Should I Thank My Advisor in My Thesis? Guidelines for Making the Decision

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the decision of whether to thank an advisor in a thesis, including considerations of format and content. Participants explore the norms and guidelines related to acknowledgments in academic writing.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that including an acknowledgment is a common practice and may be beneficial.
  • Others recommend reviewing past theses from the same department to understand the expected format and content for acknowledgments.
  • A participant notes that there is a traditional section for acknowledgments, typically placed at the beginning of the thesis.
  • There are humorous remarks about the etiquette of thanking both a spouse and a significant other, indicating social norms in acknowledgment practices.
  • Questions are raised about the existence of formal guidelines to assist in making the decision about acknowledgments.
  • One participant humorously suggests consulting a marriage counselor to aid in the decision-making process regarding whom to thank.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the necessity and appropriateness of thanking an advisor, with no clear consensus reached on specific guidelines or practices.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference the importance of departmental norms and the potential for differing expectations regarding acknowledgments in theses.

oneamp
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Do I need to do it? Should I put his name somewhere?

Thanks
 
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Can't hurt.
 
Yes.

You should also be reading the theses of past students in your department to get some good examples of what needs to be in one.
 
Thanks
 
oneamp said:
Do I need to do it? Should I put his name somewhere?

Thanks

As Vanadium had mentioned, haven't you looked at the existing thesis, especially the ones written by the former students of the same professor? There really is no need to reinvent the wheel as far as the format the type of content are concerned here.

The traditional section to express your acknowledgments here, be it to your advisor, your parents, your spouse, your significant other, your pet, etc.. is in the beginning, usually an Acknowledgement section. Check with your school on the thesis style that is allowed.

Zz.
 
As an aside: it's considered poor form to thank both your spouse and your significant other. Best to pick one.
 
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Vanadium 50 said:
As an aside: it's considered poor form to thank both your spouse and your significant other. Best to pick one.

{ZapperZ smacks Vanadium 50 with a large boson}

Now, back to our regularly-scheduled program.

Zz.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
As an aside: it's considered poor form to thank both your spouse and your significant other. Best to pick one.

Are there guidelines to help in making that decision?
 
oneamp said:
Are there guidelines to help in making that decision?

You might want to talk to a marriage councellor in order to help you make that decision.
 

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