Quick question for the academics on my friends list.

[rivka]

Does one thank one's advisor in the Acknowledgements?

The Grad College manual says "acknowledgements are limited to thanks for or recognition of special assistance;" I'm thanking my funding sources, my undergraduate RA, the people in the Pediatrics department who gave me access to my subjects, and my advisor's secretary, who helped me with a lot of admin stuff that isn't in her job description. Helping me is in my advisor's job description, but should I thank him anyway? I'm not sure what's generally done.

Comments

[bunyip.livejournal.com]

It was typical in Australia to include your advisor in the acknowledgements for a thesis.

[eeyorerin]

At my school, I've usually seen people thank their advisors/committee chair in their Acknowledgements. I think the limitation is to hint that one doesn't thank everyone up to and including the cat in the style of an Academy Awards speech, but one should acknowledge the important players in the struggle to get the Damn Thing Finished.

[erikted.livejournal.com]

I'd look at a few finished ones from your department/school and see what the local convention is.

Our University dissertation handbook specifically says 'don't forget your advisor' in acknowledgements, and it is expected in my department that you thank everyone on the commitee. Acknowledgements are also considered a forum for relatively free expression: mine are over five pages (and includes all kinds of folks from family to LJ friends list), with three paragraphs detailing helpfulness of various committee folks.

[akicif.livejournal.com]

Thank them all - the examining board will know their own. Seriously, I thanked advisors, colleagues, people who did useful stuff and the ones who kept me sane during the writing-up process. Thanking the internal examiner seemed to be optional, thanking the external was generally considered to be Going Too Far.

Do you get to do a dedication as well as an acknowledgement?

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Yes. As it stands now, I've got a page-long acknowledgement section thanking everyone involved in the research end of things (now including my advisor, because that seems to be the consensus), and a four-word dedication to my husband.

[curmudgn]

You have to thank David Merrick. Everybody has to thank David Merrick.

[melebeth]

Thank your advisor. Not thanking your advisor just seems to be asking for trouble. And not in the fun way :) My acknowedgements thanked everyone in the lab (even when they weren't helpful) and then everyone who actually _was_ helpful, and my parents.

[txanne.livejournal.com]

If you're going to thank the secretary, it would be very wise indeed to thank her boss. And the committee might get its feelings hurt if you thank your advisor only. I didn't thank anybody because I completely forgot about the acknowledgements; doh. (See, I pulled a stupid and they still gave me a pretty hood!)

[txanne.livejournal.com]

On second thought, why not send him a copy of the acknowledgements quietly, included in the next batch of stuff? That way he'll have the option of taking himself off the list, or leaving it as is, saving face for all concerned.

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

Typical at my Master's department - brief factual thanks including advisors.

Typical in my doctoral program - long gushy thank yous to advisors including ones whom the candidates had an awful time with.

What I did - brief statement of acknowledgement to advisor, mention of funding and equipment sources, paragraph of friends.