sample dissertation dedication page

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Dedication page

The Dedication Page is optional. If you choose to include a Dedication Page, please ensure that:

• You are using the same font as in the rest of your manuscript.
• No images are included.
• Page number ii appears centered at the bottom of the page.

​Please note that the Dedication Page is different from the Acknowledgments Page.

Dedication page example

Here is an example of a dedication page from the template:

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• Thesis & Dissertation Acknowledgements | Tips & Examples

Thesis & Dissertation Acknowledgements | Tips & Examples

Published on May 3, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

The acknowledgements section is your opportunity to thank those who have helped and supported you personally and professionally during your thesis or dissertation process.

Thesis or dissertation acknowledgements appear between your title page and abstract  and should be no longer than one page.

In your acknowledgements, it’s okay to use a more informal style than is usually permitted in academic writing , as well as first-person pronouns . Acknowledgements are not considered part of the academic work itself, but rather your chance to write something more personal.

To get started, download our step-by-step template in the format of your choice below. We’ve also included sample sentence starters to help you construct your acknowledgments section from scratch.

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Table of contents

Who to thank in your acknowledgements, how to write acknowledgements, acknowledgements section example, acknowledgements dos and don’ts, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the acknowledgements section.

Generally, there are two main categories of acknowledgements: professional and personal .

A good first step is to check your university’s guidelines, as they may have rules or preferences about the order, phrasing, or layout of acknowledgements. Some institutions prefer that you keep your acknowledgements strictly professional.

Regardless, it’s usually a good idea to place professional acknowledgements first, followed by any personal ones. You can then proceed by ranking who you’d like to thank from most formal to least.

• Chairs, supervisors, or defense committees
• Funding bodies
• Other academics (e.g., colleagues or cohort members)
• Editors or proofreaders
• Librarians, research/laboratory assistants, or study participants
• Family, friends, or pets

Typically, it’s only necessary to mention people who directly supported you during your thesis or dissertation. However, if you feel that someone like a high school physics teacher was a great inspiration on the path to your current research, feel free to include them as well.

Professional acknowledgements

It is crucial to avoid overlooking anyone who helped you professionally as you completed your thesis or dissertation. As a rule of thumb, anyone who directly contributed to your research process, from figuring out your dissertation topic to your final proofread, should be mentioned.

A few things to keep in mind include:

• Even if you feel your chair didn’t help you very much, you should still thank them first to avoid looking like you’re snubbing them.
• Be sure to follow academic conventions, using full names with titles where appropriate.
• If several members of a group or organization assisted you, mention the collective name only.
• Remember the ethical considerations around anonymized data. If you wish to protect someone’s privacy, use only their first name or a generic identifier (such as “the interviewees”)/

Personal acknowledgements

There is no need to mention every member of your family or friend group. However, if someone was particularly inspiring or supportive, you may wish to mention them specifically. Many people choose to thank parents, partners, children, friends, and even pets, but you can mention anyone who offered moral support or encouragement, or helped you in a tangible or intangible way.

Some students may wish to dedicate their dissertation to a deceased influential person in their personal life. In this case, it’s okay to mention them first, before any professional acknowledgements.

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After you’ve compiled a list of who you’d like to thank, you can then sort your list into rank order. Separate everyone you listed into “major thanks,” “big thanks,” and “minor thanks” categories.

• “Major thanks” are given to people who your project would be impossible without. These are often predominantly professional acknowledgements, such as your advisor, chair, and committee, as well as any funders.
• “Big thanks” are an in-between, for those who helped you along the way or helped you grow intellectually, such as classmates, peers, or librarians.
• “Minor thanks” can be a catch-all for everyone else, especially those who offered moral support or encouragement. This can include personal acknowledgements, such as parents, partners, children, friends, or even pets.

How to phrase your acknowledgements

To avoid acknowledgements that sound repetitive or dull, consider changing up your phrasing. Here are some examples of common sentence starters you can use for each category.

Note that you do not need to write any sort of conclusion or summary at the end. You can simply end the acknowledgements with your last thank you.

Here’s an example of how you can combine the different sentences to write your acknowledgements.

A simple construction consists of a sentence starter (in purple highlight ), followed by the person or entity mentioned (in green highlight ), followed by what you’re thanking them for (in yellow highlight .)

Acknowledgements

Words cannot express my gratitude to my professor and chair of my committee for her invaluable patience and feedback. I also could not have undertaken this journey without my defense committee, who generously provided knowledge and expertise. Additionally, this endeavor would not have been possible without the generous support from the MacArthur Foundation, who financed my research .

I am also grateful to my classmates and cohort members, especially my office mates, for their editing help, late-night feedback sessions, and moral support. Thanks should also go to the librarians, research assistants, and study participants from the university, who impacted and inspired me.

Lastly, I would be remiss in not mentioning my family, especially my parents, spouse, and children. Their belief in me has kept my spirits and motivation high during this process. I would also like to thank my cat for all the entertainment and emotional support.

• Write in first-person, professional language
• Thank your professional contacts first
• Include full names, titles, and roles of professional acknowledgements
• Include personal or intangible supporters, like friends, family, or even pets
• Mention funding bodies and what they funded
• Appropriately anonymize or group research participants or non-individual acknowledgments

Don’t:

• Use informal language or slang
• Go over one page in length
• Mention people who had only a peripheral or minor impact on your work

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In the acknowledgements of your thesis or dissertation, you should first thank those who helped you academically or professionally, such as your supervisor, funders, and other academics.

Then you can include personal thanks to friends, family members, or anyone else who supported you during the process.

Yes, it’s important to thank your supervisor(s) in the acknowledgements section of your thesis or dissertation .

Even if you feel your supervisor did not contribute greatly to the final product, you must acknowledge them, if only for a very brief thank you. If you do not include your supervisor, it may be seen as a snub.

The acknowledgements are generally included at the very beginning of your thesis , directly after the title page and before the abstract .

In a thesis or dissertation, the acknowledgements should usually be no longer than one page. There is no minimum length.

You may acknowledge God in your dissertation acknowledgements , but be sure to follow academic convention by also thanking the members of academia, as well as family, colleagues, and friends who helped you.

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Dedication, acknowledgements, & preface

Dedication, Acknowledgements, and Preface sections are all optional pages. But, what is the difference between these three?

Dedication — A personal tribute to someone or a group of people. Example: "To my parents."

Acknowledgements — A professional tribute to a person or people who helped you with the thesis. Example: "I wish to thank my thesis advisor for the hours of help in the lab making sure the experiments were set up properly and guiding me through the thesis process."

Preface ( sometimes confused with Foreward or Prologue ) — A very rarely included section that details why you are qualified to write about your topic of your thesis or why you became interested in the topic (for example, an anecdote about a childhood incident that led you to become interested in the topic). Do not confuse this with the literature review; this is more of a personal story.

The video below gives more examples of what can be included in these sections. Note: If your dedication is short (like "To my parents"), you may choose not to include the "Dedication" heading at the top of the page. A demonstration of how to format the dedication page this way is shown below.

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How to Write a Dedication

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And the dedication goes to…

When you have finally completed the gruelling yet wonderful process of writing a book, short story , dissertation, etc., you are then faced with the difficult decision of dedicating this source of all your hard work to someone special. Here are some helpful tips to ease your anxiety and assist you in writing a dedication page.

Picking a person 

The most difficult part of writing this piece of front matter is choosing who you would like to dedicate your work to. Some writers may find it to be the most difficult part of the whole process. When choosing who to write your dedication for, think about the process you just went through and who helped you get through it. This could include a variety of people, including a parent, sibling, or other family member, a spouse or partner, a friend, a supervisor, a colleague, or even a pet. This is a very personal choice and there is no wrong decision.

Naming names

After you have decided who you will write your dedication for, you must decide how you are going to identify them. This will be based on your own personal preference and what is appropriate, according to your relationship with that person. The identification could vary from formal to informal.

On the formal end of the spectrum, your dedication could be addressed to Dr. So and So, Mr. X, or even Mother and Father. In between formal and informal, there are options like Mom, Dad, My sister, My friend, a person’s first and last name (no title), etc. On the informal side, you could use the first name or nickname of someone you know.

Reason for the dedication

The next component in writing your dedication is explaining why you chose this person. Many authors provide a reason for their dedication selections. As with the whole dedication process, this is an extremely personal and subjective decision. The dedication could simply be: "For my mom"; others may choose to explain their decision: "For my mom; without her I would not be here." You may want to write a funny anecdote about the person, an experience you shared, or even a private joke shared only by the two of you. As seen in our example dedication page, there are many types of dedications, each with it's own style. Your reason is completely dependent on your personality and your relationship with the person to whom you are dedicating your work.

Addressing the dedication

There are many ways you can address your dedication. You could write, "I dedicate this book to …", "This is dedicated to …", "To: …", "For: …", or simply just start writing your dedication without any formal address. It should be on its own page so everyone will get the hint that it is a dedication page, even if there isn't any formal address. Take into consideration the person you have chosen to dedicate your work to, your personality, and the formality of your relationship and the address will follow suit.

Alternative dedications

It has been extremely popular over the years to write a dedication page using alternative formats. Authors have used poems or funny anecdotes to express their gratitude. In the past, many dedications were often written in the style of a formal letter.

The most important things to remember when writing a dedication are to keep it simple, concise, and ensure that it truly reflects your personality and your relationship with the person the dedication is for. Remember to get your finished dedication edited by one of our book editors . You don't want to overlook calling your spouse the pettiest person in the world when you really meant the prettiest person in the world!

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Dissertation acknowledgments [with examples]

What are dissertation acknowledgements?

What to consider when writing your dissertation acknowledgments, who to thank in your dissertation acknowledgments, what (and what not) to write in your dissertation acknowledgments, good examples of dissertation acknowledgments, a final word on writing dissertation acknowledgments: have fun, frequently asked questions about dissertation acknowledgments, related articles.

While you may be the sole author of your dissertation, there are lots of people who help you through the process—from your formal dissertation advisors to the friends who may have cooked meals so that you could finish your last chapter . Dissertation acknowledgments are a chance to thank everyone who had a hand in the completion of your project.

Dissertation acknowledgments are a brief statement of your gratitude to advisors, professors, peers, family, and friends for their help and expertise.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• the most important things to consider when you’re writing your dissertation acknowledgments
• who to thank in your dissertation acknowledgments
• what (and what not) to write in your dissertation acknowledgments
• short examples of dissertation acknowledgments

Once you’re at the stage where you’re writing your dissertation acknowledgments, you may be tempted to kick back and relax. After all, the hard part of writing the dissertation itself is over and a list of thanks should be simple to churn out.

However, the acknowledgments are an important part of your overall work and are something that most people who read your dissertation, including prospective employers, will look at.

Tip: The best dissertation acknowledgements are concise, sincere, and memorable.

Approach this part of the process, brief as it may be compared to the long haul of writing the dissertation, with the same high level of care and attention to detail. It’s an explicit and permanent statement of who made a real impact on your work and contributed to your academic success.

Plus, the people you thank are often deeply moved by being included—some even go so far as to frame the acknowledgments. Aim to make yours sincere, memorable and something that people will be touched by.

First things first: who should you include in your dissertation acknowledgments? If you’re not sure who to thank, try the brainstorming technique to generate some ideas. Consider these two approaches:

• Make a list of everyone, both professional and personal, who was involved at any point during your work on your dissertation, and then thin down the list from there.
• Make a list of the pivotal aspects of your process and think about who was involved and how they helped.

As you select the people and groups to include in your dissertation acknowledgments, keep in mind that it’s essential to acknowledge your supervisor and anyone else with a visible connection to your work.

It’s an unfortunate reality that not every supervisor goes above and beyond to provide feedback and guidance to the students they are supposed to supervise. However, leaving them out, even if you personally felt disappointed by their involvement or lack thereof, could be seen as a snub.

You should end up with a fairly short list of people to thank. While being mindful of professional etiquette and personal feelings, be choosy about who makes the final cut since your acknowledgments should be limited to no more than a page.

Now that you have your list of people and groups to thank, it’s time to start writing. Before your first pen or keystroke, however, check your university’s guidelines as your institution may have specific rules around what can and cannot be included.

The standard practice is to begin with the formal and then progress to the informal, so the first people to mention would be:

• supervisors
• committee members
• other professional contacts

Use their full names and titles and go into brief detail about how they contributed to your work.

Once those are done, you can move on to the personal thanks, which can include friends, family, even pets. If you are so inclined, it is also considered appropriate to thank God or make mention of spiritual support.

You may also choose to inject a little humor at this point, but don’t get carried away and definitely don’t include sarcasm or critical comments of any kind, including self-critical ones. Remember that the acknowledgments precede your dissertation, so you want to be taken seriously.

A couple more basics that are essential when creating your acknowledgments:

• Position: Acknowledgments should be placed after the title page and before the abstract.
• Perspective: Write from the first-person perspective and speak in your own voice.

A really good way to get a sense of how to write your own dissertation acknowledgments is to read ones written by others. Notice which ones you respond particularly well to and use them as a model upon which to base your own.

Here are some good examples to help you get started:

I couldn’t have reached this goal without the help of many people in my life. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support.

First, my sincere thanks to my dissertation committee. The value of their guidance cannot be overstated. Dr. Elaine Gooding and Dr. Matthew Hunter provided much wisdom that helped me chart my course. I couldn’t have asked for a better supervisor than Dr. Fiona Moore, whose knowledge and experience guided me every step of the way.

Next, I’d like to thank my partner, Elliott. Your votes of confidence kept me going when my spirits dipped. I couldn’t have done this without you.

Last but not least, I’d like to acknowledge the emotional support provided by my family and friends. We made it to the top of the mountain! I look forward to celebrating with all of you.

This example is shorter, but still contains the key components:

Several people played a decisive role in my success and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them.

My chair, Dr. Ronald Saulk, provided invaluable support and infinite patience and I am truly grateful for all of his wisdom and guidance. I also owe the entire staff of the Wilhelm Library a debt of gratitude. From tracking down books and arranging for interlibrary loans to keeping the coffee maker in the lobby well-stocked and in good working order, they offered the practical help and kind gestures that made all the difference.

I’d also like to thank my family and God, for always being there for me.

One final piece of advice: enjoy this process. Writing a dissertation doesn’t happen every day, and the opportunity to acknowledge the important people in your life in a published format is as rare as it is wonderful.

What’s more, this part of your dissertation is unlike any other. It’s unbounded by the conventions that apply to the formal work. It’s a chance to really flex some creative muscle and let your personality shine through. So make the most of it and have fun!

In your dissertation acknowledgments, you thank everyone who has contributed to your work or supported you along the way. Who you want to thank is a very personal choice, but you should include your supervisors and anyone else with a visible connection to your work. You may also thank friends, family, and partners.

First, you need to come up with a list of people you want to thank in your dissertation acknowledgments. As a next step, begin with the formal and then progress to the informal, so the first people to mention would be supervisors, mentors, committees, and other professional contacts. Then, you can move on to the personal thanks, which can include friends, family, even pets.

Who you acknowledge in your dissertation is ultimately up to you. You should, however, thank your supervisor and anyone else with a visible connection to your work. Leaving them out, even if you personally felt disappointed by their involvement or lack thereof, could be seen as a snub. In addition, you can thank friends, partners or family.

There are many ways so you can acknowledge your dissertation supervisor. Some examples can be found in this article above. If you need more examples, you can find them here .

While acknowledgments are usually more present in academic theses, they can also be a part of research papers. In academic theses, acknowledgments are usually found at the beginning, somewhere between abstract and introduction. In research papers, acknowledgments are usually found at the end of the paper.

Dissertation Dedication Page Example

Information and ideas for writing your dissertation dedication..

• Read my article in Science Education based on my dissertation.
• Dissertation Acknowledgements
• Dissertation Dedication
• Dissertation Titles
• Publishing Your Dissertation
• Getting Noticed

In my case I used my dissertation dedication page to acknowledge someone who inspired me, beginning when I was five years old, to pursue a doctorate. This allowed me to provide a special honor while including a wider range of individuals in my dissertation acknowledgement. This is especially meaningful when you later present them with a hardcover copy of your dissertation.

The length of dissertation dedications varies quite a bit. I looked at dissertation dedication page examples from numerous dissertations as I wrote mine. I just did a random survey of ten dissertations and three did not include dedications. The other seven had an average of 23 words each. The dissertation dedications pages were brief and usually centered on a spouse, family members, or sometimes an influential mentor.

You can find dissertation dedication page examples from your school or advisor in Proquest Digital Dissertations .

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Home / Book Formatting / How to Write a Dedication Page: A Complete Guide

How to Write a Dedication Page: A Complete Guide

There are two types of readers: those who skip over the “front matter” of a book, and those who read every single word (even the copyright information and publication date).

Okay, maybe that's a little black-and-white. Chances are, you've read one or two dedication pages in your time as a reader. Maybe you've even had a book dedicated to you (we should all be so lucky). No matter the type of reader you are, if you're writing a book, you may want to know how to write a dedication page.

Keep reading to find out how!

• What a book dedication page is
• Who to dedicate your page to
• Tips for writing a dedication page
• Examples of dedication pages

Table of contents

• Dedication vs Acknowledgements
• Are There Rules for a Book Dedication?
• Choose Your Subject(s)
• Express Gratitude in Your Own Way
• Remember Your Readers
• Try a Few Different Versions
• You Don't Have to Wait
• Take Inspiration from Other Authors
• 1. No Thanks, E. E. Cummings
• 2. My Shit Life So Far, Frankie Boyle
• 3. Ruins, Dan Wells
• 4. The Selection, Kiera Cass
• 5. The House of Hades, Rick Riordan
• 6. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C. S. Lewis
• 7. Death on the Nile, Agatha Christie
• 8. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
• 9. Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman
• 10. Visions of Cody, Jack Kerouac
• Writing Your Dedication

Why Should You Trust Me?

I've actually been writing and formatting books for a long time. Over 10 years so far, and counting.

But that's not the real reason, because there are plenty of authors who have lots of experience, but know next to nothing about the different parts of a book, or book formatting in general.

The real reason you should trust me is because I actually created my own formatting software that solved all my problems. I called it Atticus.

But this isn't meant to be a sales pitch. I just want to make sure it's clear that I know what I'm talking about. The amount of research that went into not only formatting my own books, but also creating a formatting software is huge.

I researched everything, which led me to learn all about every. single. part. of. a. book. And there were a lot more than I realized.

And of course, that includes Dedication Pages.

So if all that makes sense, hopefully you'll come along with me as show you everything I've learned.

What is a Dedication Page?

A dedication page is the author's chance to write a personal note to a person or people who have influenced them in some way. As the name suggests, it's the author's way of dedicating the book to that person or those people.

A book dedication is often short and generally comes at the beginning of the book , before the preface, foreword , and prologue but after the title page, copyright page , and table of contents. This portion of the book is also called the “front matter”.

See my other articles on the many Parts of a Book and How to Format a Book .

If you've read a dedication at the beginning of a book, you've likely also read an acknowledgment page at the end of a book. While these two sections may seem similar, there are some distinct differences.

As mentioned above, a dedication comes at the beginning, before the body of the work. Acknowledgments come at the end, after the body. Another difference is that acknowledgments usually mention people who worked on the book. Common mentions include editors, research assistants, proofreaders, and the like.

Dedications are usually (but not always) reserved for someone not directly involved in the book's creation. Friends, husbands, wives, children, or other family members are often mentioned in the dedication.

Another difference between these sections is length. Sometimes, acknowledgments can be significantly longer than a page. Dedications are typically short and sweet; often only a line or two.

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There are no hard-and-fast rules for dedicating your book to someone. It's really up to you. Often, there's a personal (rather than professional) connection that you want to recognize.

And there's no rule saying you even have to have a book dedication. It's okay to not have one at all.

If you do have one, you don't have to know the person you're dedicating your book to. Some authors will dedicate a book to their readers or to an author who inspired them, even if that author is no longer around.

You can even dedicate a book to your entire family! And no, you don't have to list each family member by name if you don't want to.

Tips for Writing a Book Dedication

While there are no rules for writing a book dedication, there are some norms that you may consider following.

The first step in writing your book dedication is to choose your subject or subjects. In other words, who are you going to dedicate your book to? Once you know the person or people you'd like to dedicate it to, then you can start crafting the dedication itself. Here are some common options for book dedications:

• Spouse, Partner, or Significant Other
• Family Member or Loved One
• Close Friend(s)
• Writing Teacher or Mentor
• Favorite Writer

Think about the writing process of the book you'd like to dedicate. Writing a book is hard work. Did someone help you along when you were stuck? Did you regularly bounce ideas off of someone? Maybe someone gave you the idea for the book with an offhand comment in a conversation. These are the kinds of people whom authors dedicate their books to.

The dedication section of your book is the one place to express gratitude in a way that's uniquely yours. The power of a dedication comes from the number of people that will read it. But that doesn't mean that it has to make sense to everyone who lays eyes on the page.

Sometimes the dedication references an inside joke between the author and the dedicatee. Other times it's straightforward and sweet. And it can also be funny or sardonic. Really, there are as many different ways to write a dedication as there are authors.

Think of the person or people you're dedicating the book to. Then write something specifically for them . But also remember that lots of other people will read it.

A book dedication is not the place for secrets. Although it should be personal, often highlighting an emotional connection between author and dedicatee, it's not like a private note or letter. As you write it, remember that lots of people will read it. Maybe highlighting that embarrassing incident that your dedicatee would like to keep secret isn't the best choice in a dedication.

Most dedications are pretty short. Some are just a sentence long. Others are a couple of short paragraphs. You can make yours as long as you want, but you generally don't want to go over a page.

Since they're relatively short, you can try a few different versions and see which one you like best. Maybe one is a short poem, one is a couple of sentences, and one is just a line. It's up to you what style you use. As an author, it's good to write multiple versions of anything. Usually, my best work doesn't come out on the first try. It takes a little bit of poking and prodding to get things where I want them.

If you're still not sure who to dedicate the book to, write a different dedication for each of the potential candidates on your list. It may help you decide which person or people to go with.

It may seem like common sense to wait until the book is finished before you decide on a dedication. But really, there is no specific time to write your book dedication. If you have an idea of who you'd like to dedicate it to before you've even written a word, you can write it first.

Nothing is set in stone until you've published (and even then, it's pretty easy to update your manuscript if you're a self-published author). Re-read the dedication as you write and edit your book. If something happens while you're writing and you want to change your dedication, go for it! 

Unless, of course, you've already told someone you're dedicating the book to them. Then you should probably stick to your word and keep it as is — although you can change the style and tone if you want.

If you're not sure what to write in your dedication, see what other authors have done in their books. You can head over to your digital or physical bookshelf and start looking in the front matter, checking for dedications. You can also use the Preview feature that most online booksellers have to look for dedications in books you don't own.

But before you do either of those things, keep reading, because I've gathered some excellent real-life dedication examples.

Book Dedication Examples

The following book dedication examples highlight the wide range of possibilities at your fingertips for writing your own dedication. Choose a dedication example that you like from the list below and use it as inspiration for your own!

1. No Thanks , E. E. Cummings

“After his fourteen failures Cummings gave up and turned to his mother. She gave him $300, with which he approached the printer Samuel Jacobs to bring out the volume under his own imprint, the Golden Eagle Press. The title was changed from 70 Poems to No Thanks , in allusion to the publishers' polite refusals. To put the final nail in the coffin Cummings included on the book's dedication page a concrete poem, arranging the fourteen publishers in the form of a funeral urn:

Farrar & Rinehart

Simon & Schuster

Coward-McCann

Limited Editions

Harcourt, Brace

Random House

Equinox Press

Smith & Haas

Viking Press

Covici-Friede”

2. My Shit Life So Far , Frankie Boyle

“To all my enemies,

I will destroy you.”

3. Ruins , Dan Wells

“This book is dedicated to everybody you hate.

Sorry. Life's like that sometimes.”

4. The Selection , Kiera Cass

“Hi, Dad!

*Waves*”

5. The House of Hades , Rick Riordan

“To my wonderful readers:

Sorry about that last cliff-hanger.

Well, no, not really. HAHAHAHA.

But seriously, I love you guys.”

6. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe , C. S. Lewis

“TO LUCY BARFIELD

My Dear Lucy,

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I did not realize that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be

your affectionate Godfather,

-C. S. Lewis”

7. Death on the Nile , Agatha Christie

“To Sybil Burnett, who also loves wandering about the world.”

8. The Great Gatsby , F Scott Fitzgerald

“ONCE AGAIN

ZELDA”

9. Anansi Boys , Neil Gaiman

“You know how it is. You pick up a book, flip to the dedication, and find that, once again, the author has dedicated a book to someone else and not to you.

Not this time.

Because we haven't yet met/have only a glancing acquaintance/are just crazy about each other/haven't seen each other in much too long/are in some way related/will never meet, but will, I trust, despite that, always think fondly of each other . . .

This one's for you.

With you know what, and you probably know why.”

10. Visions of Cody , Jack Kerouac

“Dedicated to America, whatever that is.”

As you can see, there's no cookie-cutter formula for writing the perfect dedication. Trust your gut to tell you when the dedication is perfect for you. If you end up not liking it after your book is published, you can always improve on it in your next book!

While dedications are common in novels, you can also put one in your children’s book , nonfiction book, short story collection, thesis paper, dissertation, or research paper. The idea behind each is the same.

Good luck and thanks for reading!You can also learn about the other important sections in a book's front matter here .

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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Writing Your Dedication and Acknowledgements

When it comes to writing a thesis, the chapters get most of our attention – and so they should! They are the bulk of the thesis, and they contain the actual research. But there are other sections to think about as well, and two of them can be particularly fun to write.

The dedication and acknowledgements pages are where you can show your love and gratitude to the people who have helped you to achieve your goals. They tend to be less prescribed than other sections, so you have a little freedom to get creative in the way you express yourself!

While they might seem similar, there is a difference between the dedications and the acknowledgements. The dedication, as the name suggests, allows you to dedicate your thesis to someone (or multiple people). This is quite a personal matter, and dedications are often made to family members, spouses, friends, or community groups.

The acknowledgements page, by contrast, allows you to express thanks for specific contributions, and often features people that the author knows professionally as well as personally. If a person or group helped you by giving advice, funding, mentorship, editorial assistance, or practical support, it’s a good idea to give them a shout-out in the acknowledgements. This is more than just a courtesy – it’s an important part of maintaining your relationships by formally recognising the people and organisations who have made a contribution to your work.

As an example – I dedicated my PhD thesis to several members of my family, and wrote short personal notes about their contributions. In my acknowledgements section, I thanked my supervisor, a mentor, a friend who provided technical advice during my research, and my scholarship provider.

My dedication and acknowledgements sections were fairly conventional, but that doesn’t mean yours have to be! I’ve heard of writers dedicating their thesis to their pets, their computers, and even their local barista. There have even been rumours of one acknowledgements page which included a coupon for a free beer for anyone whose name was listed!

Other scholars have been known to thank:

• Public transport providers “for making the task of writing in buses and trains such an enjoyable exercise” ( source )
• The “spell-check function of Microsoft Word, without whom ‘institution’ would be misspelled differently 197 times” ( source )
• “The U.S. Immigration Service under the Bush administration, whose visa background security check forced [the author] to spend two months (following an international conference) in a third country, free of routine obligations” ( source )

One enterprising paleontologist even proposed to his girlfriend via the acknowledgements section of his journal article. (She said yes, apparently.)

So if you haven’t already, have a go at drafting your dedication and acknowledgements pages. After all, it’s not often you can gush about your favourite people while still technically being productive!

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Thesis and Dissertation Guide

• « Thesis & Dissertation Resources
• The Graduate School Home
• Introduction

Copyright Page

Dedication, acknowledgements, preface (optional), table of contents.

• List of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations

List of Abbreviations

List of symbols.

• Non-Traditional Formats
• Font Type and Size
• Spacing and Indentation
• Tables, Figures, and Illustrations
• Formatting Previously Published Work
• Internet Distribution
• Open Access
• Registering Copyright
• Using Copyrighted Materials
• Use of Your Own Previously Published Materials
• Submission Steps
• Submission Checklist
• Sample Pages

I. Order and Components

Please see the sample thesis or dissertation pages throughout and at the end of this document for illustrations. The following order is required for components of your thesis or dissertation:

• Dedication, Acknowledgements, and Preface (each optional)
• Table of Contents, with page numbers
• List of Tables, List of Figures, or List of Illustrations, with titles and page numbers (if applicable)
• List of Abbreviations (if applicable)
• List of Symbols (if applicable)
• Introduction, if any
• Main body, with consistent subheadings as appropriate
• Appendices (if applicable)
• Endnotes (if applicable)
• References (see section on References for options)

Many of the components following the title and copyright pages have required headings and formatting guidelines, which are described in the following sections.

Please consult the Sample Pages to compare your document to the requirements. A Checklist is provided to assist you in ensuring your thesis or dissertation meets all formatting guidelines.

The title page of a thesis or dissertation must include the following information:

• The title of the thesis or dissertation in all capital letters and centered 2″ below the top of the page.
• Your name, centered 1″ below the title. Do not include titles, degrees, or identifiers. The name you use here does not need to exactly match the name on your university records, but we recommend considering how you will want your name to appear in professional publications in the future.

Notes on this statement:

• When indicating your degree in the second bracketed space, use the full degree name (i.e., Doctor of Philosophy, not Ph.D. or PHD; Master of Public Health, not M.P.H. or MPH; Master of Social Work, not M.S.W. or MSW).
• List your department, school, or curriculum rather than your subject area or specialty discipline in the third bracketed space. You may include your subject area or specialty discipline in parentheses (i.e., Department of Romance Languages (French); School of Pharmacy (Molecular Pharmaceutics); School of Education (School Psychology); or similar official area).
• If you wish to include both your department and school names, list the school at the end of the statement (i.e., Department of Pharmacology in the School of Medicine).
• A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Public Policy.
• A thesis submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the School of Dentistry (Endodontics).
• A thesis submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Department of Nutrition in the Gillings School of Global Public Health.
• A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Education (Cultural Studies and Literacies).
• The words “Chapel Hill” must be centered 1″ below the statement.
• One single-spaced line below that, center the year in which your committee approves the completed thesis or dissertation. This need not be the year you graduate.
• Approximately 2/3 of the way across the page on the right-hand side of the page, 1″ below the year, include the phrase “Approved by:” (with colon) followed by each faculty member's name on subsequent double-spaced lines. Do not include titles such as Professor, Doctor, Dr., PhD, or any identifiers such as “chair” or “advisor” before or after any names. Line up the first letter of each name on the left under the “A” in the “Approved by:” line. If a name is too long to fit on one line, move this entire section of text slightly to the left so that formatting can be maintained.
• No signatures, signature lines, or page numbers should be included on the title page.

Include a copyright page with the following information single-spaced and centered 2″ above the bottom of the page:

© Year Author's Full Name (as it appears on the title page) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

This page immediately follows the title page. It should be numbered with the lower case Roman numeral ii centered with a 1/2″ margin from the bottom edge.

Inclusion of this page offers you, as the author, additional protection against copyright infringement as it eliminates any question of authorship and copyright ownership. You do not need to file for copyright in order to include this statement in your thesis or dissertation. However, filing for copyright can offer other protections.

See Section IV for more information on copyrighting your thesis or dissertation.

Include an abstract page following these guidelines:

• Include the heading “ABSTRACT” in all capital letters, and center it 2″ below the top of the page.
• One double-spaced line below “ABSTRACT”, center your name, followed by a colon and the title of the thesis or dissertation. Use as many lines as necessary. Be sure that your name and the title exactly match the name and title used on the Title page.
• One single-spaced line below the title, center the phrase “(Under the direction of [advisor's name])”. Include the phrase in parentheses. Include the first and last name(s) of your advisor or formal co-advisors. Do not include the name of other committee members. Use the advisor's name only; do not include any professional titles such as PhD, Professor, or Dr. or any identifiers such as “chair” or “advisor”.
• Skip one double-spaced line and begin the abstract. The text of your abstract must be double-spaced and aligned with the document's left margin with the exception of indenting new paragraphs. Do not center or right-justify the abstract.
• Abstracts cannot exceed 150 words for a thesis or 350 words for a dissertation.
• Number the abstract page with the lower case Roman numeral iii (and iv, if more than one page) centered with a 1/2″ margin from the bottom edge.

Please write and proofread your abstract carefully. When possible, avoid including symbols or foreign words in your abstract, as they cannot be indexed or searched. Avoid mathematical formulas, diagrams, and other illustrative materials in the abstract. Offer a brief description of your thesis or dissertation and a concise summary of its conclusions. Be sure to describe the subject and focus of your work with clear details and avoid including lengthy explanations or opinions.

Your title and abstract will be used by search engines to help potential audiences locate your work, so clarity will help to draw the attention of your targeted readers.

You have an option to include a dedication, acknowledgements, or preface. If you choose to include any or all of these elements, give each its own page(s).

A dedication is a message from the author prefixed to a work in tribute to a person, group, or cause. Most dedications are short statements of tribute beginning with “To…” such as “To my family”.

Acknowledgements are the author's statement of gratitude to and recognition of the people and institutions that helped the author's research and writing.

A preface is a statement of the author's reasons for undertaking the work and other personal comments that are not directly germane to the materials presented in other sections of the thesis or dissertation. These reasons tend to be of a personal nature.

Any of the pages must be prepared following these guidelines:

• Do not place a heading on the dedication page.
• The text of short dedications must be centered and begin 2″ from the top of the page.
• Headings are required for the “ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS” and “PREFACE” pages. Headings must be in all capital letters and centered 2″ below the top of the page.
• The text of the acknowledgements and preface pages must begin one double-spaced line below the heading, be double-spaced, and be aligned with the document's left margin with the exception of indenting new paragraphs.
• Subsequent pages of text return to the 1″ top margin.
• The page(s) must be numbered with consecutive lower case Roman numerals (starting with the page number after the abstract) centered with a 1/2″ margin from the bottom edge.

Include a table of contents following these guidelines:

• Include the heading “TABLE OF CONTENTS” in all capital letters, and center it 2″ below the top of the page.
• Include one double-spaced line between the heading and the first entry.
• The table of contents should not contain listings for the pages that precede it, but it must list all parts of the thesis or dissertation that follow it.
• If relevant, be sure to list all appendices and a references section in your table of contents. Include page numbers for these items but do not assign separate chapter numbers.
• Entries must align with the document's left margin or be indented to the right of the left page margin using consistent tabs.
• Major subheadings within chapters must be included in the table of contents. The subheading(s) should be indented to the right of the left page margin using consistent tabs.
• If an entry takes up more than one line, break up the entry about three-fourths of the way across the page and place the rest of the text on a second line, single-spacing the two lines.
• Include one double-spaced line between each entry.
• Page numbers listed in the table of contents must be located just inside the right page margin with leaders (lines of periods) filling out the space between the end of the entry and the page number. The last digit of each number must line up on the right margin.
• Information included in the table of contents must match the headings, major subheadings, and numbering used in the body of the thesis or dissertation.
• The Table of Contents page(s) must be numbered with consecutive lower case Roman numerals centered with a 1/2″ margin from the bottom edge.

Lists of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations

If applicable, include a list of tables, list of figures, and/or list of illustrations following these guidelines:

• Include the heading(s) in all capital letters, centered 1″ below the top of the page.
• Each entry must include a number, title, and page number.
• Assign each table, figure, or illustration in your thesis or dissertation an Arabic numeral. You may number consecutively throughout the entire work (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.), or you may assign a two-part Arabic numeral with the first number designating the chapter in which it appears, separated by a period, followed by a second number to indicate its consecutive placement in the chapter (e.g., Table 3.2 is the second table in Chapter Three).
• Numerals and titles must align with the document's left margin or be indented to the right of the left page margin using consistent tabs.
• Page numbers must be located just inside the right page margin with leaders (lines of periods) filling out the space between the end of the entry and the page number. The last digit of each number must line up on the right margin.
• Numbers, titles, and page numbers must each match the corresponding numbers, titles, and page numbers appearing in the thesis or dissertation.
• All Lists of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations page(s) must be numbered with consecutive lower case Roman numerals centered with a 1/2″ margin from the bottom edge.

If you use abbreviations extensively in your thesis or dissertation, you must include a list of abbreviations and their corresponding definitions following these guidelines:

• Include the heading “LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS” in all capital letters, and center it 1″ below the top of the page.
• Arrange your abbreviations alphabetically.
• Abbreviations must align with the document's left margin or be indented to the right of the left page margin using consistent tabs.
• If an entry takes up more than one line, single-space between the two lines.
• The List of Abbreviations page(s) must be numbered with consecutive lower case Roman numerals centered with a 1/2″ margin from the bottom edge.

If you use symbols in your thesis or dissertation, you may combine them with your abbreviations, titling the section “LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS”, or you may set up a separate list of symbols and their definitions by following the formatting instructions above for abbreviations. The heading you choose must be in all capital letters and centered 1″ below the top of the page.

Previous: Introduction

Next: Format

The header image is the default header image for the site.

• Formatting Additional Pages

The following pages are all included in a single file named research.pdf along with the main content of the thesis or dissertation. They are part of the research document, and so are considered research materials.

The naming convention for this file is very specific. It should be all lowercase, exactly as it is here: research.pdf .

Section Order for “ research.pdf”

The order of the sections in research.pdf is:

• Dissertation Title Page
• Thesis Title Page
• Copyright Page   (optional)
• Approval Page
• Dedication Page   (optional)
• Acknowledgements Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Illustrations, Figures, Tables, Nomenclature   (if necessary)
• Academic Abstract  
• Main Research Content
• Vita Page   (optional for theses)

Third-Party Copyright of a Thesis or Dissertation

If your work contains material that has been copyrighted by another party, students may need to seek permission to use the material in their thesis or dissertation. Examples of materials for which a student would need to seek copyright permission include but are not limited to:

• Third-Party Software
• Large Portions of Text

If copyright permission is needed, submit written approval for the use of the copyrighted material along with the thesis or dissertation.

Substituting Copyrighted Materials in Theses and Dissertations

The Graduate School encourages students to seek permission to use copyrighted material in their theses and dissertations. The work is published after it is submitted in approved form to the Graduate School and will be available to audiences who wish to know more about the subject you investigate.

The more full and complete the thesis or dissertation, the better the experience for the reader, and therefore the better the response to the fruits of the student’s hard work. However, if the student is unable or unwilling to obtain copyright permission for some of the materials in the research, other items may be substituted for the copyrighted material.

Acceptable substitutions include:

• Redrawing or tracing of maps, images, graphics, etc.
• References to URLs, printed documents or physical locations where the copyrighted material can be found.

A student whose thesis or dissertation has had copyrighted material removed prior to submission must have their advisor sign a document reading:

“[Student’s name] has removed copyrighted material from the copy of the thesis or dissertation submitted to the Graduate School for electronic publication. I certify that I approve the thesis or dissertation in this form. The student has presented accurate information as to where the removed, copyrighted material can be found.”

Advisor’s Name Date

Policy Regarding Theses and Dissertation Content

Students are prohibited from using research (data, results, methods or other content) in their theses or dissertations that could restrict subsequent publication or public disclosure of these documents. Examples of restricted information include classified or proprietary materials.

It is important to note that these restrictions do not apply to non-thesis or non-dissertation research approved by the student’s advisor and allowed by University of Missouri policies.

This policy was approved by the Graduate Faculty Senate. Questions regarding the applicability of this policy to thesis or dissertation content should be referred to the Graduate School.

Thesis Title Page Format

• Although the title page is counted as Roman numeral i, the number should not appear on the page.
• The body of the text should be centered on the page, both vertically and horizontally.
• Use the month and year of your graduation, not the month and year of your defense.

Dissertation Title Page Format

Copyright page for thesis or dissertation, copyright page format.

• Copyrighting is optional. To have your material copyrighted, you must pay an additional fee. Copyright registration provides a measure of security, but does not expand your legal rights to your intellectual property.
• The copyright page will appear after your Title page and before your Approval page .
• This page is not counted, numbered or listed in the Table of Contents .

Proquest GradWorks Guide

UMI/ Proquest is the company that does all the University’s thesis and dissertation processing. It has created a guide to copyright for dissertation and thesis authors , including how to avoid copyright infringement and how to protect your own copyrights. The document also includes a sample permission letter you may use to obtain permission for using copyrighted material in your dissertation or thesis.

Approval Page for Thesis or Dissertation

Approval page format.

• The approval page is not counted, numbered, or listed in the Table of Contents .
• It follows your title page, unless you have included the optional copyright page , in which case it will follow the copyright page.
• The title must be centered.
• Each person on your committee must be listed.
• The approval page in your thesis/dissertation should not have committee signatures.

Dedication Page for Thesis or Dissertation

Dedication page guidelines.

• The dedication page is optional.
• If used, it comes after the approval page .
• It is not counted, numbered or listed in the Table of Contents .
• It is used to acknowledge those who have supported you during your graduate school. This is not typically the place to recognize those who assisted you in your academic research, which is done on the required Acknowledgements page .
• There are no restrictions on the style or format.

Acknowledgements Page for Thesis or Dissertation

Acknowledgements format.

• The Acknowledgements page is required for all theses and dissertations. It follows the Approval page , unless there is the optional Dedication page , in which case it follows the Dedication page.
• Center the term “ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.”
• The page number should be Roman numeral “ii”.
• Indent and double-space the body of the text.
• There is no length restriction.

Table of Contents Page for Thesis or Dissertation

Table of contents format.

• Center the term “TABLE OF CONTENTS.”
• The Table of Contents should only include listings for the Acknowledgements page and any sections following the Table of Contents .
• Item page numbers should align at the right margin.
• Follow the spacing guidelines included in your chosen style manual.

List of Illustrations (Tables / Figures / Maps / Nomenclature)

List of illustrations page format.

• The title should centered.
• Single-space lines within entries, and double-space between entries.

Vita Page for Thesis or Dissertation

Vita page guidelines.

• The vita page is required for doctoral students, optional for master’s students.
• It is the final page of the research document and must have a page number.
• This is  not a curriculum vitae. Its purpose is to give a bit of background about the author.
• The title “VITA” should be centered.
• Formatting should be consistent with the rest of the research file.
• There is no restriction on the length.
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Dedicating PhD thesis to my Dad who recently passed away

I lost my Dad while waiting for the examiners reports of my thesis. In my final copy I would like to include a dedication page to him (in addition to the general acknowledgements page), but I'm not really sure what to say. I know I would like something really short, but more than "I dedicate this thesis to my Dad."

I was thinking including something about how I know how proud he was even though he won't be around to see me graduate. Or perhaps referencing how I hope my dedication to my field in science stays as strong as his dedication to his own field (engineering).

I would appreciate any suggestions or examples of dedications as I haven't managed to find too much online and I'm lost for words.

• acknowledgement

• 2 Your own suggestion is fine. –  Anonymous Physicist Commented Jun 16, 2020 at 0:35
• 7 If a friend asked for me advice about this situation, I would advise them to write their honest feelings as best they could express them in their own words, without worrying about whether it is exactly the right thing to say as a dedication. –  d_b Commented Jun 16, 2020 at 0:40
• 1 OP - thanks everyone, I'll try to come up with something in my own words to use. –  user125368 Commented Jun 16, 2020 at 2:01
• 1 @user125368 Perhaps ask close friends to comment on the words you find. –  user2768 Commented Jun 16, 2020 at 6:51
• 2 My condolences! Just do what you think is right! Your suggestion seems fine since it is coming from your heart. –  stackoverblown Commented Jun 16, 2020 at 18:11

2 Answers 2

I had a dedication page in my PhD thesis, to my recently deceased grandparents. I kept it short, with a line that basically translates to:

"To my grandparents, in loving memory."

The things you suggest to include and to reference will make it more personal, and more appropriate for you. And that is all that matters: write it such that it represents well how you feel.

I started my Ph.D. a few years after my father passed away. I dedicated the thesis to him. I wrote, "To my father who never saw this adventure" (something like this when translated).

Like all who commented, I would say keep it short, keep it personal. Grief makes it difficult to find words. Actually, looking back at my thesis and this dedication bring back memories of him. I guess that's what this dedication page is for: yourself.

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How to Write Dedication Page for a Thesis, Dissertation or a Research Paper

• How to Write Dedication Page…

Table of Contents

Writing About Dedication Samples

What is a Dedication Page in a Thesis or Research Paper

This part is, basically, a source to offer warmest gratefulness of the writer towards any other person for whom he wish to pay honor. Dedication page always comes on the front of the book or thesis. So, if you have done with your research and now planning to write a dedication page in a book or thesis then this article would be the right choice for you. Here, you will come with dedication quotes , words for dedication , sample dedication and other dedication examples that will assist you in turning your dedication a great blast.

Some Helpful Tips to Remember Before Writing the Dedication Page of Thesis

First of all, remember writing a dedication page for a thesis, dissertation or a is not a difficult deal. Though, it is a fact that a little bit of concentration and focus can better guide you in writing a great dedication page for your final project. Basically, dedication page shows your devotion and sense of appreciation for those who have assisted you in the pursuit of your academic goal. It can be termed as a source of acknowledgment for those who have offered their help whole heartedly in the fulfillment of your studies. However, it is also interesting to note that dedication page is totally optional and up to your willingness to add or subtract. Sometimes, it happens that you get quite nostalgic when start finding out people in your memory who have supported you to get in touch with the finish line of your project. Anyways, you do not need to worry about such situation as you can streamline all the names and add them in the dedication segment.

Helpful Guide to Write a Dedication Page in Research

Here are some important points to remember before going through dedication writing.

• First of all, if you are going to add dedication page in your term paper, thesis or dissertation then it should always be added just after endorsement.
• The dedication page will not be numbered as well as it will not be counted in total page count.
• Formatting of dedication page is also unrestricted. You can easily go with any style or format. Anyways, for better output, it is also recommended that always follow the advice of your supervisor or project coordinator regarding the style and formatting of dedication page. You can read more about in detail including the , , and  .
• The dedication page should be briefest and should not exceed from one page.
• Before starting dedication page, you should develop a list of institutions as well as people you wish to pay tribute to. Individuals that you are choosing might be your parents, siblings or peers who have helped you in any way during your career. The support they offer you might be moral as well as monetary. Dedication is paid just to offer a thankful note towards their sincere support. Institutions are added in the dedication that have supported in your research or funded you with a scholarship for the successful fulfillment of your thesis or dissertation.

You can read more about the .

Steps to Write a Dedication Page for Your Thesis or Research Paper

Remember, your dedication may be formal to informal. You can also go with beautiful dedication quotes or poems for this page of your thesis. On formal note, you can dedicate your work to your professor, supervisor, parents or any institution that supported you in the fulfillment of your academic goal. On the other hand, informal options might be your siblings, peers or even a favorite pet. However, whatever the choice you make, remember to enclose the reason of your dedication to that specific person or institution.

Here are some tips as how you can address a dedication as well as sample dedications for your assistance.

Tips on How to Address a Dedication

There are so many ways in which you can easily address your dedication. For example

• “This is dedicated to …”
• “I would like to dedicate my work to…”
• “I dedicate this book to…”
• “In dedication to my…”
• “It is our genuine gratefulness and warmest regard that we dedicate this work to…”

Alternative Formats for a Dedication

It is quite interesting to note that funny anecdotes and poems may also be the part of your dedication. However, it is better option to keep your dedication as concise and simple as it can be. Read some .

Sample of Dedication for a Book

Here are some examples from famous

“To my wife Marganit and my children Ella Rose and Daniel Adam without whom this book would have been completed two years earlier.”

“For Beatrice-I cherished, you perished.The world’s been night-marished.”

“To caffeine and sugar, my companions through many a long night of writing.”

“To Mom, Who took me to the library.”

Author:  Nadia Ansari

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