A dissertation acknowledgement, unlike a formal reference page, is a completely informal note of gratitude to all those who helped you indirectly with your research. You will be referencing your sources in the reference page. But you would have been assisted by certain other people also, indirectly, whom you cannot include as sources. But it is your duty to thank them also. This is the purpose of an acknowledgement. Writing an acknowledgement is a stress-free job as there is no pressure on you about making it perfect. But if you wish to express your gratitude to those who selflessly helped you with the tedious dissertation writing process, in a way that would reach out to them, it would require some effort on your part.

The trouble with a dissertation acknowledgement lies in the fact that it is a completely informal document which would be attached to the top of an extremely formal one. Hence most of the time, students are confused of whether the way you prepare it actually matters or not. The truth is that even though it doesn’t matter directly, there would of course be some indirect influence as it would be read before the dissertation. It will create a vague impression in your readers about your writing skills. It is needless to say that a beautifully written acknowledgement would impress your readers. Hence it is better to put in a little effort to make this section of your dissertation, flawless and well-written.

Dissertation acknowledgement writing is not as pressurizing as writing a dissertation as it is not a formal document. It is just an acknowledgement of those people who were informally involved in your dissertation writing process. You have complete liberty with what you write in this section of your dissertation. All that matters is the personal satisfaction you get by presenting your gratitude through effective and impressive words. It also can influence your dissertation indirectly by the impression it creates in the minds of the readers or the audience.

A dissertation acknowledgement is an informal note. But the fact that it is attached to a formal document makes it necessary for it to be well-written. There are many structural patterns you can use to prepare the acknowledgement sheet of your dissertation. It will be ideal for you to choose a structure that suits your requirements, as it is a part of your dissertation, even though it is not going to be graded.

Your dissertation acknowledgement may not count for the judgment of your dissertation. But it will definitely matter if you wish to express the gratitude, in the best possible way, to all those who selflessly assisted you with your research and dissertation writing. Even though there are no specific rules on the method or pattern for writing the acknowledgment, there are certain aspects which will help you frame this page beautifully.

Writing a dissertation acknowledgement is all about expressing your gratitude to all those who were informally a part of your research procedure. Unlike references which are useful to the audience, an acknowledgement will not be of any official use. It is a personal note of gratitude to all those who helped you informally.

Understanding the difference between a reference and a dissertation acknowledgement is, knowing the difference between similar and same. Same things are similar but similar things are not always the same. Sounds confusing? It is actually a very simple fact. A dissertation reference is indeed an acknowledgement of the sources used for the research but an acknowledgement is not exactly a reference.