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Thesis and Dissertation Appendicies – What to Include

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  • By DiscoverPhDs
  • August 12, 2020

What is an Appendix Dissertation explained

An appendix is a section at the end of a dissertation that contains supplementary information. An appendix may contain figures, tables, raw data, and other additional information that supports the arguments of your dissertation but do not belong in the main body.

It can be either a long appendix or split into several smaller appendices. Each appendix should have its own title and identification letters, and the numbering for any tables or figures in them should be reset at the beginning of each new appendix.

Purpose of an Appendix

When writing the main body of your dissertation, it is important to keep it short and concise in order to convey your arguments effectively.

Given the amount of research you would have done, you will probably have a lot of additional information that you would like to share with your audience.

This is where appendices come in. Any information that doesn’t support your main arguments or isn’t directly relevant to the topic of your dissertation should be placed in an appendix.

This will help you organise your paper, as only information that adds weight to your arguments will be included; it will also help improve your flow by minimising unnecessary interruptions.

Note, however, that your main body must be detailed enough that it can be understood without your appendices. If a reader has to flip between pages to make sense of what they are reading, they are unlikely to understand it.

For this reason, appendices should only be used for supporting background material and not for any content that doesn’t fit into your word count, such as the second half of your literature review .

What to Include in a Dissertation Appendix

A dissertation appendix can be used for the following supplementary information:

Research Results

There are various ways in which research results can be presented, such as in tables or diagrams.

Although all of your results will be useful to some extent, you won’t be able to include them all in the main body of your dissertation. Consequently, only those that are crucial to answering your research question should be included.

Your other less significant findings should be placed in your appendix, including raw data, proof of control measures, and other supplemental material.

Details of Questionnaires and Interviews

You can choose to include the details of any surveys and interviews you have conducted. This can include:

  • An interview transcript,
  • A copy of any survey questions,
  • Questionnaire results.

Although the results of your surveys, questionnaires or interviews should be presented and discussed in your main text, it is useful to include their full form in the appendix of a dissertation to give credibility to your study.

Tables, Figures and Illustrations

If your dissertation contains a large number of tables, figures and illustrative material, it may be helpful to insert the less important ones in your appendix. For example, if you have four related datasets, you could present all the data and trend lines (made identifiable by different colours) on a single chart with a further breakdown for each dataset in your appendix.

Letters and Correspondence

If you have letters or correspondence, either between yourself and other researchers or places where you sought permission to reuse copyrighted material, they should be included here. This will help ensure that your dissertation doesn’t become suspected of plagiarism.

List of Abbreviations

Most researchers will provide a list of abbreviations at the beginning of their dissertation, but if not, it would be wise to add them as an appendix.

This is because not all of your readers will have the same background as you and therefore may have difficulty understanding the abbreviations and technical terms you use.

Note: Some researchers refer to this as a ‘glossary’, especially if it is provided as an appendix section. For all intended purposes, this is the same as a list of abbreviations.

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How to Format a Dissertation Appendix

In regards to format, you can include one lengthy appendix or structure it into several smaller appendices.

Although the choice is yours, it is usually better to opt for several different appendices as it allows you to organise your supplementary information into different categories based on what they are.

The following guidelines should be observed when preparing your dissertation appendices section:

  • Each appendix should start on a new page and be given a unique title and identifying letter, such as “Appendix A – Raw Data”. This allows you to more easily refer to appendix headings in the text of your main body should you need to.
  • Each appendix should have its own page numbering system, comprising the appendix identification letter and the corresponding page number. The appendix identification letter should be reset for each appendix, but the page number should remain continuous. For example, if ‘Appendix A’ has three pages and ‘Appendix B’ two pages, the page numbers should be A-1, A-2, A-3, B-4, B-5.
  • The numbering of tables and figures should be reset at the beginning of each new appendix. For example, if ‘Appendix A’ contains two tables and ‘Appendix B’ one table, the table number within Appendix B should be ‘Table 1’ and not ‘Table 3’.
  • If you have multiple appendices instead of a single longer one, insert a ‘List of Appendices’ in the same way as your contents page.
  • Use the same formatting (font size, font type, spacing, margins, etc.) as the rest of your report.

Example of Appendices

Below is an example of what a thesis or dissertation appendix could look like.

Thesis and Dissertation Appendices Example

Referring to an Appendix In-Text

You must refer to each appendix in the main body of your dissertation at least once to justify its inclusion; otherwise, the question arises as to whether they are really needed.

You can refer to an appendix in one of three ways:

1. Refer to a specific figure or table within a sentence, for example: “As shown in Table 2 of Appendix A, there is little correlation between X and Y”.

2. Refer to a specific figure or table in parentheses, for example: “The results (refer to Table 2 of Appendix A) show that there is little correlation between X and Y”.

3. Refer to an entire appendix, for example: “The output data can be found in Appendix A”.

Appendices vs Appendixes

Both terms are correct, so it is up to you which one you prefer. However, it is worth noting that ‘appendices’ are used more frequently in the science and research community, so we recommend using the former in academic writing if you have no preferences.

Where Does an Appendix Go?

For a dissertation, your appendices should be inserted after your reference list.

Some people like to put their appendices in a standalone document to separate it from the rest of their report, but we only recommend this at the request of your dissertation supervisor, as this isn’t common practice.

Note : Your university may have its own requirements or formatting suggestions for writing your dissertation or thesis appendix. As such, make sure you check with your supervisor or department before you work on your appendices. This will especially be the case for any students working on a thesis.

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After interviewing a person, how do you present the question and answer using APA format?

Here are 2 ways of writing out interview questions, depending on what the Instructor assigned.

  • Check with the Instructor to see how he/she would prefer interview content be added.
  • To comply with APA: Use Times New Roman 12 point font and double space.

Option 1 : Include the questions and answers in an Appendix in the paper.

  • The Appendix goes after the References page .
  • Example: When interviewing Mrs. Smith, she indicated how she handles her small business. (See Appendix).
  • The Purdue Owl has a sample Appendix  at the end of the sample paper.

Option 2 : Include the relevant questions and answers in the body of the paper where applicable.

  • Use quotation marks to show an exact quote.
  • Example: When asked what his strategy was for starting a small business, Mr. Smith replied, "I recommend researching the market for the service in your area and having a sound business plan." Smith, J. D. (personal communication, January 27, 2020).  

The  APA Help  guide shows how to cite interviews:

  • Click on APA Citation Examples - References & In-Text .
  • Find the pull down menu for Other .
  • Select Interviews .

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Appendix(es) (optional).

Refer to either the Sample (Straight Numbering) or Sample (Decimal Numbering) pages as you read through this section. Note: For the Appendices, you should use the same numbering style you chose for the Main Text.

The appendix is a section that is placed at the end of the thesis and may contain material such as tables, figures, maps, photographs, raw data, computer programs, musical examples, interview questions, sample questionnaires, CDs, and many other types of material.

  • An appendix is considered a chapter equivalent and the appendix title should be formatted like a chapter title.
  • Multiple appendices should be numbered A, B, C, and so on. Each appendix should be treated as a separate chapter equivalent and will therefore start on a new page.
  • Page numbers used in the appendix must continue from the main text.
  • As a best practice, include your IRB approval letter (if applicable) in an appendix.
  • Do not include a curriculum vitae or author's biography in your thesis; the Graduate College no longer accepts these sections.

As part of the thesis, any appendix materials must be reviewed and approved by the director of research and committee.

The thesis or dissertation itself should be understandable without the supplemental appendix materials.

As part of the ETD submission, students may upload supplemental electronic files as part of their thesis or dissertation. These files are considered appendix items, and an appendix page must be included as part of the thesis and should be numbered accordingly. This page should include an appendix title, such as “Appendix A: Interview Transcriptions,” and a brief description of the material along with the name of the file in which the material is contained.

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best way to include an interview in a dissertation

Best Way To Include An Interview In A Dissertation​

In relation to interviews, using quotes from interviews, mentioning the interviewee’s name.

  • Is it okay if you mention the name? Before including the interviewee’s name in a dissertation, you should ask yourself this question. Determine if the name may be mentioned in consultation with the interviewee. In some cases, the interviewee does not wish to be interviewed. This could be the case if you’ve had an interview with an employee and the employee doesn’t want his or her employer to be able to read the answers since it might jeopardize their working relationship. Another scenario in which this can happen is when the interviewer asks really intimate questions.
  • Is it necessary to mention the name? The second consideration is whether or not it is necessary to mention the name. Is there anything it adds to your research? The name of the interviewee is less significant when the interviewee is an unknown individual you encountered on the street. However, if you’ve spoken with the CEO of a significant corporation, it’s important to include his or her name. In the second situation, include a brief introduction so that the dissertation reader understands who this individual is right away.

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How to Incorporate An Interview In Your Dissertation Project

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by  Antony W

June 28, 2024

How Do You Incorporate an Interview in a Dissertation

The first step to writing a dissertation is to conduct in-depth research, and one of the ways to get the data for the assignment is to conduct a series of interviews with people who have experience in your field of research. But how do you incorporate an interview in a dissertation?

There’s a high chance your instructor hasn’t touched on this topic yet, and therefore it’s highly likely that you don’t know what they expect to see.

Fortunately, including interviews in your dissertation isn’t difficult at all. In this guide, you’ll learn the right way to include interviews in your thesis or dissertation assignment.

How to Incorporate an Interview in a Dissertation

There are two steps to include an interview in a dissertation project . You first have to transcribe the interview and then add the written transcript to your document.

Transcribing Your Interview

Transcribing an interview takes time, but it’s the only option you have if you must include an interview in your dissertation. You can use a transcription software to do the work yourself, or hire a transcription service to save time.

To transcribe an interview to include in your dissertation:

  • Choose your transcription method
  • Determine which transcription software to use
  • Transcribe the audio
  • Analyze the transcript and then

Here’s a further explanation for these steps for better understanding and more clarity:

Choose Your Transcription Method

There are three forms of transcription methods, and the one you choose to use depends on what you would like to achieve.

  • Verbatim transcription: This is where you write every word and expression of emotions of the interview. Note that this transcription method is suitable in the type of research where you’re interested in what someone said and how they said what they said.
  • Intelligent verbatim transcription: Here, you write every word you here, but you filter out fillers that don’t add value to the text. Feel free to enhance readability by shortening long paragraphs, fixing broken sentences, and correcting grammar mistakes. By using this method, you assume that you’re not interested in expression of hesitation and emotion because you lose them in the process.
  • Edited transcription: This is an edited version of the intelligent verbatim transcript. Here’s where you remove fillers and irrelevance sentences from the transcript to enhance the relevance of the story.

Choose a Transcription Software

Now that you’ve determined your transcription method, it’s the next step is to choose a software solution that you can use to convert speech to text.

While transcribing takes time, developers are working around the clock to develop solutions that can make the process easy.

With the availability of transcription software solutions that work well, you can speed up the transcription process and have your transcript ready within the shortest time possible.

When choosing a transcription software for the interview for your dissertation, it’s important to choose an option that guarantees conversion accuracy.

Therefore, you should consider a transcription software that’s not only easy to use but also accurate when it comes to converting speech to text.

Examples of transcription software that you can use include:

  • Happy Scribe: We recommend this software because it features a clean, user-friendly editor. In addition to easily recognizing the speaker, Happy Scribe can omit fillers and correct the use of periods and capitalization. The only problem with it is that it doesn’t insert punctuations except for periods.
  • Trint: Trint transcription software has a very simple interface, so it should be easy to figure out. It can ignore music from videos and it has a decent level of speaker recognition. Like Happy Scribe, Trint won’t insert punctuation in the transcript except for periods.
  • Transcribe: The Transcribe software is another cheaper solution with great speaker recognition. The best thing about this software is that it even includes punctuation and can places commas where appropriate.

Transcribe the Audio

This should be a no brainer because you’ve already figured out what transcription method you would like to use.

We do like to recommend the edited transcription option because it omits fillers and irrelevant sentences to enhance clarity, relevance, and accuracy.

You may have to alter the transcript if the quality of the audio of the interview wasn’t up to the best standard.

You can also make changes to the transcript if you feel like the conversation would come out well with additional clarification.

Analyze the Transcript

The final step in transcribing an interview for your dissertation is to analyze the transcript using the coding and categorizing technique.

The technique looks at the link between keywords and the answers given to the questions, which is what makes it possible for you to find the connection between the answers that different respondents give.

Adding Your Interview to the Dissertation

Here’s where you take the transcribed version of the interview and add it to the appendix section of your dissertation.

Depending on the length of the interview, the appendix can be small or extremely large.

Shorter interviews won’t make the appendix long, so it’s fine to include it as part of the dissertation assignment.

Longer interviews, on the other hand, can easily make the appendix extremely large.

In such a case, it’s important to consult your supervisor to determine whether it would be fine to submit the appendix as a separate document.

Once you add an interview to the appendix section of your paper, you’re free to refer to them in the body section of the dissertation by paraphrasing.

Note that you will need to quote the interview if you have copied the words of the interviewee word-by-word. You might have to go back to the interview to get some interesting quotes to include in your dissertation.

One last thing you need to consider is the name of the interviewee. First, ask the interviewee if it would be okay to mention their names in your paper. Some people prefer to be anonymous, especially if they’ve shared personal information with you. Second, determine whether adding the name of the interviewee would add value to the dissertation.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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Should I include interviews transcriptions in my thesis?

In my PhD, I ran an experiment falling within the grounded theory framework, based on interviews I conducted. I transcripted them, tagged them, etc. This "enhanced transcription" is about 130 pages long (with pretty narrow margins). I am now writing my thesis and I wonder if I should include these transcription in appendix of my PhD thesis .

My first guess would be yes, in order to enable contextualization when I quote snippets of theses interviews, but also for "open science" purposes (being honest about what I've done, archival purpose, reproducible research, etc.).

However, thesis in my field are usually ca. 150 pages long. Addind these transcriptions (i.e. 130 pages) would add a significant amount a pages with a low information density. A solution could be to display these transcripts in a very small font, so that they are only 50 pages long, but I don't think it's a good solution.

By the way, my supervisors don't have opinion about it, since using grounded theory is rather uncommon in my field - hence no "jurisprudence".

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  • At the time of the interviews, did you discuss with interviewees how the material might be used? There are some major potential issues here with use of personal information, though hopefully you have already considered this aspect! –  user2390246 Commented Nov 8, 2016 at 11:20
  • 1 I've got their consent for audio-recording the interviews in order to transcribe it later. I was considering anonymizing any personal information (name, title of the project they worked on, and any hints that might make them recognizable), and asking again for formal authorization for publishing transcripts in their final form (i.e. sending them the file and asking " is it ok for you to publish it in that form? "). –  ebosi Commented Nov 8, 2016 at 11:29
  • Despite the authorization you have currently, you probably need to go through IRB to get permission to change the way you are dealing with any data, not just getting consent again from the participants. IRB might also have opinions about your raw or transcribed data, and whether publication of material in that form is ever acceptable. –  Bryan Krause ♦ Commented Nov 8, 2016 at 23:03

Quite honestly I doubt that anybody would go and read that appendix. What I would do is that once the thesis is approved and put in the online repository of the university, you could add this appendix just as an online document and refer to it in the main thesis. That way if anybody wants to access it they can.

  • I do agree that it's unlikely someone would go through these interviews! If I upload it online, how should I refer to it in my thesis? (i.e. when I quote a sentence, I'd like to say "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet" (cf. Project X, Participant Y, at time mm:ss) . However I feel a bit dishonest if thesis reporters cannot access transcript at the time of their report... –  ebosi Commented Nov 8, 2016 at 9:24
  • @ebo you can still add an online file also when you submit the thesis, in the main text you will give a refence to the section of the appendix. If they want they follow the link you provide, what's the issue? –  Herman Toothrot Commented Nov 8, 2016 at 13:16

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Dissertation Appendix – Components, Format & Examples

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Dissertation-Appendix-Definition

An appendix is an integral part of every dissertation paper, serving as supplementary material that enhances and supports the research study. However, only a few people understand what the section is, where it must be placed, and why it must be included in a dissertation . Therefore, while not typically central to the dissertation’s argument, the appendix adds valuable context and transparency to the academic work. This post will cover everything there is to know about a dissertation appendix, from its definition and purpose to the components and format.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

  • 1 Dissertation Appendix – In a Nutshell
  • 2 Definition: Dissertation appendix
  • 3 Purpose of a dissertation appendix
  • 4 Dissertation appendix: Components
  • 5 Dissertation appendix: Format
  • 6 Referring to a dissertation appendix
  • 7 Dissertation Appendix: Checklist

Dissertation Appendix – In a Nutshell

  • An appendix is not part of the main body of the dissertation, but is still relevant to it.
  • A dissertation appendix encapsulates all explanations that cannot be included in the main body of the dissertation.
  • Appendices must be well-structured, and their components systemically organized to serve their purpose correctly.

Definition: Dissertation appendix

A dissertation appendix (plural –appendices) is an index at the end of a dissertation that provides additional information related to the dissertation paper. The section helps academic writers present background information related to the dissertation, but doesn’t directly answer the research question. These can include tables, illustrations and other graphics.

Purpose of a dissertation appendix

The primary purpose of a dissertation appendix is to help keep your dissertation paper organized and within the required word limit. It contains any additional information that isn’t directly relevant to the research topic.

Typically, texts that strengthen your arguments appear in your dissertation paper’s main body. However, there is additional information that isn’t directly beneficial to your research but might be helpful to your readers. That is where a dissertation appendix comes in.

Although they provide additional information, your audience should be able to understand the contents of your dissertation paper even without looking at the dissertation appendix. So, ensure you include all important texts in the main body.

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Dissertation appendix: Components

A dissertation appendix can include different types of information, such as:

Dissertation-Appendix-Components

Research results can be presented in various ways, including tables and figures. However, not all of these findings need to appear in the main body of your dissertation. Only results that are essential in answering the research topic should be included in the paper. Additional results (less significant findings), such as raw data and supplemental analyses, should go into the dissertation appendix.

Further information

Besides supplementary results, additional information related to surveys and interviews can be included in a dissertation appendix. These can include types of interviews, interview transcripts, survey questions, and details of questionnaires. Although these details are not critical to answering your research question, including them in the dissertation appendix gives credibility to your research.

Dissertation-Appendix-Components-copies-and-graphics

Copies of relevant forms 

It is essential to include a list of abbreviations and acronyms and a glossary in the appendix if your dissertation paper contains many words that your audience might not recognize. This helps enhance readability and minimize confusion for readers. Your list of abbreviations and acronyms, and glossary should appear after the table of contents section.

Figures, tables, graphics

You can also include tables, figures, illustrations, and other graphics in the dissertation appendix if your research contains a lot of them. The appendix is the appropriate platform to include less important ones. Use tables and figures that support your research question but cannot be included in the main body.

Dissertation appendix: Format

There is no restriction to how you can format your dissertation appendix. You can opt to have one long appendix if you don’t feel the need to break it into smaller sections with different components. However, it might be a good idea to separate the components (such as interview transcripts and supplementary results) into various appendices to enhance readability.

If you choose to have multiple appendices in your dissertation, always start each appendix on a new page. Additionally, ensure you assign each page a number or letter. For instance, you can use ‘Appendix 2 – Interview Transcripts.’ Giving a unique identifier (number and title of each element) to each appendix makes it easier for the reader to navigate through the information and for you to refer to it in the main dissertation body.

When numbering tables and figures in multiple appendices, you should reset the numbering as you move to the next appendix (next page). For instance, if your ‘Appendix 1 –Raw Data’ has two tables and ‘Appendix 2 – Interview Transcripts’ has one table, the table in ‘Appendix 2’ should be ‘Table 1’ and not ‘Table 3’ .

Referring to a dissertation appendix

It is crucial to refer to each dissertation appendix at least once when crafting the dissertation’s main body. That helps justify the inclusion of appendices in your study.

There are two primary ways you can refer to a dissertation appendix in the main body:

  • Refer to an entire appendix

“The interview transcripts can be found in Appendix 1 –Interview Transcripts”.

  • Refer to an appendix component

There are two ways you can refer to an appendix component:

  • Refer to specific figures or tables in brackets (parenthetical reference). For example, “The results (refer to Table 1 Appendix 3) indicate a slight decline in the number of new infections”.
  • Include the reference in a sentence within the main body (descriptive reference). For example, “As shown in Table 1 of Appendix 3, there is a slight decline in the number of new infections” .

If your paper has one long dissertation appendix, it is good practice to refer to its components in uppercase, but it is not mandatory. However, it is important to maintain consistency throughout your entire paper, the same way you capitalize your headings and titles in academic work.

Although you are free to choose what case to use, you should always use lower-case when referring to appendices in general.

“The appendices at the end of this paper contain additional information about the area of research.”

Dissertation Appendix: Checklist

  • Each dissertation appendix starts on a fresh page
  • My appendices contain relevant information, but they are not essential in answering my research question
  • I have referred to each of my appendices at least once in the main body
  • The content of my appendices (tables and figures) are clearly labelled
  • My appendices are easy to understand and refer to

What is a dissertation appendix?

A dissertation appendix is a section of your dissertation that you use to provide additional data related to your main study but is not essential to answering the primary research question.

What should I include in my appendix?

Your appendix should contain additional information relevant to the dissertation but not directly important to answering your main questions. These can include supplementary results, tables, interview questions and transcripts.

Do I need an appendix in my dissertation?

If you have a lot of additional information, it is important to have an appendix in your dissertation. Appendices help provide readers with details that support your research without breaking the flow of the main body.

Can my dissertation paper have multiple appendices?

Yes. Your dissertation paper can have more than one appendix. Ensure you properly label each appendix (Appendix A or Appendix 1) if your paper has multiple appendices.

Is it appendices or appendixes?

Appendices and appendixes are both correct plurals for the term appendix. However, many scholars prefer using ‘appendices’ over ‘appendixes.’

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Dissertation Advice: How to Use the Appendix

Dissertation Advice: How to Use the Appendix

  • 3-minute read
  • 5th June 2017

Unlike the human appendix, the appendices at the end of your dissertation are very valuable… OK, we know that research has shown that the human appendix is useful. But we needed a snappy opening line and we’ll be damned if we let scientific evidence get in our way!

thesis interview appendix

Anyway, our point is that you can often get extra marks on an academic paper by using the appendices effectively. In this blog post, we explain how.

What to Put in the Appendix

An appendix is where extra information goes. What you include, and how many appendices you need, will depend on what you’re writing about. Common examples include:

  • Raw test data
  • Technical figures, graphs and tables
  • Maps, charts and illustrations
  • Letters and emails
  • Sample questionnaires and surveys
  • Interview transcripts

These are all things you might want to reference in your main essay without including them in full. For example, even if you quote an interview in the results and discussion section of an essay, you would not usually include the full transcript. Instead, you would write:

Participant 4 claimed to experience ‘dizziness and nausea’ (see Appendix B).

This points the reader to the appendix if they want to see where the quote came from.

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How to Format Appendices

The correct way to format appendices will depend on your university, so make sure to check your style guide . But in general, the following rules should be followed:

  • Place appendices at the end of your document after the reference list
  • Divide appendices by topic (e.g. separate sections for test results, illustrations and transcripts)
  • Start each appendix on a new page and label it with a letter or number, along with a title clarifying content (Appendix A: Instrument Diagrams, Appendix B: Test Results, etc.)
  • List appendices in the table of contents at the beginning of your document

Doing these things will make it easier for your reader to find information in the appendices.

Appendices and the Word Count

Appendices are not usually included in the word count for your paper. This means you can cut non-essential information from the main chapters and add it to an appendix without worrying about exceeding the word limit.

But be warned! This is not an excuse to cut vital information from your work. You must included all important data in your main essay. If you put essential information in the appendices, it could count against you when your work is marked.

Some universities include appendices in the word count, though, so there are better ways to ensure that your work doesn’t end up too wordy!

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  • Knowledge Base
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  • Research Paper Appendix | Example & Templates

Research Paper Appendix | Example & Templates

Published on 15 August 2022 by Kirsten Dingemanse and Tegan George. Revised on 25 October 2022.

An appendix is a supplementary document that facilitates your reader’s understanding of your research but is not essential to your core argument. Appendices are a useful tool for providing additional information or clarification in a research paper , dissertation , or thesis without making your final product too long.

Appendices help you provide more background information and nuance about your topic without disrupting your text with too many tables and figures or other distracting elements.

We’ve prepared some examples and templates for you, for inclusions such as research protocols, survey questions, and interview transcripts. All are worthy additions to an appendix. You can download these in the format of your choice below.

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Table of contents

What is an appendix in a research paper, what to include in an appendix, how to format an appendix, how to refer to an appendix, where to put your appendices, other components to consider, appendix checklist.

In the main body of your research paper, it’s important to provide clear and concise information that supports your argument and conclusions . However, after doing all that research, you’ll often find that you have a lot of other interesting information that you want to share with your reader.

While including it all in the body would make your paper too long and unwieldy, this is exactly what an appendix is for.

As a rule of thumb, any detailed information that is not immediately needed to make your point can go in an appendix. This helps to keep your main text focused but still allows you to include the information you want to include somewhere in your paper.

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An appendix can be used for different types of information, such as:

  • Supplementary results : Research findings  are often presented in different ways, but they don’t all need to go in your paper. The results most relevant to your research question should always appear in the main text, while less significant results (such as detailed descriptions of your sample or supplemental analyses that do not help answer your main question), can be put in an appendix.
  • Statistical analyses : If you conducted statistical tests using software like Stata or R, you may also want to include the outputs of your analysis in an appendix.
  • Further information on surveys or interviews : Written materials or transcripts related to things such as surveys and interviews can also be placed in an appendix.

You can opt to have one long appendix, but separating components (like interview transcripts, supplementary results, or surveys) into different appendices makes the information simpler to navigate.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

  • Always start each appendix on a new page.
  • Assign it both a number (or letter) and a clear title, such as ‘Appendix A. Interview transcripts’. This makes it easier for your reader to find the appendix, as well as for you to refer back to it in your main text.
  • Number and title the individual elements within each appendix (e.g., ‘Transcripts’) to make it clear what you are referring to. Restart the numbering in each appendix at 1.

It is important that you refer to each of your appendices at least once in the main body of your paper. This can be done by mentioning the appendix and its number or letter, either in parentheses or within the main part of a sentence. It is also possible to refer to a particular component of an appendix.

Appendix B presents the correspondence exchanged with the fitness boutique. Example 2. Referring to an appendix component These results (see Appendix 2, Table 1) show that …

It is common to capitalise ‘Appendix’ when referring to a specific appendix, but it is not mandatory. The key is just to make sure that you are consistent throughout your entire paper, similarly to consistency in capitalising headings and titles in academic writing.

However, note that lowercase should always be used if you are referring to appendices in general. For instance, ‘The appendices to this paper include additional information about both the survey and the interviews.’

The simplest option is to add your appendices after the main body of your text, after you finish citing your sources in the citation style of your choice . If this is what you choose to do, simply continue with the next page number. Another option is to put the appendices in a separate document that is delivered with your dissertation.

Location of appendices

Remember that any appendices should be listed in your paper’s table of contents .

There are a few other supplementary components related to appendices that you may want to consider. These include:

  • List of abbreviations : If you use a lot of abbreviations or field-specific symbols in your dissertation, it can be helpful to create a list of abbreviations .
  • Glossary : If you utilise many specialised or technical terms, it can also be helpful to create a glossary .
  • Tables, figures and other graphics : You may find you have too many tables, figures, and other graphics (such as charts and illustrations) to include in the main body of your dissertation. If this is the case, consider adding a figure and table list .

Checklist: Appendix

All appendices contain information that is relevant, but not essential, to the main text.

Each appendix starts on a new page.

I have given each appendix a number and clear title.

I have assigned any specific sub-components (e.g., tables and figures) their own numbers and titles.

My appendices are easy to follow and clearly formatted.

I have referred to each appendix at least once in the main text.

Your appendices look great! Use the other checklists to further improve your thesis.

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Dingemanse, K. & George, T. (2022, October 25). Research Paper Appendix | Example & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved 3 September 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/appendix/

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Dissertation Appendix Writing Guide

What is an appendix.

An appendix is a section of the paper that is included at the end of a report or a dissertation. If there is more than one item being included in this section, the section plural is appendices.

Items that would usually be included as an appendix are relevant to the context of the study but may not be useful to have in the main body of the work. Each appendix should discuss a separate topic and should be listed separately.

When listing an appendix, it is common practice to list is as Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, etc. As each appendix will be evidence of a different topic or will be on a different topic, as with figures within the work, you will be required to title each individual appendix separately within the appendices section.

Make sure you refer to them in-text by the appropriate name. If you do not refer to your appendix in the main text, it does not need to be there!

Illustration of dissertation appendices

Do I Need an Appendix?

Not every dissertation will require an appendix or appendices! It depends on the type of research you are doing, the subject you are studying and the requirements of your university.

What Is Included in an Appendix?

Some examples of appendix items could include interview transcripts, full data sets (i.e., numerical data), a full breakdown of a company’s background or financial information, full PESTLE analysis, search strategy tables or an example of a survey or questionnaire, amongst many others.

Any work in the appendix does not usually count towards the overall word count of a piece of work. However, this rule is not the same with all universities and you must ensure that you check with your own university about their rules and regulations on appendices.

Even in the appendix, you must remember to reference! Ensure you include these references in your bibliography too.

Checklist: Dissertation Appendices

  • Have I presented my appendices clearly?
  • Have I labelled the appendices in order of appearance in the main body?
  • Have I made certain that my appendix is suitably relevant to the text to be included?

Congratulations!

Well done on completing this checklist! You're doing great.

We can help

If you require assistance to write the appendix section of your dissertation, you may want to consider our helpful service which is a great way to get a head start on your work.

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What are the attachments?

Examples of appendices to your thesis, referring to attachments, appendices before or after the bibliography, considerations for the appendices to your thesis, more tips for your thesis structure.

To avoid making your thesis too long, you can use attachments or appendices at the end of your thesis. In these, you include important information that does not belong in the body text. Think of interview transcripts, surveys or tables with SPSS results. Where exactly do you put the appendices to your thesis? What are examples of attachments you can think of?

You probably know about attachments used in e-mails. In your thesis, you use attachments in the same way. There is some information you don't put in the e-mail itself as it would make the e-mail too long and unorderly. Thus, you add it as an attachment. The same goes for appendices to your thesis. 

In the appendix, you put information that is too detailed for the main text but still important for your research. This way, you can make your point in the thesis text itself briefly but powerfully, and include this important information separately for the reader. In the text itself, you refer to the appendices so that the interested reader can find the detailed information there.

You can put all kinds of information in the appendices. Examples of attachments are:

Additional results. Include only the most important results in the main text. These directly support your story. Additional information that is less relevant to the research question should be included in the appendices to your thesis. Think of extra tables or figures.

Interview transcripts. In the main text, you should only include brief quotes from interviews here and there. You can put the full interview transcripts in the appendices of your thesis.

The survey that was conducted. Interested readers will be curious to know exactly which survey questions you asked respondents. It would be too much to put the complete survey in your method chapter. Therefore, you can put it in the appendices instead, and refer to it in the method chapter. Of course, you explain in the method chapter how you arrived at certain questions, who completed the survey, etc.

Survey answers. Sometimes you also want to be able to refer to the exact answers of respondents. Appendices are also a good place for completed surveys.

Forms, letters, etc. Did you contact an expert via written text (e-mail, letter, etc.)? Then you can also put that text in the appendices, but only if it matters for the research. The same goes for forms, original texts, etc. that you discuss in your thesis.

Mind maps or elaborated models that you used mainly for your own understanding and that did not play a leading role in your research.

The reader wants to be able to find the right attachment quickly. It is therefore important to refer to the attachment in the body of the text in the right places. When doing so, also mention which attachment it is (Appendix 1, 2, 3, etc.). Then your reader will know where to find it.

Make sure you refer to each attachment at least once in the running text. Otherwise, nobody will know that you have included it. You can do this in brackets or in the sentence itself. For example, this looks like this:

The interview with Jan Peters (see Appendix 3.1) shows that...

Table 1 (see Appendix 2) shows that...

The full survey is included in Appendix 4.

It is customary to put the appendices after the bibliography, starting on a new page. Check with your thesis supervisor what your study programme's requirements are for the location of the appendices.

Are you working on the appendices to your thesis? Then keep the following points in mind:

Make a separate appendix for each section. Number the different appendices and include a clear title. 

Name the appendices in your table of contents so the reader can easily find them.

Does an attachment consist of several parts? If so, number the parts separately. For example, did you conduct four interviews? Then you can give each interview its own number within the same appendix (Appendix 3.1, 3.2, etc.).

Usually, you write Attachment/Appendix with a capital letter when referring to one particular attachment. This is not a requirement, but it is common. In any case, be consistent. Either use a capital letter or a lowercase letter and do this consistently throughout your document.

Put each new attachment on a new page. For parts of appendices (Appendix 4.1, 4.2, etc.) this is not always necessary. Only if you have somewhat longer attachment parts, it is smart to put them on separate pages.

Check your appendices for language errors. Appendices are also included in your thesis supervisor's assessment. Unsure of your language and spelling? Then have your thesis checked by one of our editors. This way you can be sure that both your thesis and your appendices are free of errors.

Appendices are one of the many sections in your thesis. Do you want to know exactly which parts belong in your thesis and what should be in each part? Read our article on thesis structure. It will give you something to refer to for guidance when writing your thesis.

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An appendix contains supplementary material that is not an essential part of the text itself but which may be helpful in providing a more comprehensive understanding of the research problem. An appendix may also contain information that is too cumbersome to be included in the body of the paper. A separate appendix should be used for each distinct topic or set of data and always have a title descriptive of its contents [e.g., Appendix 1: Interview Protocol].

Tables, Appendices, Footnotes and Endnotes. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University.

Importance of...

Appendices are always supplementary to the research paper. As such, your study must be able to stand alone without the appendices, and the paper must contain all information including tables, diagrams, and results necessary to understand the research problem. The key point to remember when including an appendix or appendices is that the information is non-essential to understanding the research problem being investigated. In other words, if it were removed, the reader would still be able to  comprehend the significance, validity , and implications of your research even if that additional data was missing.

It is appropriate to include appendices for the following reasons:

  • Including this material in the body of the paper that would render it poorly structured or interrupt the narrative flow;
  • Information is too lengthy and detailed to be easily summarized in the body of the paper;
  • Inclusion of helpful, supporting, or useful material would otherwise distract the reader from the main content of the paper;
  • Provides relevant information or data that is more easily understood or analyzed in a self-contained section of the paper;
  • Can be used when there are constraints placed on the length of your paper; and,
  • Provides a place to further demonstrate your understanding of the research problem by giving additional details about a new or innovative method, technical details, or design protocols.

Appendices. Academic Skills Office, University of New England; Chapter 12, "Use of Appendices." In Guide to Effective Grant Writing: How to Write a Successful NIH Grant . Otto O. Yang. (New York: Kluwer Academic, 2005), pp. 55-57; Tables, Appendices, Footnotes and Endnotes. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University.

Structure and Writing Style

I.  General Points to Consider

When considering whether to include content in an appendix, keep in mind the following:

  • It is usually good practice to include your raw data in an appendix, laying it out in a clear format so the reader can re-check your results. Another option if you have a large amount of raw data is to consider placing it online [e.g., on a Google drive] and note that this is the appendix to your research paper.
  • Any tables and figures included in the appendix should be numbered as a separate sequence from the main paper . Remember that appendices contain non-essential information that, if removed, would not diminish a reader's ability to understand the research problem being investigated. This is why non-textual elements should not carry over the sequential numbering of non-textual elements in the body of your paper.
  • If you have more than three appendices, consider listing them on a separate page in the table of contents . This will help the reader know what information is included in the appendices. Note that some works list appendices in the table of contents before the first chapter while other styles list the appendices after the conclusion but before your references. Consult with your professor to confirm if there is a preferred approach.
  • The appendix can be a good place to put maps, photographs, diagrams, and other images , if you feel that it will help the reader to understand the content of your paper, while keeping in mind the study should be understood without them.
  • An appendix should be streamlined and not loaded with a lot information . If you have a very long and complex appendix, it is a good idea to break it down into separate appendices, allowing the reader to find relevant information quickly as the information is covered in the body of the paper.

II.  Content

Never include an appendix that isn’t referred to in the text . All appendices should be summarized in your paper where it is relevant to the content. Appendices should also be arranged sequentially by the order they were first referenced in the text [i.e., Appendix 1 should not refer to text on page eight of your paper and Appendix 2 relate to text on page six].

There are few rules regarding what type of material can be included in an appendix, but here are some common examples:

  • Correspondence -- if your research included collaborations with others or outreach to others, then correspondence in the form of letters, memorandums, or copies of emails from those you interacted with could be included.
  • Interview Transcripts -- in qualitative research, interviewing respondents is often used to gather information. The full transcript from an interview is important so the reader can read the entire dialog between researcher and respondent. The interview protocol [list of questions] should also be included.
  • Non-textual elements -- as noted above, if there are a lot of non-textual items, such as, figures, tables, maps, charts, photographs, drawings, or graphs, think about highlighting examples in the text of the paper but include the remainder in an appendix.
  • Questionnaires or surveys -- this is a common form of data gathering. Always include the survey instrument or questionnaires in an appendix so the reader understands not only the questions asked but the sequence in which they were asked. Include all variations of the instruments as well if different items were sent to different groups [e.g., those given to teachers and those given to administrators] .
  • Raw statistical data – this can include any numerical data that is too lengthy to include in charts or tables in its entirety within the text. This is important because the entire source of data should be included even if you are referring to only certain parts of a chart or table in the text of your paper.
  • Research instruments -- if you used a camera, or a recorder, or some other device to gather information and it is important for the reader to understand how, when, and/or where that device was used.
  • Sample calculations – this can include quantitative research formulas or detailed descriptions of how calculations were used to determine relationships and significance.

NOTE:   Appendices should not be a dumping ground for information. Do not include vague or irrelevant information in an appendix; this additional information will not help the reader’s overall understanding and interpretation of your research and may only distract the reader from understanding the significance of your overall study.

ANOTHER NOTE:   Appendices are intended to provide supplementary information that you have gathered or created; it is not intended to replicate or provide a copy of the work of others. For example, if you need to contrast the techniques of analysis used by other authors with your own method of analysis, summarize that information, and cite to the original work. In this case, a citation to the original work is sufficient enough to lead the reader to where you got the information. You do not need to provide a copy of this in an appendix.

III.  Format

Here are some general guideline on how to format appendices . If needed, consult the writing style guide [e.g., APA, MLS, Chicago] your professor wants you to use for more detail or choose the style you are most familiar with:

  • Appendices may precede or follow your list of references.
  • Each appendix begins on a new page.
  • The order they are presented is dictated by the order they are mentioned in the text of your research paper.
  • The heading should be "Appendix," followed by a letter or number [e.g., "Appendix A" or "Appendix 1"], centered and written in bold type.
  • If there is a table of contents, the appendices must be listed.
  • Depending on the type of information, the content can be presented in landscape format rather than regular portrait format.
  • The page number(s) of the appendix/appendices will continue on with the numbering from the last page of the text.

Appendices. The Structure, Format, Content, and Style of a Journal-Style Scientific Paper. Department of Biology. Bates College;  Appendices. Academic Skills Office, University of New England; Appendices. Writing Center, Walden University; Chapter 12, "Use of Appendices." In Guide to Effective Grant Writing: How to Write a Successful NIH Grant . Otto O. Yang. (New York: Kluwer Academic, 2005), pp. 55-57 ; Tables, Appendices, Footnotes and Endnotes. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Lunsford, Andrea A. and Robert Connors. The St. Martin's Handbook . New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989; What To Know About The Purpose And Format Of A Research Paper Appendix. LoyolaCollegeCulion.com.

Writing Tip

Consider Putting Your Appendices Online

Appendices are useful because they provide the reader with information that supports your study without breaking up the narrative or distracting from the main purpose of your paper. If you have a lot of raw data or information that is difficult to present in textual form, consider uploading it to an online site. This prevents your paper from having a large and unwieldy set of appendices and it supports a growing movement within academe to make data more freely available for re-analysis. If you do create an online portal to your data, note it prominently in your paper with the correct URL and access procedures if it is a secured site, or if needed, with clear directions on how to contact the author to obtain access.

Piwowar, Heather A., Roger S. Day, and Douglas B. Fridsma. “Sharing Detailed Research Data Is Associated with Increased Citation Rate.” PloS ONE (March 21, 2007); Wicherts, Jelte M., Marjan Bakker, and Dylan Molenaar. “Willingness to Share Research Data Is Related to the Strength of the Evidence and the Quality of Reporting of Statistical Results.” PLoS ONE (November 2, 2011).

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Honors thesis guidelines

  • Why write an honors thesis?
  • How to begin
  • Signature page
  • Acknowledgements
  • Table of contents
  • List of tables or figures
  • Introduction
  • Literature review
  • Methodology
  • References/Works cited
  • How to submit thesis

thesis interview appendix

The appendices are for adding extra information that doesn't fit within the text of your thesis, but to which you refer within the text of your thesis. For example, you might have consent forms, interview scripts, survey instruments, or primary documents. If you only have one item, the heading for this section should be "Appendix," and if you have multiple items, then the section should be "Appendices." When creating your appendices section, ensure to label them in alphabetical order. This approach improves the organization of your honors thesis and simplifies reader access to supplementary materials. You should refer to them in the text of your thesis with the title you have assigned it (Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.)." And then provide the bulleted examples that you have listed.

Example: 

Appendix A: Consent Forms

Appendix B: Interview Transcripts 

Appendix C: Research Instruments

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  • Last Updated: Aug 20, 2024 10:38 AM
  • URL: https://wiu.libguides.com/honorsthesisguidelines

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Interview Transcriptions as an Appendix in a Doctoral Thesis

Hello, I'm currently in the process of writing my thesis, and one of the chapters involves referencing interviews through direct quotations rather than data analysis. All interviews have been transcribed, and I'm currently proofreading them. I planned to include the full transcriptions as an appendix. However, I was taken aback when I realized that, even without double spacing, they amount to around a hundred pages. This leads me to wonder whether it's acceptable to include full transcriptions of this length as an appendix in a doctoral thesis. P.S. My institution does not have specific guidelines for doctoral theses.

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Thesis and dissertation filing guidelines

Students who have enrolled in dissertation or thesis credits will prepare a manuscript to publish through ProQuest/UMI Dissertation Publishing. You own and retain the copyright to your manuscript. The Graduate School collects the manuscript via electronic submissions only. All manuscripts are made available through ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database (PQDT), in ProQuest/UMI’s Dissertation Abstracts International, and through the University’s institutional repository, ScholarWorks.

Getting started with campus resources:

  • Office of Human Research Protection
  • Campus computer Help Desk @One : (775) 682-5000
  • ProQuest Help Line: (877) 408-5027 (8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET, or 5 a.m. - 2 p.m. PT)
  • For specific questions, call the Graduate School Graduation staff at (775) 784-6869

Jump to a section

  • Important dates and milestones for graduating students
  • Electronic manuscript submission
  • Checklist to complete your electronic submission
  • Instructions for completing thesis/dissertation committee approval page
  • Formatting your dissertation or thesis
  • Templates, samples and forms for filing

1. Important dates and milestones for graduating students

  • Contact your advisor to discuss department considerations and potential dates for your defense.
  • Contact the Graduate School to ensure your progression paperwork has been approved.
  • View important dates and purchase a graduation application through MyNevada for your graduation semester.
  • Doctoral students must submit their dissertation title for the commencement program.
  • Schedule defense date with the entire advisory committee in accordance with graduation deadlines.
  • Submit all forms and final manuscripts to the Graduate School by established deadlines.

2. Electronic Manuscript submission

ProQuest electronic submission site

Set up an account with ProQuest and wait for a password sent via email. ProQuest offers email and phone support,   1-877-408-5027 , frequently asked questions, etc. Visit the site early to familiarize yourself with the submission process.

3. Checklist to complete your electronic submission

  • Master's  Notice of Completion and Doctoral Notice of Completion Form  - This form includes all committee signatures AND the Graduate Program Director’s signature.
  • Master's Final Review Approval and Doctoral Final Review Approval   Form - This form serves as the final approval from your advisor. The Graduate School will accept the dissertation/thesis after the date listed on the form. The approval date on the form indicates the student’s submission can be accepted.
  • Committee Approval Page   - Use the online Word document template (NO SIGNATURES and no page number). This page will be merged into your manuscript to acknowledge committee members.
  • Filing for Copyright Registration   (optional) - Students have the opportunity to register a copyright of their graduate work with the U.S. Copyright Office. It is strictly optional, and there is a $75.00 fee associated with the service, which is paid online with student submission.
  • Processing fee  - $85 thesis / $95 dissertation.  Log into your Student Center in MyNEVADA . Under the Finances section, click on the link “Purchase Miscellaneous Items.” Select the applicable processing fee to pay (Dissertation or Thesis) and complete the transaction. You will receive a receipt that generates overnight.  Please keep this item as proof of payment for your records. Our office will automatically check for payment posted.
  • NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates  – For  doctoral students only.

4. Instructions for completing thesis/dissertation committee approval page

  • The Committee Approval Page (see forms links at bottom of page ): This interactive template has established borders.
  • Use the accompanying template on page two of this handout to complete the Committee Approval form. Check spelling carefully and make sure that case (upper-case/capital and lower-case letters) and font style (regular or bold) follow the template. Spacing between lines will depend on how long your thesis/dissertation title is and how many committee members you have.
  • Type the words as they appear on the template, i.e., on the first line “We recommend that the thesis/dissertation”, followed by the second line “prepared under our supervision by.”
  • At brackets [1] enter your full name in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS and BOLD-FACED.
  • Type the word “entitled” all in lowercase letters.
  • At brackets [2] enter the complete title of your thesis/dissertation. The title should be in both CAPITAL and lower-case letters and must be Bold-Faced. If the title is long, use two or more lines, breaking the lines at appropriate words in the title. Do not hyphenate between lines.
  • Type the words “be accepted in partial fulfillment of the,” and then, on the next line, “requirements for the degree of.”
  • At brackets [3] enter the name of the degree being awarded, e.g., for Ph.D. enter “Doctor of Philosophy,” for Ed.D. enter “Doctor of Education”. The degree should be in all CAPITAL LETTERS and Bold-Faced. DO NOT enter the name of the graduate program, such as anthropology or economics.
  • At brackets [4] type the full name of your thesis/dissertation advisor followed by his/her degree, followed by the word “Advisor”. For example, “Sonia A. Skakich, Ph.D., Advisor”. Use both capital and lowercase letters.
  • Enter the subsequent committee members and type the full names of the rest of your committee members followed by their degrees and their roles in the committee (Committee Member or Graduate School Rep.) under each one. Use one line for each member. The Graduate School Representative should be the last committee member listed. Use both capital and lowercase letters.
  • The last entry is reserved for the Dean of the Graduate School (which is already entered on the form).
  • At brackets [5] enter the month and year of official graduation. The month must be May, August, or December. Enter the appropriate four-digit designation of the year (e.g., 2018).

5. Formatting your dissertation or thesis

The Graduate School requires standardized formatting for the dissertation and thesis documents. Students will follow a style guide (APA, MLA, etc.) to prepare their document; however, the document must comply with University formatting requirements listed below.

Margins and spacing

  • Left margin: 1.5” from the left edge of the page.
  • Right margin: 1.0” from the right edge of the page.
  • Top margin: 1.0” from the top edge of the page.
  • Bottom margin: 1.25” from the bottom edge of the page.
  • All text should be double-spaced with the exception of captions, footnotes, long quotations, bibliographic entries of more than one line, and materials in tables and appendices.

Recommended fonts

Fonts should be easy to read. Times New Roman, Arial, or a similarly clear font is preferred; type size must be 10, 11, or 12 points. Script and italic typefaces are not acceptable except where absolutely necessary i.e. in Latin designations of species, etc.

In preparing your dissertation or thesis for electronic submission, you must embed all fonts. In Microsoft Word 2013, this is done by accessing the FILE menu; selecting OPTIONS, select SAVE. From the SAVE menu check the box labeled, ”Embed fonts in the file.” If the file size is a concern, check the box next to “Do NOT embed common system fonts."

Large tables, charts, etc., may be reduced to conform to page size, but the print must remain clear enough to be readable. You can also attach a PDF for electronic submissions.

Page numbering

Every page, with the exception of the title page, the copyright page, and the committee approval page is numbered in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top of the page and one inch from the right edge of the page. Do not underline or place a period after the number. Do not use a running header.

  • The prefatory materials (abstract, acknowledgments, table of contents, etc.) are numbered in lower case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv…). Insert a section break after the Roman numerals to create different page numbering styles.
  • The first page of the main text and all subsequent pages are continuously numbered in Arabic numerals beginning with one until the final page number (1, 2, 3, 4…)
  • Do NOT number appendices or pages of additional material with numbers such as 4a or A-1.

Tables and appendices

Tables and appendices are part of the document and must conform to the same margin and page numbering requirements.

Format and sequence of pages

Assemble pages in the following order:

  • Title page *no page number* (create according to the example provided)
  • Copyright Notice *no page number* (optional - see example)
  • Committee Approval Page *no page number* (use the online template available on our   forms page – NO SIGNATURES on this page)
  • Abstract (begins lowercase Roman numerals i, ii, iii…)
  • Dedication (optional)
  • Acknowledgments (optional)
  • Table of Contents
  • List of Tables
  • List of Figures
  • Body of Manuscript (begins Arabic numbering 1, 2, 3…)
  • Back Matter (appendices, notes, bibliography, etc.)
  • Do not number the title page
  • Center each line of type
  • Use BOLD text type for the manuscript title
  • The date listed is the month and year in which you will graduate. The only acceptable months are May, August, and December (graduation cycles).

Copyright page

No page number on this page. Although not required, we strongly recommend you insert a copyright notice in your manuscript following the title page. Essential components of the copyright notice include the copyright symbol, full legal name of the author, and year of first publication. Follow the format of the sample provided below.

Committee approval page

  • No page number on this page
  • Use the electronic PDF template provided below. This page will list the advisory committee members and graduate dean but will NOT include committee signatures.   Combine the PDF into your manuscript to form a single PDF file.  To do this in Adobe Pro, select "Organize pages," "Insert," and "From file."   
  • A window will open and you can drag your separate PDF files into this window to combine them into a single file.
  • Choose the PDF documents in order of page sequencing (title page, committee page, main manuscript) and then combine files into a single PDF.

(Lower case Roman numeral “i” page number)

Abstracts are required for all theses and dissertations. ProQuest no longer has a word limit on the abstract, “as this constrains your ability to describe your research in a section that is accessible to search engines, and therefore would constrain potential exposure of your work.” ProQuest does publish print indices that include citations and abstracts of all dissertations and theses published by ProQuest/UMI. These print indices require word limits of 350 words for doctoral dissertations and 150 words for master’s theses (only text will be included in the abstract). You may wish to limit the length of your abstract if this concerns you. The abstracts as you submit them will NOT be altered in your published manuscript.

Processing note

Each copy of your thesis or dissertation will be checked for margins, clarity of copy, and pagination. The Graduate School will run the manuscript through the Turn It In plagiarism tool.

Electronically submitted theses/dissertations are available in electronic format only; no hard copies will be produced. Students are responsible for binding any copies for personal use or for distribution to their advisor, department, or committee members.

Dissertation & Thesis Processing Fee

Mandatory processing fees are required for all theses ($85.00) and all dissertations ($95.00). Log into your Student Center in MyNEVADA. Under the Finances section, click on the link “Purchase Miscellaneous Items.” Select the applicable processing fee to pay (Dissertation or Thesis) and complete the transaction. You will receive a receipt that generates overnight.  Please keep this item as proof of payment for your records. Our office will automatically check for payment posted.

Using copyrighted materials

You must certify in ProQuest that any copyrighted material used in your work, beyond brief excerpts, is with the written permission of the copyright owner. Attach copies of permission letters to the agreement form.

Copyright registration (optional)

Students have the opportunity to register a copyright on their graduate work with the U.S. Copyright Office. It is strictly optional, and there is a $75.00 fee associated with the service. Students submitting electronically pay online. Paying for the claim to copyright is a voluntary action, which allows a court of law to award monetary damages if the copyright is infringed. You may file a Registration of Copyright yourself by sending a properly completed application form, a nonrefundable filing fee of $45.00 and a nonreturnable copy of your thesis or dissertation to the United States Copyright Office. Application materials and instructions are available from:

Register of Copyrights Copyright Office Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 20559-6000 Information is also available at the Copyright Office’s website:   lcweb.loc.gov/copyright

ScholarWorks repository

ScholarWorks - the University's institutional repository - assists in collecting, preserving, and distributing the university's intellectual output accessible to end-users on local and global levels with few if any barriers. The repository will provide long-term access to the items deposited and can accept works from all the University faculty/staff/students. A wide variety of items including Articles, Datasets, Presentations, Technical Reports, Thesis and Dissertations, Posters, Conference Papers, etc. in all file formats can be deposited into the repository. The repository supports creative commons licensing and open-access publishing without any cost.

The discovery services and search engine optimizations ensure that major search engines easily discover the uploaded content. This increases the visibility, citations, and overall impact of the research. All items deposited in the repository receive a persistent URL that can be used for citations. Various statistics are collected with the built-in statistics module and Google Analytics modules. Information on monthly/yearly views, number of downloads, demographic information, etc. is available for each deposited item upon request.

All the ETDs uploaded into ProQuest are automatically deposited into the University's ScholarWorks repository. The embargo period set in ProQuest during deposit is carried over to the ScholarWorks repository. Any changes to the embargo period after deposit can be made by contacting ProQuest at 1-800-521-0600 as well as the ScholarWorks administrator at [email protected] .

Scholarworks FAQ

Do I need to upload my ETD into the ScholarWorks repository?

  • No, ProQuest will automatically upload the ETD into ScholarWorks on approval from the Graduate School.

Can I extend the embargo period on my Thesis/Dissertation after uploading it to ProQuest?

  • Yes, to change or extend the embargo period of your ETD you need to contact ProQuest at 1-800-521-0600 and the ScholarWorks administrator at [email protected] .

Can I make my ETD open access in the ScholarWorks repository?

  • Yes, ScholarWorks supports open access with creative commons licensing. It is available as a free service to all the faculty/staff/students.

Alternative formatting for thesis or dissertation

These guidelines apply to those theses or dissertations which consist of a number of papers either previously published or being published concurrently with the submission of the thesis or dissertation. Acceptance and publication of the articles are not criteria for this alternative. Each of the papers should constitute a separate chapter of the overall work. Preceding the papers should be an introductory section. This section may be one or more chapters but should include:

  • an overall introduction to the thesis/dissertation,
  • a review of the appropriate literature, and
  • a description of the methodology used in the study.

The student’s advisory committee should determine the format and specific content of this introductory section.

The number of individual papers constituting chapters of the thesis/dissertation is determined by the student’s advisory committee. These chapters may be formatted in the same style required by the journals to which they are to be submitted. However, the margins must conform to those of the overall thesis, i.e. left margin = 1.5"; right margin = 1"; top margin = 1"; bottom margin = 1.25". In addition, each page must be numbered consistent with the rest of the thesis/dissertation, that is, the first page of text is numbered 1 with each subsequent page numbered consecutively until the end, to include all appendices, indexes, etc.

Following the chapters consisting of individual papers, there must follow a summary, conclusions and recommendations section. This section may be formatted as one or more chapters.

Work reported in the articles should represent a major contribution by the student that is the review of the literature, the conceptual framework and/or research design for the reported work. The statistical analyses, summaries, conclusions, and recommendations should represent the student’s own work.

For publication purposes, other researchers may be named as additional authors. This would be especially appropriate when publication is dependent upon extensive revision of the initial manuscript submitted and the faculty involved assumes responsibility for the revisions, or when the student is using an existing database.

When a student chooses this option, the articles will be submitted to the journals agreed upon by the concerned academic unit. Responsibility for follow-up, revisions, etc., should be identified in a written document and agreed upon by the student and faculty member(s) involved.

6. Templates, samples and forms

Please be sure to read the above instructions before proceeding with documents.

Forms for filing a master's thesis   Forms for filing a doctoral dissertation

Thesis filing templates and samples

  • Committee Approval page for 3-member committee (TEMPLATE)
  • Committee Approval page for 3-member committee with co-advisor (TEMPLATE)
  • Committee Approval page for 4-member committee (TEMPLATE)
  • Committee Approval page for 4-member committee with co-advisor (TEMPLATE)

Sample pages

  • Thesis Title page (SAMPLE)
  • Thesis Copyright page (SAMPLE)
  • Thesis Committee approval page (SAMPLE)

Dissertation filing templates, samples and Survey of Earned Doctorates

  • Committee Approval page  for 5-member committee (TEMPLATE)
  • Committee Approval page  for  5-member committee with co-advisor (TEMPLATE)
  • Committee Approval page  for 6-member committee (TEMPLATE)
  • Committee Approval page  for 6 -member committee with co-advisor (TEMPLATE)
  • Dissertation Title page (SAMPLE)
  • Dissertation Copyright page (SAMPLE)
  • Dissertation Committee approval page (SAMPLE)

Survey of Earned Doctorates

  • Survey of Earned Doctorates  - The Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) is an annual census conducted since 1957 of all individuals receiving a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. institution in a given academic year. The SED is sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) and by three other federal agencies: the National Institutes of Health, Department of Education, and National Endowment for the Humanities. The SED collects information on the doctoral recipient's educational history, demographic characteristics, and postgraduation plans. Results are used to assess characteristics of the doctoral population and trends in doctoral education and degrees. Read more about the purpose and methods of the SED .

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  • Knowledge Base

Methodology

  • Transcribing an Interview | 5 Steps & Transcription Software

Transcribing an Interview | 5 Steps & Transcription Software

Published on April 25, 2019 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on June 22, 2023.

Transcribing is converting speech to text word for word. Transcribing is a common practice when conducting interviews because it enables you to perform analysis.

How to transcribe an interview in five steps:

  • Choose your preferred transcription method
  • Transcribe the audio (using transcription software )
  • Add speaker designation and time stamps
  • Clarify the transcript where needed
  • Proofread the transcript, looking out for any mistakes that can lead to information bias or omitted variable bias

Transcription software comparison

Table of contents

Transcription methods, altering the transcript, example transcript, analyzing interview transcripts, transcription software, other interesting articles.

Before you start transcribing, you first need to determine what transcription method you want to use. The best method depends on the goal of your transcription.

Verbatim transcription

Write down every single word, including pauses, the expression of emotions such as laughter, stuttering, and hesitations such as “uh”.

This type of transcription is mostly used in the legal profession or in research where you’re not only interested in what is said but also how it is said.

Intelligent verbatim transcription (most common)

Write down every word, but without irrelevant fillers like “uhm”, “yeah”, “you know” etc. To improve readability, you can also fix grammar mistakes, broken sentences and long paragraphs.

This method is more readable than verbatim transcription, but some data—such as emotions, pauses and hesitation—is lost in the process.

Edited transcription

A summarized and edited version of an intelligent verbatim transcript. In addition to omitting fillers like “you know”, irrelevant sentences can be omitted if it doesn’t change the meaning of the story.

If the audio quality is bad or the conversation itself needs clarification, you are allowed to make changes in the transcript. For instance:

  • Adding a clarifying comment: “I showed him that this option [raising prices] would be beneficial for profitability.”
  • Marking unclear / missing audio with ellipses: “I showed him … would be beneficial for profitability”
  • Emphasizing words: “ Increasing prices is needed for profitability”

There are no rules for formatting and structuring a transcript. However, most transcripts contain the following information:

  • Names of the interviewer and interviewee (can be anonymized)
  • Date and time when the interview took place
  • Location of the interview
  • Speaker designation (who says what?)
  • Line numbers and time stamps (optional)

After transcribing the interview(s) it is time to start analyzing. There are several techniques for doing this—coding and categorizing is one of them.

This means that you link keywords (e.g., “understanding customer”) to the answers you’ve received to your questions. Based on these keywords you are able to find connections between the answers of different respondents.

You can also use methods such as content analysis , thematic analysis or discourse analysis .

If you quote from an interview in your research paper , make sure you correctly cite the source. Learn how to cite an interview in MLA and APA .

Transcribing interviews takes a lot of time, but luckily transcription software is developing quickly! Using transcription software can help you speed up the process.

Most software is able to accurately convert English speech to text. However, the audio quality must be good in order for the software to work. That means a noise-free background, no over-talk, clear accents and good microphones.

If the audio quality is too poor for automatic transcription, you unfortunately have to dictate it or transcribe it manually.

We tested and reviewed the transcription software below using the audio of a YouTube video in which Bill Gates is interviewed . The audio meets all the criteria listed above.

Transcription software comparison 2019
Hourly rate (pay as you go) Hourly rate (monthly plan) Free trial?
$13.40 $11.18 30 minutes
$13.33 30 minutes
$6 1 minute

Happy Scribe

Happy Scribe Transcription Software

  • Speaker recognition
  • Clean and intuitive editor
  • Omits ‘uhs’ and stuttering
  • Correct capitalization and use of periods
  • 25% student discount
  • Doesn’t insert punctuation (except for periods)

Trint Transcription Software

  • Good speaker recognition
  • Simple but powerful interface
  • Comment and highlight feature
  • Ignores intro music from video
  • Easy to keep track of reviewing progress
  • Some missing spaces

Transcribe Transcription Software

  • Solid speaker recognition
  • Very good capitalization and punctuation (including commas )
  • Much cheaper than other transcription software
  • Just a 1-minute trial
  • Dated editor with limited functionality
  • Doesn’t connect audio and transcript
  • $20 annual license fee

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

  • Normal distribution
  • Measures of central tendency
  • Chi square tests
  • Confidence interval
  • Quartiles & Quantiles
  • Cluster sampling
  • Stratified sampling
  • Thematic analysis
  • Cohort study
  • Peer review
  • Ethnography

Research bias

  • Implicit bias
  • Cognitive bias
  • Conformity bias
  • Hawthorne effect
  • Availability heuristic
  • Attrition bias
  • Social desirability bias

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2023, June 22). Transcribing an Interview | 5 Steps & Transcription Software. Scribbr. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/transcribe-interview/

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IMAGES

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  6. Designing Semi-Structured Interview Guides for Implementation Research

COMMENTS

  1. How Do You Incorporate an Interview into a Dissertation?

    Including interviews in your dissertation. To present interviews in a dissertation, you first need to transcribe your interviews. You can use transcription software for this. You can then add the written interviews to the appendix. If you have many or long interviews that make the appendix extremely long, the appendix (after consultation with ...

  2. Research Paper Appendix

    Research Paper Appendix | Example & Templates

  3. Thesis and Dissertation Appendices (What to Include)

    An interview transcript, A copy of any survey questions, Questionnaire results. Although the results of your surveys, questionnaires or interviews should be presented and discussed in your main text, it is useful to include their full form in the appendix of a dissertation to give credibility to your study. Tables, Figures and Illustrations

  4. PDF Appendix 1: Semi-structured interview guide

    The interview will take place in person at a specific location or over the phone. Participants in the UK have ... the results will be written up as part of the PhD research thesis of Linda ... Appendix 3: Participant consent form Researcher: Linda Nyanchoka Please initial box 1. I confirm that I have read and have understood the information ...

  5. After interviewing a person, how do you present the question and answer

    Answer. Here are 2 ways of writing out interview questions, depending on what the Instructor assigned. Check with the Instructor to see how he/she would prefer interview content be added. To comply with APA: Use Times New Roman 12 point font and double space. Option 1: Include the questions and answers in an Appendix in the paper.

  6. Appendix(es) (Optional)

    The appendix is a section that is placed at the end of the thesis and may contain material such as tables, figures, maps, photographs, raw data, computer programs, musical examples, interview questions, sample questionnaires, CDs, and many other types of material. An appendix is considered a chapter equivalent and the appendix title should be ...

  7. Best Way To Include An Interview In A Dissertation

    Incorporating interviews into your dissertation is a good idea. You must first transcribe your interviews before you can present them in your dissertation. You can do this with transcribing software. The written interviews can then be added to the appendix. If you have a lot of interviews or they are very extensive, the appendix can be ...

  8. PDF APA Style Dissertation Guidelines: Formatting Your Dissertation

    Appendices . Appendices are always placed on separate pages at the very end of the dissertation after the references, tables, and figures. Appendices can include but are not limited to: screenshots, emails, letters, surveys, and interview transcripts. All appendices should retain the original formatting they were given upon their creation.

  9. How to Incorporate An Interview In Your Dissertation Project

    Here's where you take the transcribed version of the interview and add it to the appendix section of your dissertation. Depending on the length of the interview, the appendix can be small or extremely large. Shorter interviews won't make the appendix long, so it's fine to include it as part of the dissertation assignment.

  10. Should I include interviews transcriptions in my thesis?

    1. In my PhD, I ran an experiment falling within the grounded theory framework, based on interviews I conducted. I transcripted them, tagged them, etc. This "enhanced transcription" is about 130 pages long (with pretty narrow margins). I am now writing my thesis and I wonder if I should include these transcription in appendix of my PhD thesis.

  11. How to Create an APA Style Appendix

    How to Create an APA Style Appendix | Format & Examples

  12. Dissertation Interview

    A dissertation interview is a method of primary data collection used in academic research, typically undertaken for a dissertation or thesis. It can be in the form of a structured, semi-structured, or unstructured interview between the researcher and the interviewee(s), with the goal of gaining detailed, firsthand insights into the research topic.

  13. Dissertation Appendix

    That helps justify the inclusion of appendices in your study. There are two primary ways you can refer to a dissertation appendix in the main body: Refer to an entire appendix. Example. "The interview transcripts can be found in Appendix 1 -Interview Transcripts". Refer to an appendix component.

  14. Dissertation Advice: How to Use the Appendix

    Place appendices at the end of your document after the reference list. Divide appendices by topic (e.g. separate sections for test results, illustrations and transcripts) Start each appendix on a new page and label it with a letter or number, along with a title clarifying content (Appendix A: Instrument Diagrams, Appendix B: Test Results, etc.)

  15. Research Paper Appendix

    Research Paper Appendix | Example & Templates - Scribbr

  16. Dissertation Appendix Writing Guide

    An appendix is a section of the paper that is included at the end of a report or a dissertation. If there is more than one item being included in this section, the section plural is appendices. Items that would usually be included as an appendix are relevant to the context of the study but may not be useful to have in the main body of the work.

  17. Appendices to your thesis

    Include only the most important results in the main text. These directly support your story. Additional information that is less relevant to the research question should be included in the appendices to your thesis. Think of extra tables or figures. Interview transcripts. In the main text, you should only include brief quotes from interviews ...

  18. Appendices

    Appendices - Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

  19. Library Guides: Honors thesis guidelines: Appendices

    The appendices are for adding extra information that doesn't fit within the text of your thesis, but to which you refer within the text of your thesis. For example, you might have consent forms, interview scripts, survey instruments, or primary documents. If you only have one item, the heading for this section should be "Appendix," and if you ...

  20. How to Cite an Interview in APA Style

    How to Cite an Interview in APA Style | Format & Examples

  21. Interview Transcriptions as an Appendix in a Doctoral Thesis

    Interview Transcriptions as an Appendix in a Doctoral Thesis. I'm currently in the process of writing my thesis, and one of the chapters involves referencing interviews through direct quotations rather than data analysis. All interviews have been transcribed, and I'm currently proofreading them. I planned to include the full transcriptions as ...

  22. Thesis and Doctoral Filing Guidelines

    Students who have enrolled in dissertation or thesis credits will prepare a manuscript to publish through ProQuest/UMI Dissertation Publishing. You own and retain the copyright to your manuscript. The Graduate School collects the manuscript via electronic submissions only. All manuscripts are made ...

  23. Transcribing an Interview

    Transcribing an Interview | 5 Steps & Transcription Software