Writing your thesis or dissertation is a colossal achievement. Most likely this achievement would not have been possible without the help and support of many people. It is important to thank all these people and you can do this in the Acknowledgements section of your dissertation.
The acknowledgments section is sometimes not even considered to be a part of the actual dissertation. It is a much more personal section, allowing the author to write from the heart with a much more informal style than what is mandatory for the rest of the paper and even allowing them to write using first-person pronouns. Perhaps it is because of this that most people don’t usually give that much importance to the Acknowledgements portion of their dissertation. However, that is a big mistake because it is the part that almost everyone reads.
In this blog, we aim to explain what a thesis or dissertation acknowledgment is and how to write it. we will also add a thesis acknowledgment sample at the end to give you an idea of what an acknowledgment would look like.
Understanding Acknowledgement For Dissertation
There are many things to take into account when you are writing acknowledgment for your dissertation. But before we get into how to write an acknowledgment or who to acknowledge, let us clear up a few basic things.
What Is A Dissertation Acknowledgement?
As mentioned previously, completing your dissertation probably would not have been possible without getting help. Whether you are the sole author, working with others, or even if you hired some cheap assignment help, you still have to acknowledge the people who helped you. Your supervisors, advisors, professors who helped you, friends or family, who supported you by making food or even just providing moral support, this is the time to acknowledge them all.
Where Do Acknowledgements Go In A Dissertation?
Dissertation Acknowledgements are typically placed early on, usually in the pages between your Title page and Abstract or Table of Contents.
How Long Should My Acknowledgement Be?
Acknowledgements are a heartfelt acknowledgement of everyone who had a hand in your success but it is generally only one-page long. So, if you have a lot of people to acknowledge then you have to do some homework.
List down everyone you want to include in the acknowledgment, list their contributions, and then choose whose contribution was the most important. Try to add as many people as you can but don’t compromise the quality of your dissertation.
People To Thank In Your Dissertation Acknowledgement
When writing a dissertation acknowledgment, the first thing to do is to check your university guidelines. Some universities have different guidelines and requirements for dissertations, you must familiarize yourself with them to avoid any misunderstandings.
Second, you should know who to add to the acknowledgment. you cannot add the doorman who gave you a supportive smile and leave out your friend who cooked for you or a supervisor who helped you. Therefore, it is very important to narrow down the list beforehand.
Typically, the list of people to add to your dissertation acknowledgments is divided into two categories; Professional and Personal. Let’s look at who is added in these two categories.
Professional Acknowledgements – You must include anyone and everyone who helped you in the process of writing your dissertation. This includes every person who aided you in refining or figuring out the topic of your dissertation anyone who helped you proofread and give feedback and everyone in between.
While it is true that some supervisors or chairs do not help as much as they should, you should still add them to your acknowledgments. People added in this portion can be supervisors, advisors, institutions, funding bodies, academic peers and colleagues, etc.
Personal Acknowledgements – These come second to professional acknowledgments. These include friends and family members and anyone who did not aid you professionally. These people could have helped you morally or spiritually.
You do not need to name every single family member and friend in your acknowledgments, just people who were a significant or even a minor part of your journey (it’s up to you). Most people choose to add parents, siblings, friends, past teachers who influenced them, pets, etc.
How To Write An Acknowledgement For A Dissertation?
Once you have a list of people you want to add to your good dissertation acknowledgment, then it is time for you to start writing it down.
When writing your acknowledgments, it is a general rule to start from the more professional and then move on to the personal acknowledgments. However, there is a slight go around this rule because if you had been inspired by a well-known person deceased person, then you can start by mentioning them first and then continuing with the professional and personal acknowledgments.
First, you should acknowledge anyone who aided you professionally and then you can add personal relations. You can even add your high school teachers or anyone else who had an impact on you or who inspired you to write this dissertation.
Following is an example of how should you rank the people you want to add:
- Chairs, supervisors, and advisors
- Institutions and funding bodies
- Academic colleagues
- Other participants
- Family & friends
Sample of Acknowledgement for Dissertation
The following is an acknowledgment sample for the dissertation. It is not original and any names of people or organizations used are not real:
SAMPLE #1:
I would like to express my deepest gratitude for my professor’s and my committee chair’s tremendous patience and constructive criticism, it is truly beyond words. Without the kind knowledge and assistance from my defense committee, I also could not have embarked on this incredible journey. Furthermore, I could not have completed this project without the generous funding provided by the AZX Foundation for my research.
I am also thankful to my colleagues and classmates for their editing assistance, late-night feedback sessions, and spiritual support. I would also like to thank the university’s librarians, research assistants, and study participants for their inspiration and influence.
Ultimately, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my family, particularly my parents, my lovely wife, and my wonderful kids. Their confidence in me has sustained my motivation and positive attitude throughout this process. I would like to extend one final thank you to my cat for providing me with so much amusement and comfort.
SAMPLE #2:
Without the support of numerous people in my life, I could not have accomplished such a goal. This is my chance to express my gratitude for the help these people provided.
I would like to thank my dissertation committee first and foremost. It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of their advice. I gained a lot of knowledge from Dr. Elaine Hardy and Dr. Martha Stewart who assisted me in getting started on my path. Dr. Ellie Moore was the best supervisor I could have wished for; her expertise and experience helped me at every turn.
I want to thank Sheldon, my partner, next. Your encouragement lifted my spirits while I was feeling low. Without you, I could not have accomplished this goal.
Last but not least, I want to thank my family and friends for their emotional support. We’ve reached the very top of the mountain! I’m excited to celebrate with every one of you.
A Few Things To Keep In Mind
Here are a few things to keep in mind when writing your dissertation acknowledgments.
Firstly, give yourself enough time to write the dissertation structure properly. Just because you have finished your dissertation, doesn’t mean it’s time to take it easy, you haven’t crossed the finishing line yet. Give yourself enough time to decide and write the acknowledgments properly so that you acknowledge people who deserve it and do not forget anyone.
Secondly, maintain a balance between acknowledging professional and personal people. One side should not be heavier than the others.
Lastly, make sure to revise the acknowledgments. Make sure that you are clear and haven’t gone overboard with the humor. Check that you have added everyone of importance and that you have spelled their names and written their designations correctly.
Conclusion
Just remember that completing a health dissertation is a huge accomplishment. Take time to reflect on the journey and seek out the people who helped out in the process. Take pride in your work and cherish the moment of acknowledging your peers and loved ones because this is a rare but truly gratifying feeling.
You should not become lazy when it comes to acknowledgments because the people who helped you weren’t lazy when you needed them. Use the above pointers to write a great acknowledgment and pay homage to your biggest helpers and supporters. Above all remember to have fun and enjoy the process.