Dissertation acknowledgments thank the people and organizations who made your research possible, usually in a page or less. Most follow a simple order: academic support first, then funders and institutions, participants, colleagues, and finally family and friends.
This guide explains who to include, how formal to be, how long to write and where the section goes, then gives full examples and phrases you can adapt. It is one of the few parts of a dissertation written entirely in your own voice.
The Usual Order of Thanks
Thank your supervisor or chair first, then committee members and other academics, then funders and institutions, then participants and any organizations that gave access, then colleagues and peers, and finally family and friends.
Keep it sincere and specific, usually under one page, and check whether your funder requires a particular acknowledgment wording.
What the Acknowledgments Section Is For
The acknowledgments recognize contributions that are not shown through citations. That includes guidance, funding, access to data or sites, technical help and personal support during a long project.
It is usually optional, although some funders and universities require you to acknowledge financial support. It is not assessed in the way your chapters are, but examiners and future readers do read it, so it should be professional as well as warm.
Acknowledgments are different from a dedication. A dedication is a single line or two honouring one person or group, often on its own page; acknowledgments thank many people for specific help.
Who to Thank
| Group | Examples | What to mention |
|---|---|---|
| Supervisor or chair | Main supervisor, co-supervisor | Specific guidance, feedback, encouragement |
| Committee or panel | Members, examiners where appropriate | Advice on methods, theory or drafts |
| Funders | Research councils, scholarships, employers | Grant or award name and number if required |
| Institutions and access | Departments, archives, hospitals, schools | Access to data, sites or collections |
| Participants | Interviewees, survey respondents | Their time and openness, without identifying them |
| Technical and professional help | Statisticians, librarians, transcribers, editors | The specific help given |
| Peers and colleagues | Writing groups, lab members | Discussion, feedback, company |
| Family and friends | Partners, parents, children | Patience and personal support |
If you received paid editing or proofreading, many universities expect you to acknowledge it and to have followed their policy on what an editor may change. Check your institution's rules.
Order, Tone and Length
Most acknowledgments move from the professional to the personal. That order is a convention, not a rule, and some writers end with the person who mattered most to them.
- Tone: sincere and professional. Light humor is fine if it suits you, but avoid in-jokes few readers will understand.
- Length: often between a half page and one page. Some doctoral theses run to two pages; your template may set a limit.
- Person: first person ("I would like to thank...") is normal, even in fields where the main text avoids it.
- Names: use full names and titles for academics on first mention, such as Professor Jane Smith or Dr Amir Khan.
Specific thanks read as more genuine than lists. "For reading every draft of chapter four" says more than "for all her help".
How to Write Them, Step by Step
- List everyone who helped. Go through your project chronologically: proposal, ethics, data collection, analysis, writing.
- Note what each person did. One phrase each is enough.
- Check funder requirements. Some require exact wording or a grant number.
- Group and order. Arrange people into the groups above.
- Draft freely, then cut. Write warmly first, then trim repetition and anything too private for a public document.
- Check names and spellings. A misspelt name in a permanent document is a small hurt that is easy to avoid.
Example Acknowledgments
The examples below are illustrative. Use them to see structure and tone, then write your own in your own words.
Doctoral dissertation (formal). I am deeply grateful to my supervisor, Professor Jane Smith, whose careful reading of every chapter and steady encouragement carried this project from a rough proposal to completion. I also thank my committee members, Dr Amir Khan and Dr Lucy Owens, for their insightful advice on the research design and analysis.
This research was supported by a doctoral studentship from the Example Research Council (grant number 0000000). I thank the staff of the three participating hospitals for making space for this study during a demanding year, and above all the nurses who shared their experiences so openly.
My thanks go to the members of the Thursday writing group for keeping me company through the long middle stretch. Finally, to my partner, Sam, and to my parents: thank you for your patience, your belief in me and the many dinners you cooked while I wrote.
Master's dissertation (short). I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr Maria Lopez, for her guidance and prompt feedback throughout this project. I am grateful to the teachers who took part in the interviews for giving their time during a busy term. Thank you also to my classmates for their encouragement, and to my family for their constant support.
Useful Phrases to Adapt
| Purpose | Phrases |
|---|---|
| Supervisor | "I am deeply grateful to...", "...whose guidance shaped every stage of this work" |
| Committee | "I also thank... for their valuable advice on..." |
| Funding | "This research was funded by...", "I gratefully acknowledge the support of..." |
| Participants | "I am indebted to the participants who generously shared..." |
| Peers | "My thanks go to... for their companionship and feedback" |
| Family | "Finally, I thank... for their patience and support" |
Vary the verbs so the section does not read as a list of "I would like to thank" sentences. Grateful, indebted, appreciate and acknowledge all work in different places.
Special Situations
Some dissertations need acknowledgments that go beyond simple thanks. These cases are common and worth getting right.
- Thesis by publication or with co-authored chapters: many universities require a statement of each co-author's contribution. This often sits in a separate declaration rather than the acknowledgments, so check your template.
- A change of supervisor: thank both, briefly and graciously. There is no need to explain why the change happened.
- A supervisor or participant who has died: a short, respectful sentence is appropriate, or a dedication if you prefer.
- Industry partners or employers: check whether the organization wants to be named or prefers to stay anonymous.
- Data from another study: acknowledge the original data owners as their license requires, often with set wording.
What to Avoid
- Identifying participants or sites that your ethics approval promised to keep anonymous. Thank them as a group.
- Private details you would not want permanently public once the thesis is in a repository.
- Settling scores: leaving someone out pointedly, or commenting on difficulties with a supervisor.
- Overlong lists of everyone you have ever met; keep to people who genuinely helped.
- Exaggeration that sounds insincere, such as calling every person "the best".
Where Acknowledgments Go and How to Format Them
Acknowledgments usually sit in the front matter, after the abstract and before the table of contents, but the order differs between universities. Some templates put them before the abstract, and some books place them at the end.
They are normally numbered with lowercase Roman numerals like the rest of the front matter and appear in the table of contents if your template lists front matter there. Follow your university's template for the heading and spacing.
How DissertationHorse Helps with Acknowledgments
Send a short list of the people and organizations you want to thank, what each did, any funder wording and your university template. A writer drafts custom acknowledgments in a tone you choose, formal or warm, for you to edit into your own words.
We can also help with your abstract and other front matter. Your identity is never shared with the writer, and free revisions within the scope of your original request are included.
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Send your notes on who helped and how, plus your template. You get custom acknowledgments or other front matter drafted in your voice, for you to edit.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Usually half a page to one page. Some doctoral theses run longer; check whether your template sets a limit.
Most people start with their supervisor or chair, followed by committee members, funders, participants, colleagues and family.
Usually optional, but funders often require you to acknowledge financial support, and some universities require acknowledgment of paid editing.
Yes. Acknowledgments are personal, and first person is standard even where the main text avoids it.
Usually not. Thank them as a group so your acknowledgments do not break the anonymity promised in your ethics approval.
Usually in the front matter, often after the abstract and before the contents page. Follow your university's order.
You can draft them early and keep a running list of people who help, but finalize them last, once you know everyone who contributed to the finished dissertation.
Yes, many writers do. Keep the tone consistent with the rest of the section.
A dedication honors one person or group in a line or two. Acknowledgments thank several people for specific help.