When I was conducting research for my PhD a large proportion of my time was spent wondering about my acknowledgements page. I was given clear instructions that my acknowledgements page should be just that, one page; so in an outrageous act of defiance I spread it onto two, so I apologise now for the fact that it was somewhat verbose.
If you were to read it you could probably sense the desperation, late nights, ecstasy of being near completion, and to be blunt, delusions of academic grandeur that were starting to flow through my veins! You can read it here if you are willing to endure that.
To date the only thesis I’ve read cover-to-cover is my own, and the few that I have marked, but I have read hundreds of acknowledgements pages – it’s a great way to kill an hour in an academic library. I have always had an interest in acknowledgements pages, I read them in books, theses, album and music covers, anywhere you find them really. So this blog is for you and I, it’s a chance for you to share your acknowledgements with the world and to feed my perverse fascination.
I’d be delighted if you would like to share your acknowledgements pages with the world. They could be from academic work, research, study, school projects, anything that has caused you to write one. In fact why stop there, if you have not had the opportunity or cause to write an acknowledgements page why not draft one anyway! An acknowledgement for life.
If you would like to share your pages please send them to me at acknowledgers@gmail.com Feel free to send scanned pages or photos or handwritten or typed documents, however you like. I’m happy to post pages anonymously, link them to twitter/facebook/linkedin or even provide a link to your publisher or include a full academic reference if you have one and would prefer. However you like. Please do spread the word and submit your pages for the world to enjoy. Thank you.
ps A few people have asked who is behind this site. My twitter tag is @georgejulian and you can read more of my inane ramblings over on my personal blog and a bit about me here.
Great idea!
I’m thrilled there is someone else who is as “obsessed” with acknowledgements as I am. My particular hobbyhorse has been to read those of people I know… or people in my field who have become “famous.” It’s amazing to read those things. Some people wrote three pages and more! I keep drafting and re-drafting mine, and am torn between admiring those that are short, yet poignant, or those that really make get a sense of the person’s PhD journey. As my dissertation is nothing like “short,” I am more and more tempted to have a short, yet sweet acknowledgement. Thanks for this!