Definition

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 or it is 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.

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; if it were
removed, the reader would still be able to comprehend the significance, validity,
and implications of your research.

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.