The distinctions between the dedication and the acknowledgements are outlined below.

Dedication

• The dedication is the writer’s personal acknowledgment indicating his or her appreciation and respect for significant individuals in the writer’s life. The dedication is personal; thus, any individuals named are frequently unrelated to the topic of the dissertation. Indeed, it need not be academic in any way.
• Typically, the learner dedicates the work to the one or two individuals who instilled in the learner the value of education and the drive to succeed in educational pursuits. Learners dedicate dissertations to relatives, immediate family, or significant individuals who have supported them or played a role in their lives. Some learners dedicate their dissertations to their higher power.

Acknowledgments

• The acknowledgments differ from the dedication in one significant way: the acknowledgements recognize individuals who have supported the writer’s scholarly efforts as they relate to the dissertation or who have held a role in the writer’s academic career as it relates to the research of the dissertation.
• The acknowledgments are the place to recognize, by name, the contributions of the mentor, the committee members, and individuals who helped with the dissertation research (e.g., librarians, statisticians, editors, etc.). Finally, the acknowledgments are the place to express gratitude for the use of copyrighted or otherwise restricted materials, as appropriate.