Guide on How to Write Acknowledgement for Thesis
Writing a dissertation often proves a daunting task. Besides the complexity of your paper, you may require assistance in the collection and analysis of data, topic selection, and editing of your paper. the PhD thesis acknowledgment offers you a chance to credit all the parties who chipped in to make your paper a success.
Unfortunately, the long list of people who helped you write your paper can be burdensome to thank in the limited word count stipulated for the acknowledgments chapter. If you are struggling with this section, this article will analyse the tips for writing a student acknowledgment for a thesis to allow you to overcome the common stumbling blocks encountered by students as they write their thesis.
What is an acknowledgment for thesis work?
An acknowledgment for a thesis is a section where you extend your sincere gratitude to everyone who supported you in your endeavour. This section should be brief, professional, and specific, recognizing all the parties that played a focal role from the selection of the thesis topic to editing your paper.
The acknowledgment section also includes personal gratitude to the people who offered moral and financial support for your research.
Who to thank when writing acknowledgment for the thesis
Ranging from your tutor to the librarian, your roommate who pushed you to put in the uncomfortable effort to see your project through to your mother who kept reassuring you that all will be well, there are many people to recognize for the completion of your dissertation.
This eclectic group of helpers makes it hard to determine the order in which to extend your gratitude and also the people to include in your acknowledgments section. Some of the key people to consider in the acknowledgments include:
- Anyone who helped you select your topic and those who helped you structure and edit your argument
- Any group that helped you in the collection and analysis of data
- People who offered emotional and financial assistance
- Tutors who helped you to keep track of your arguments in the course of formulating your dissertation
- Interviewees who volunteered their time to help you collect data for your research
When listing these people, be keen to use their full names and their respective titles where necessary. In the case of a party that intends to retain anonymity, use an identifier such as the interviewees.
How to write acknowledgment in the thesis
- Choose who to thank
As stated earlier, there are many people you ought to consider when writing your acknowledgments. Unfortunately, you may forget some parties along the way, therefore, risking their anger.
Before planning for your acknowledgments, make a list of all the people you feel indebted to and their contributions to your topic. this will make it easy to sort them into various groups, organizing your gratitude in a cascading order from professional contacts to personal and emotional supporters.
Professional contacts include your tutor, parties who helped you in the collection and analysis of data, and your financiers. Conversely, personal contacts include friends and family who were there through various challenges you encountered in writing your dissertation.
- Use simple language
Like all sections of your thesis, keep your dissertation simple by using language that your readers can easily comprehend.
- Outline your acknowledgments
Having outlined the people who you owe gratitude, sort the thanks in the order they will appear on your acknowledgments and cater for the transitions from one gratitude to the next. For this, consider checking a thesis acknowledgment sample to familiarize yourself with the style and tone of the acknowledgments chapter.
- Focus on the contributions of the involved parties
It is key to note that your acknowledgments chapter should focus on the contributions of involved parties as opposed to your achievements. As such, mention the part each party played as opposed to listing people and thanking them without specifying the help they offered you.
Acknowledgment sample
I owe Professor Hillary, the chair of my committee, a huge debt of gratitude for her time and insightful criticism. Without the great knowledge and experience my defence committee supplied, this project likewise would not have been possible. I would also be negligent if I did not express my profound gratitude to Hon Grace, whose financial support made it possible for me to do my research.
Special thanks go out to my roommate for his assistance with editing, our late-night feedback sessions, and moral support. I should not forget to mention my family, particularly my parents, spouse, and kids. Their confidence in me has sustained my enthusiasm and upbeat attitude throughout this process.
