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The Appendix of a Social Science Paper

Faculties: SW

After the main content section of your academic paper, additional formal elements follow: the bibliography, the appendix, and the declaration of authenticity. The appendix compiles documents that are generally not accessible or only accessible with considerable effort, or that are too extensive for the main content of your paper. These documents supplement the subject-related discussions in the main section.

Info: Here you can find an overview of the overall structure of a Social Science paper.

The appendix contains unwieldy text parts that complement and document the statements in the main text.

The main text must be understandable without the appendix.

The appendix is titled “Appendix”, does not receive an order number, and has its own page numbering. If several independent texts are attached, they are sorted according to the order of mention in the text and listed in a separate table of contents, which appears at the beginning of the appendix.

Possible texts that can be included in the appendix are, for example:

  • Interview guides
  • Questionnaires and surveys
  • Observation protocols
  • Transcribed interviews
  • Extensive tables
  • Information material about institutions, e.g. flyers
The appendix is an optional part of the structure of a scientific paper.

Frequently asked questions

What belongs in my appendix?

The appendix contains materials that are generally not accessible at all or only with greater effort, or that are too extensive for the main content of your paper.

How do I organize the appendix in my scientific paper?

If several independent texts are attached, they are sorted according to their chronological mention in your paper. In addition, they require their own table of contents at the beginning of the appendix.

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Statutory Declaration

Info: Here you can find an overview of the overall structure of a Social Science paper. With the statutory declaration, you confirm that you have written the paper yourself, used only the sources listed, and properly cited any sources used. You also confirm that you have not submitted the work for any other course or …

Faculties: BW, SW

Contributors: Carola Gröhlich, Susanne Heidenreich, Maria Noll, Erika von Rautenfeld, Schreibzentrum, Dzifa Vode

Illustration: Eine Person sitzt vor dem Laptop und arbeitet an einer wissenschaftlichen Arbeit.

How Do I Prove my Own Observations and Experiences in the Text?

How did the observations and experiences arise? Are the observations random, or were they made purposefully, methodically controlled, and systematically? Ideally, you have documented your observations and reflected on your experiences in writing. If you include these written records e.g. in the appendix, your statements become more comprehensible. It is important that you always cite …

Faculties: BW, SW

Contributors: Carola Gröhlich, Susanne Heidenreich, Maria Noll, Erika von Rautenfeld, Schreibzentrum, Dzifa Vode

This article was published in August 2025 and last updated in April 2025.

Faculties: SW

Contributors: Carola Gröhlich, Susanne Heidenreich, Maria Noll, Erika von Rautenfeld, Schreibzentrum, Dzifa Vode

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