How To Compose Dissertation Writing Acknowledgements

All through your academic journey, there will always be people who have helped you realize your dreams in various ways. This is why there is a section in your dissertation where you can show your profound gratitude to them – through the acknowledgement page. Yes, saying thank you can be very simple but putting same in writing is trickier than you can ever imagine. This is why before you start writing that acknowledgement, you need to understand the formality of the writing, the best tone to use, who you should acknowledge, and other little details that matter a lot.

If you are ready to get this done, the tips included in this article would go a long way in helping you compose the acknowledgement of your dissertation in a way that it would not be too formal or too informal, just somewhere in between. Here are the tips to help you do the job right:

  • Use The Right Tone: An academic paper’s acknowledgement is more of a personal writing but even at that, there should be some level of formal touch to it. This means that instead of using slangs and very common words, you should step up a notch and make it look a bit professional without sounding too rigid.

  • Start With The Most Important Persons: This is a very important step in your life and there are people who played major roles but the two most important among them are your advisor and head of the project defence committee, followed by other members of the committee. So, you should acknowledge these people first and if you wish, you can thank them one after the other, briefly touching on one or more of their actions that made the journey smoother for you.

  • Thank Other Helpers: Apart from the academic staff, there are other non-academic staff that contributed their quota towards making your dissertation a success. The resident librarian, the lab assistants, your schoolmates, etc. Make sure you thank every one of them for their efforts, no matter how minimal.

  • Acknowledge All Financial Aids: This is especially if a particular group or foundation has been responsible for your financial support through your academics, either in whole or part. It could be as a grant, a scholarship, or even a fellowship. It would really make a huge difference.

  • Put Your Loved Ones And Acquaintances Last: Yes, it is time to acknowledge your parents, your siblings, spouses, friends, and acquaintances. These people must have supported you mostly emotionally and always held your hands when it seems like the dissertation might not be completed after all.