How to Write Dissertation Acknowledgements Properly
Dissertation writing remains one of the most challenging tasks on the academic calendar of students. It is very demanding, with students having to conduct research either primarily or secondary on their chosen topic. That aside, having to put these research together can be daunting, including having sleepless nights. One of the numerous chapters to write on in a dissertation is the acknowledgments section.
Though some students disregard the significance of this section, its importance cannot be underrated. You choose to ignore it at your own risk and can result in loss of marks. However, you won't have to lose your marks with the help of professional thesis helpers online. In this article, we take time to explain its importance and how to go about it.
The acknowledgment is a stand-alone section of your dissertation. It is where you make mentions of people who contributed directly or indirectly to your content. It is most likely that you wouldn’t write a dissertation alone. Someone supervised, brought in new ideas, edited, proofread, etc.
There are two categories of acknowledgment; personal and professional acknowledgment. In some universities, students are required to mention only those who contributed directly to creating the content. This may include your professors and faculty members. So you may need to check the requirements of your universities.
Professional acknowledgment
This is an appreciation to personalities in the academic field who contributed to your dissertation. When acknowledging contributors, mention the major ones first before the minor helpers. So it can be in the order:
- Funders;
- Supervisors;
- Academic advisors and professors;
- Liberians;
- Colleagues;
- Friends (classmates) and family.
According to your university's requirements, you may have to mention the contributors or mention names and elaborate on their level of contribution to your work.
How to write acknowledgments
In case you don’t know how to go about your dissertation acknowledgement, you can use this guide to save yourself from a mess.
You can begin your sentence with, “I am thankful to…,” then you mention the person's name and the type of contribution made.
- I am forever indebted to my supervisor, Stephen Mensah, for his contribution and help during the research process.
- I express a great deal of gratitude to the professor, Arthur Ellis, for the inspiration and motivation as I looked up to him in my studies.
My research partner, Daniel Peterson, was instrumental in the success of this project. I am grateful for the time spent on this research.
Tips to follow when writing dissertation acknowledgment
As already mentioned, dissertation acknowledgment is critical and must mention any vital person in the process. Make sure not to leave any significant contributor out of this list. Also, note that there are two ways in writing an acknowledgment; you either list the name or write in a full paragraph. To write it correctly, you can follow these tips,
- Follow your universities requirements concerning acknowledgment in terms of order and writing tone strictly
- Always mention major contributors first before minor ones. Some people usually prefer to list names in alphabetical order, which is not advisable. It may mean a minor contributor may come before a significant contributor.
- If you received any financial aid, mention the contributors or institutions that financed your work.
- Some people did not contribute to the content but gave you emotional support; mention their names.