Overlap between questions on app and SOP

[heyo]

One of my applications asks me twice - in two different sections - to list research topics and professors I'm interested in working on/with. It also asks me to describe my research experience and list citations for any published papers (and it also asks for a list of publications elsewhere!). This is frustrating me, because these things include the majority of my statement of purpose. I don't feel that copy/paste is a good solution, but if I take these things out of my SOP, there's basically nothing left. Why do they ask these questions multiple times when I think they're generally things that are expected to be addressed in the SOP? Is it appropriate to just list names/areas where I can, and for things that suggest a longer response to say something like "please see statement of purpose"?

[Monochrome Spring]

It might be that part of your application goes to a general graduate admissions group and another part of your application goes to a department or sub-department. I've had this problem on a few of my applications now, and it seems to be that different parts of your application go to different groups. I wouldn't answer with "please see statement of purpose", because if that group does not have your statement in their package, they aren't going to be able to evaluate it. Also, even if they do have your statement, it's more work to have to find it in your statement than to see it printed in the designated area. Just answer all of the questions, even if you are repeating yourself.

[Caylynn]

I agree with Monochrome Spring.  For example, for one of my applications, there is an "academic intent" section that is part of the online application, but the program also wants you to email them, separately, a statement of intent.  Now, in this case, they are kind enough to let us know that the statement of intent is supposed to be an elaboration of the academic intent portion of the online application.  I suspect that the academic intent portion is viewed by the Graduate admissions department for the entire university, whereas the statement of intent is viewed only by the program to which I'm applying.  Your case might have something similar.