Before you hand in your thesis, you need to make sure that you have written some professional and personal acknowledgements.
1. What are Acknowledgements?
The ‘Acknowledgements’ are simply a short section at the beginning of your work in which you can thank anyone who has helped you during the course of your study.
They shouldn’t be too long, but nor should you miss out anyone important! You won’t be marked on your acknowledgements, so don’t worry too much, but it is polite to mention anyone who has supported your work.
2. Where Should I Put Them?
They should be on a separate page directly after the abstract and before the contents page. You can use page breaks in Microsoft Word to make sure that they are on a separate page.
3. Who Should I Thank?
You don’t have to thank each and every one of your friends individually! Just make sure you mention anyone who has been key to your research or given you significant personal support. Many people also just say ‘thanks to my friends and family for their support’.
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You must make sure you thank any academic who has given you advice or support, or who has assisted your research in any way. You should also thank any professional bodies that have given you funding, as well as any volunteers who have taken part in your research.
4. What Tone Should I Use?
Think friendly but formal. There is no need for any overblown language here, just note the people who have helped you and briefly explain how. Some useful phrases are as follows:
- I would like to thank…
- I am profoundly grateful to…
- My research would have been impossible without the aid and support of…
- Heartfelt thanks go to…
- My sincere thanks to…
- XXX gave me invaluable help with…
And that’s all there is to it! If you’d like any help with checking your work before submission, why not submit it to us today?