A word of thanks is usually not obligatory, but often one of the most read pages from your thesis. Just think about it: when people get a thesis, they always check the word of thanks for familiar names. Some view the acknowledgements only because they expect to be mentioned. What if you forget them? Although the word of thanks is the only page that is not written in scientific language, its sensitivity makes it difficult to write. In this article you will find 6 tips that will help you write your acknowledgements.
1.Use the right tone
Friendly but formal. Below we provide you some examples:
- I would like to thank…
- I am profoundly grateful to…
- My research would have been impossible without the aid and support of…
- My sincere thanks to…
- … gave me invaluable help with…
2. Thank the most important people
Think of your supervisors, colleagues, fellow PhD’s and respondents.
3. Thank various organizations
Thank the organizations, parties or authorities that have provided you with help or financial support. A foundation, your employer or research group.
4. Mention all other parties
Such as a friendly administrative assistant, the employees of your printing company or the author of the thesis you used as an example.
5. End with your personal word of thanks
Mention your family, friends, partner or other acquaintances that helped you during your PhD period.
6. What to do if you do not want to thank?
But what should you do when you are completely unhappy with the contribution of a certain person?
It is art to name everyone, but only to thank where gratitude is due. After all, it is your word of thanks. An example of this is a co-supervisor who did not share the knowledge you needed at the start of your PhD. Towards the end of your research he thinks that that knowledge is still lacking. Very annoying, but leaving him out of your acceptance speech is not an option. You never know when you will be dealing with that person again. Thank someone in such a case because he managed to lift the thesis to a higher level while you thought you were already done. That’s a positive approach and you do not thank the person for something you do not owe him to thanks for.
We wish you good luck with writing your acknowledgements!
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