Why it’s Vital to Pay Attention to Writing Dissertation Acknowledgements
The acknowledgements section is one of the most essential parts of a dissertation. It includes the names of the people who helped you to come up with your piece. You must pay close attention when writing the section for the following reasons:
- Collaboration is vital in research
The idea of a lone scholar has never been encouraged in scholarly circles. Rather, collaboration and group work is valued since there is a chance that ideas will be shared as different people work together to come up with solutions to a problem in a field. In this regard, an acknowledgements section offers a chance for the student to show that they value collaboration and the results thereof. - Some of the people on the list can determine your score
Dissertations cannot be completed without the input of supervisors and the professors. From the get-go, a student is required to come up with a proposal and submit it to the professors or tutors before starting the actual writing. They must further keep on consulting them as they complete different sections for suggestions. It is critical to acknowledge the efforts of such people since they may be involved in awarding marks after submitting the final copy. Failure to do so indicates that you did not value their input. - It can be helpful to other researchers
While you may have obtained a lot of information in your research, there is also a chance that there are gaps in your findings that can be filled through further research. A scholar reading your paper may want to involve some of the people you have listed in the acknowledgements section in future research. - It’s courteous
Regardless of how much you have done on your own, other people’s input is also important in completing your paper. It is therefore wise to be courteous enough to thank them. This may inform their decision to continue offering their support in your academic pursuits. They may also be encouraged to come up with a research in the field or continue to fund other students in such courses. - Demonstrates maturity in writing
An acknowledgements section, though a small part of dissertation is required. Skipping such a part or failing to write it well shows that the writer has not matured in writing. The professors will therefore deduct some marks, which will in turn lower the score.
Guidelines of Writing an Acknowledgements Section
To write the best acknowledgements section, you must follow these guidelines:
- It should be short
A reader will lose interest if an acknowledgements section is overly long. You should therefore limit it to half a page or one page. - Always give reasons for acknowledging people
Listing people in such a section is never enough. Instead, give a brief statement of what they did in your research. - No need to list every name
Much as it is important to acknowledgements section people who have contributed in doing a paper, you must not include every name in the list. Rather, find a way of grouping some people so that the section is brief. You can for instance, thank your family in general instead of including all their names.
Clearly, there are many reasons as to why you should include an acknowledgements section in your paper. Nevertheless, you must also ensure that the section is well written.