Just like other parts of a PhD dissertation, it is essential to write an acknowledgements section perfectly to show your gratitude to others. This phase comes almost at the end of your dissertation work when you have successfully completed all the chapters and are now combining it all along with formatting. During this phase, you need to write a PhD dissertation acknowledgement to appreciate the efforts of others.
“No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.”
-Alfred North Whitehead
Although there are no formal rules set to accomplish this task, you need to be careful as it is your final submission of an official document. Students who don’t understand how to do it in the right way often get PhD dissertation help online from experts. They not only assist you in your PhD dissertation acknowledgement but also improve your overall work with their great expertise and knowledge.
Here, we will discuss a comprehensive guide on how to write an acknowledgement section, along with the top 10 examples as a sample.
What is PhD Dissertation Acknowledgement?
No doubt, dissertation work is real hard work that is solely yours, and no one can take its credit from you. But we all know that you often get help from a lot of sources and people in this regard to make your life easier. So, to thank those helping sources, including your instructors, family, friends, peers, advisors and organisations, you have to write a PhD dissertation acknowledgement page.
It gives you a chance to officially say thanks to everyone who made efforts for you and played a great role in the timely completion of your dissertation. So, don’t miss this opportunity to show your gratitude and make them feel appreciated. We are going to discuss important points along with a whole guide on effectively writing your acknowledgement PhD dissertation.
How to Write Dedication and Acknowledgement PhD Dissertation? 6 Steps Guide
There are a lot of people who supported you during this PhD journey, starting from your teachers who guided you through every step to your family, who became your back through moral support. There were some friends who not only assisted you in different places but also helped to freshen your mind with their company. Then comes your librarians, peers, and instructors, who helped you find the right data from different credible sources. Would it be sufficient to say thank you to each one of them verbally?
That’s not really the case; that’s why experts introduced the addition of a PhD dissertation acknowledgement page to say good words to those who supported them during this tough time. It saves you time and energy to go to everyone and appreciate them for their immense support. Wondering how to write it in a very professional way? Follow the steps given below to understand the whole thing within a few minutes.
Step 1: Determine Who You Should Thank
The following is the list of people who might have worked in your case, too, and now are ready to become a part of your PhD dissertation acknowledgement:
- Start with your academic support providers which includes your supervisor, advisors and the committee members. You should appreciate all of the efforts that they made for you. Even their criticism also helped you to achieve the goals so thank them for their great ideas.
- Give credit to any fellowships, grants, or scholarships that helped pay for your study or research.
- If you collaborated with other researchers, thank them for their input to your dissertation.
- Even if you got some technical support from the tech department to use different software, also mention them in your PhD dissertation acknowledgement.
Step 2: Consider Personal Support
How can we neglect our family, partners and friends who stayed with us during such a critical time? Even if they don’t see your dissertation, you must discuss them in the acknowledgement section to encourage their support and understanding throughout your PhD path.
You should also appreciate their emotional support and the sacrifices they made. Moreover, find and add other persons too who had a major impact on your well-being while pursuing your PhD.
Step 3: Write Your Acknowledgments
To effectively write your PhD dissertation acknowledgement, you should design a structure and write accordingly. It should always begin with a general thanks statement for everyone. Then, go into detail and show your gratitude to the academic supervisors and committee members, as well as the companies and organisations. You can also enhance the aspects of their direction that helped you the most.
After that, you should say thanks to the employees and other resources who helped to make your research feasible. Thank your family and friends in the closing part, and briefly describe their efforts as well.
Step 4: Keep it Specific and Concise
Like all other academic writings, it is also a part of your formal dissertation, for it must be according to that. You should not go above and beyond the limits; try to keep it minimal and to the point. A lengthy PhD dissertation acknowledgement may bore people, so try to cover everything with a few lines with the aim of showing the significant contributions of others. Usually, a few sentences are enough for each individual or group.
Step 5: Use Formal Language
We all know how important your PhD dissertation is for you, so don’t make any mistakes even in the acknowledgement section. You should maintain your formal language and behaviour here, too, to maintain a professional look. Always make use of correct words here and use clear and concise wording that looks informal.
Step 6: Check and Make Revisions
As it’s a part of your PhD dissertation, which is crucial for your doctoral degree, you cannot take the risk of any error. So, we always suggest that students write and recheck their work before the final submission. As you go through acknowledgement again and again, you will find mistakes that you might have ignored earlier. Try to remove all those mistakes and make it completely error-free.
However, if you are still unsure whether your acknowledgement section is good enough or not, you can consult PhD dissertation helpers online. They are so experienced that they will catch any mistake at first sight. They also provided valuable comments on your dissertation, which ultimately made your work excellent.
10 Best PhD Dissertation Acknowledgement Examples
The following are some examples that you may use as a reference or sample to make your own acknowledgement perfect. You can use any one of these to craft similar but unique work.
Example 1
I humbly want to show my respect and gratitude towards my academic advisors and the committee chair for their incredible support and patience throughout my work. This project was also made possible by the generous support from David L., who funded my research.
Example 2
This work would not have been achieved without the financial assistance of the Finance department. They helped me achieve my goals in a very short period of time. Special thanks to the Chairman of the Department of Radiology and Dr Berlis, Chief of Thoracic Radiology, for supporting my career goals and providing the necessary academic time to accomplish my research.
Example 3
I am very grateful for the efforts of my fellows, peers and especially my colleagues and friends for their help with editing and proofreading this dissertation. Their moral support also helped me to achieve my goals. I must also want to mention my family who stayed with me during this tough time including my parents, siblings, spouse, and children—whose support has been invaluable.
Example 4
Deeply thankful to my instructor Dr Harry, and the committee members for their advice and comments during this project. I am also grateful to my spouse, Aina, for her understanding, assistance, and willingness to provide feedback when required.
Example 5
I deeply appreciate Norma here for her insightful advice during the preparation and development of this study. I am grateful to her for giving valuable time and feedback on my work and helping me to polish my dissertation further. Her kindness and support were no less than heaven for me.
Example 6
I would especially like to thank my supervisor, Amelia, for all of her help, advice, and insights in this area, which have made this a really motivating experience. We also thank all of the women who took part in the interviews for the study. Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to my family for their assistance in compiling this dissertation.
Example 7
I would like to sincerely thank my family for their steadfast support during the writing of my dissertation. Their encouragement has been invaluable. I also want to extend a special thanks to my friends for providing moments of respite when I was tense. Heartfelt thanks to all of you; I couldn’t have completed my PhD thesis without your support.
Example 8
I want to thank my supervisors, Dr George and Dr Taxin, for their guidance and advice throughout my PhD. My heartfelt thanks to my sisters for making this possible, and to my entire family for their support. Finally, I appreciate the studentship from Oxford that enabled me to conduct this research.
Example 9
I am grateful to Mr. Oliver for his great support throughout my dissertation work. His insightful comments and queries related to phytochemical separation and analysis made my work more valuable and professional. He encouraged me to think critically to leave a positive impact on the already existing research.
Example 10
A special thank you to my family, who gave me the support and understanding I needed to pursue my academic goals. Your confidence in me gave me the will to persevere through my dissertation.
How Long Should PhD Dissertation Acknowledgments Be?
Well, before starting to write your acknowledgements section, it’s important to know and understand how long it should be. Generally, the length of this section is from 200 to 300 words, and it should not be longer than one page. Knowing the length earlier will help you to customise your words and write a concise and specific masterpiece accordingly.
Where Do Acknowledgments Go in a Dissertation?
When it comes to placement of your PhD dissertation acknowledgement, its place comes in the initial pages before going deep into the chapters. Usually, the best place for this section is before the table of contents. This section is kept here to sincerely thank everyone who helped you in any way during this demanding journey of the dissertation.
Conclusion
Everyone gets help from different sources, individuals and organisations to complete their dissertation work on time. It is essential to consider them in your written work, too and say special thanks to each one of them in your PhD dissertation acknowledgement. In this way, you can encourage your academic, professional and personal supporters and show your respect and gratitude to them. You should follow this complete step-by-step guide on how to write this acknowledgement section, along with the 10 best examples to give it a professional look.
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