Spending months and sometimes even a whole year, research scholars finally reach the stage where they have to finalise their dissertation and write the acknowledgements page. The writing of this page is often taken lightly by some researchers, but it can show your professional etiquette. Some students also wonder, how do you write acknowledgements in a dissertation without sounding awkward, overly emotional, or worse, careless?
This section is not graded but is most definitely read by the supervisors, examiners, and sometimes even by your future employers. When you understand the essential components of a UK dissertation, you realise this page has a specific purpose, structure and professional tone.
In this blog, we will clearly explain how do you write acknowledgements in a dissertation professionally while still keeping it sincere.
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Who Should You Thank in a Dissertation? (The Hierarchy)
The first thought that comes to the student’s mind when they hear the word acknowledgement is who to thank in a dissertation. There are a lot of people who directly and indirectly help the student in their research process, but in academia, you need to follow the specific rules of writing the acknowledgement page. The first and foremost mention should be of your academic supervisors, as they have the key role in guiding you.
There is a simple way to thank people. You need to make two categories: professional and personal.
Professional (Mandatory)
Professional acknowledgement always comes first. Even if your relationships with them are complicated, you cannot leave professional acknowledgement.
- Supervisor: Your primary supervisor must be mentioned. When thanking a supervisor in dissertation acknowledgements, you must use their formal title, such as Dr or Prof, followed by their full name. Even if you disagreed with them during the process of your dissertation, their guidance helped you to shape your research.
- Co-supervisors or advisory committee members: if you had co-supervisors or an advisory committee, then it is important to acknowledge their feedback and intellectual input.
- Funding bodies or grants: If your research was funded, this is often a formal requirement. Some funding councils provide specific wording you must include.
- Research participants: It is professional etiquette to acknowledge the research participants, but not mention their names, to keep the participants anonymous. You can generally write “research participants”. This is important in social sciences, education, psychology, and healthcare research.
- Technical and administrative staff: it is needed to thank the lab technicians, librarians, archivists, IT support, or departmental administrators who assisted you.
Now you know who to thank in a dissertation, but the tone can still confuse students sometimes. They write the acknowledgement in an informal or casual tone. To make sure that the tone is professional and appropriate, students also get professional editing and proofreading services to refine their tone without removing the sincerity.
It is important to remember that in any circumstance, you cannot omit your supervisor’s name from your acknowledgements. In Academic culture, it is very disrespectful not to mention them. Even if you had a difficult experience with them, you can still write a polite sentence as a recognition of their academic guidance.
Personal (Optional)
When you have written the professional acknowledgements, then you can move towards personal thanks. This part is optional, but it is common to thank the people who supported you in your whole dissertation journey. You can thank
- Parents or guardians who supported you financially or emotionally
- Partners or spouses who provided motivation and emotional support
- Friends or colleagues who constantly give encouragement
You should write this in a warm tone, but avoid mentioning any personal details, as this is still an academic document.
Acknowledgements Section Structure and Ordering
Understanding the acknowledgements section structure helps you avoid confusion. Contrary to popular belief, the acknowledgements page has a particular structure and order that should be followed. This is not just a paragraph of random gratitude. There is a clear and accepted sequence.
- Begin with academic and supervisory acknowledgements.
Your supervisor, co-supervisors, and committee members should appear first. When learning how do you write acknowledgements in a dissertation, the most important rule is to follow this logical hierarchy. - Move to institutional and research support.
This includes funding bodies, research participants, technical staff, laboratories, libraries, or archives that supported your work. - End with personal acknowledgements
Family, friends, and partners come last. They close the section on a warm and reflective note.
Following the above acknowledgements section structure ensures that you follow the recommended format.
If you are still unsure about overall academic flow, reviewing guidance on how to write a successful dissertation can also help you understand where this section fits within the broader document.
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Dissertation Acknowledgement Examples (Templates)
Even after understanding the structure and rules, reviewing dissertation acknowledgement examples can make everything clearer. When you have a structured example in front of you, it removes all the confusion. We have given several dissertation acknowledgement examples tailored for different degrees and disciplines.
Example 1: STEM Dissertation
I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to Dr [supervisor’s full name] for his guidance and support through the research process. With his guidance and critical feedback, I strengthened my work and methodology.
This research was funded by the UK Research Council [name your council] under grant number XXXXX, and I am grateful for their financial support. I would also like to thank the laboratory technicians in the Department of Engineering [name your specific department] for their assistance with data collection and equipment setup.
Finally, I am grateful for the constant encouragement and support of my family.
Example 2: Humanities Dissertation
I am deeply indebted to Professor [supervisor’s full name] for her insightful supervision and thoughtful discussions, which shaped the direction of this research. Her intellectual guidance was invaluable in refining the theoretical framework of this dissertation.
I would also like to acknowledge the staff at the British Library and the university archives [ replace with your library support] for granting access to essential primary sources. Their assistance made this research possible.
I like to especially thank my colleagues and peers for their encouragement throughout my research journey.
Example 3: Short Master’s Dissertation
I would like to thank Dr [supervisor’s full name] for her guidance and constructive feedback during the dissertation. I am also grateful to the participants who contributed their time to this study.
Finally, I appreciate the unwavering support of my family and friends.
For different disciplines, there is a different type of support needed by the students. Such as in STEM fields, there is a need for funding bodies, and in the humanities, students need archival access. That’s why acknowledgement can differ in who to thank, but the tone and structure remain the same.
Common Phrasing to Use (Sentence Starters)
It is common to struggle when all you are doing is thanking different people, and students write “thank you” again and again. This can feel repetitive and also informal.
Here are some formal phrases that help to vary the sentences.
| Professional | Personal |
| I am deeply indebted to | Special thanks go to |
| I would like to express my sincere appreciation to | I am grateful for |
| I wish to acknowledge the support of | I sincerely thank |
When thanking a supervisor in dissertation acknowledgements, it is recommended to use formal phrasing as this helps maintain respect and professionalism. You should avoid using casual expressions like “huge thanks” or overly emotional language.
Do’s and Don’ts of Dissertation Acknowledgements
Even though it is a simple page, mistakes can happen, and that can create an awkward impression in front of the supervisor. You should keep these dos and don’ts in mind to avoid making any small mistakes.
DO:
- Use full names and correct academic titles
- Keep the section within one page
- Maintain a formal but sincere tone
- Edit and proofread to correct the grammatical mistakes.
DON’T:
- Use slang or informal language
- Criticise anyone, even indirectly
- Share overly personal or sensitive details
- Forget key academic contributors
If you had to handle challenges and setbacks during dissertation research, you can also briefly mention who helped you at that time.
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Where Does the Acknowledgement Section Go?
In most UK universities, the acknowledgements page comes immediately after the Title Page. It is usually placed before the Abstract or before the Table of Contents, depending on your institute’s guidelines.
If you have any confusion about the order of your dissertation, you can review guidance on how to structure your dissertation effectively. This ensures that the whole dissertation and acknowledgement are in proper order. You should always check your university handbook, as minor variations can exist between programmes.
Conclusion
The acknowledgements section in your dissertation is not graded, but still, it is the first page that examiners read. It reflects your professionalism and adherence to academic etiquette. When you understand how do you write acknowledgements in a dissertation, there are no mistakes, such as overly casual or informal tone. With dissertation acknowledgement examples, you can also follow the proper hierarchy of who to thank first.
After finalising your dissertation, you will most likely move towards refining other section such as writing a dissertation abstract. So, make sure you follow the academic guidelines while refining your dissertation.
