Unlike the rest of your dissertation, your acknowledgements section will not gain you marks and does not have to be written using rigorously academic language.
Despite this, many people find writing their acknowledgements stressful, simply because they’re not sure what to include. To help out, we’ve prepared this quick guide.
Your Journey
A good way to start an acknowledgements section is with a paragraph about your ‘dissertation journey’ (i.e. a brief reflective passage in which you recognise the challenges faced during your studies). This can help contextualise what follows, giving your reader a sense of why you are thanking particular individuals.
Don’t Worry (Be Thankful)
The most important advice we can offer here is not to worry; the acknowledgements section of your dissertation is a chance to express gratitude to those who have supported you, not something on which you’ll be evaluated. Nevertheless, you should try to make your acknowledgements section thoughtful and well written.
People you might want to thank include funders, supervisors, colleagues, friends and family (maybe even your proofreader, if you’re feeling generous). It may be helpful to keep a rough ‘acknowledgements’ document updated throughout your studies to note people who have supported you, thereby ensuring you don’t forget anyone when you write up the final version!
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Personal and Professional Acknowledgements
Most people will have a range of individuals they want to thank for supporting their studies, so it makes sense to structure your acknowledgements section accordingly.
Conventionally, you should begin with the most formal support received (e.g. funders, institutions, supervisors and other academics) and end with the least formal/most personal (e.g. family and friends).
Vary Your Language
Beginning every sentence with ‘I would like to thank…’ can appear insincere or overly formal, so you should try to vary your language. Alternatives include:
- ‘I would like to express my gratitude to…’
- ‘Appreciation is due to…’
- ‘We are grateful to…’
- ‘I acknowledge the contribution of…’
- ‘I am indebted to…’
Leave Enough Time!
The acknowledgements section might be the final thing that you write in your dissertation, but you should still set aside enough time to do it justice. Rushing could mean you forget someone important.