Writing Undergraduate Dissertation Acknowledgements Properly

Students understand that the acknowledgements section in their dissertation paper is not the most vital part but it is important in order to present a sense of gratitude and sincerity to all the people who were involved in the completion of the paper. It is necessary to bear in mind that whatever has been achieved in your paper is a result of the contributions made by those people and so you need to express your gratitude in a formal manner.

Why are acknowledgements needed?

You should make a list of all the persons who were responsible for contributing to your paper, regardless of the extent of their involvement. Even if it meant responding to a single question or making subtle changes to your paper, it is necessary to keep an open mind and understand that you should include them all. You should not be hesitant to accept the fact that you wrote your paper with help from others. This is how it works and it is necessary to understand so in a clear manner. Your audience is eager to see quality work in a paper and they hardly bother with whom you sought help from.

Be aware of your feelings

The way you write the acknowledgements section needs to feel real and heartfelt instead of scripted and rehearsed. You should keep the section brief and short and not ramble on. Make sure that all your thoughts and feelings are properly condensed and you should first write a few lines on how your dissertation has been made better by the contributions as a result of all the contributions.

Covering the important individuals

  • You might often feel at a loss when writing the acknowledgements to understand which people should be included at the start of your section.
  • You must obviously cover everyone but it is important to begin with your supervisor who has contributed most to the development of your paper.
  • Bear in mind that they guided you all throughout the paper and enabled you to streamline it more efficiently.

Giving due credit

You should try to include the names of all peers and faculty members who assisted you with your paper and helped you complete it. You do not have to write entire paragraphs; just a simple line or two will do but you should show that you feel grateful for their hard work and your paper would not have been possible without the help that they provided you with.

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