” “Table A2,” and so on. In your main text, write things like:

Full item-level survey responses for the first 50 participants are shown in Appendix A, Table A1.

This way, your examples of raw data appendix sections are easy to find and actually get used.

Representative samples, not data dumps

In 2024–2025, journals and graduate programs are pushing for data transparency, but they also expect you to respect page limits and readability. That’s why the best examples of raw data appendices usually:

• Show a subset of the raw data (e.g., first 30–100 rows, a few transcript pages, a short time window of sensor data).
• Explain how the subset was chosen (e.g., “first 50 participants ordered by response time,” or “randomly sampled 10 interviews”).
• Point to a full dataset stored elsewhere when appropriate.

The appendix becomes a window into the full dataset, not the entire warehouse.

Protecting privacy and ethics

Any discussion of raw data appendices in 2025 has to address privacy. Strong examples of raw data appendix examples for research papers in human subjects research typically:

• Remove names, addresses, and other direct identifiers.
• Collapse categories when needed to avoid re-identification (e.g., grouping ages into ranges instead of listing exact ages for very small samples).
• Mention IRB or ethics approval in the methods and note any restrictions on sharing.

For ethical guidelines and examples, the NIH data sharing policy is a helpful benchmark.

Formatting tips for raw data appendix examples

You don’t need to be fancy, but you do need to be consistent. The appendix is still part of your research paper, not a random spreadsheet pasted in at the end.

Tables, text, and code blocks

For numerical data, tables are your friend. Keep them readable:

• Use clear, short column headers.
• Include units in headers (e.g., Height_cm, Temp_F).
• Add a brief note under the table explaining any codes.

For qualitative data, use:

• Paragraph formatting with speaker labels.
• Indented block quotes for longer excerpts.
• Italics or bold to highlight key segments if your style guide allows.

For code or CSV snippets, use monospaced formatting and fixed-width alignment so that columns line up.

Align with APA, MLA, Chicago, or journal style

Most major style guides (APA, MLA, Chicago) allow appendices, but they differ in details like labeling and placement. For instance, APA 7th edition suggests:

• Each appendix starts on a new page.
• Use a title like “Appendix A” centered and bold.
• Refer to the appendix in the text.

For updated academic writing guidance, sites like Harvard College Writing Center offer good, current advice on organizing supporting material.

When you create your own examples of raw data appendix sections, match your formatting to the style guide you’re required to use.

2024–2025 trends affecting raw data appendices

If you’re writing now, you’re operating in a very data-conscious environment. A few trends shape how you should think about raw data appendix examples for research papers:

• Data availability statements: Many journals now require a short statement about where your data can be accessed. Your appendix can support that statement by showing samples and linking out.
• Open science and replication: There’s growing pressure to make analyses reproducible, especially in psychology, economics, and biomedical research. Appendices that show raw data structure and coding are part of that.
• Institutional repositories: Universities increasingly maintain their own data repositories. You can store full datasets there and use your appendix to present curated snapshots and explain the structure.

Your goal is to show enough raw data in the appendix that another researcher could understand your dataset and, with access to the full file, realistically replicate your analysis.

FAQ: Common questions about raw data appendices

What are some good examples of raw data appendix content I can copy for my thesis?

Good examples of raw data appendix examples for research papers include:

• A subset of survey responses with a clear codebook.
• Sample pages from interview transcripts with coding annotations.
• A slice of sensor or time-series data with units and timestamps.
• Raw laboratory measurements (weights, heights, concentrations) with notes on missing data.
• A small sample of preprocessed machine learning inputs next to the raw version.

Use these as templates but swap in your own variables, units, and context.

How much raw data should I include in the appendix?

Include enough to be representative and to show your data structure. That might mean 30–100 rows of a large dataset, several pages of transcripts, or a short time window of continuous measurements. If your full dataset is large, provide a link in a data availability statement and keep the appendix focused on clear examples of the data format.

Can I put my entire dataset in the appendix?

You can, but it’s rarely a good idea. It makes the document heavy and unreadable. Instead, follow the pattern used in the best examples of raw data appendix examples for research papers: a curated sample in the appendix and the full dataset in a repository or supplementary file.

What is an example of raw data versus processed data in an appendix?

An example of raw data would be the original survey answers coded numerically, or the unfiltered sensor readings straight from the device. Processed data might be scale scores (e.g., total anxiety score), averages over time windows, or cleaned text. In your appendix, it’s often helpful to show both: a small raw data sample and how that sample looks after processing.

Do I need permission to share raw data in an appendix?

If your data involve human participants, you must follow your IRB or ethics board approvals and any consent forms participants signed. Some data can’t be shared publicly, even in an appendix. In that case, you can still include examples of the data structure with simulated or masked values, and note any restrictions on sharing.

If you treat these examples of raw data appendix examples for research papers as patterns—not scripts—you’ll be in good shape. Show a clean, representative slice of your data, label it clearly, and use the appendix to make your work more transparent, not more confusing.