We use cookies on this site to enhance your experience
By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies.

A link to reset your password has been sent to your email.
Back to login
We need additional information from you. Please complete your profile first before placing your order.
Thank you. payment completed., you will receive an email from us to confirm your registration, please click the link in the email to activate your account., there was error during payment, orcid profile found in public registry, download history, what to include in your acknowledgments section.
- Charlesworth Author Services
- 02 June, 2018
- Academic Writing Skills
Most academic papers have many people who have helped in some way in the preparation of the written version or the research itself. This could be someone from a sponsoring institution, a funding body, other researchers, or even family, friends or colleagues who have helped in the preparation. These people need to be mentioned in the Acknowledgments section of the paper.
Acknowledgments section in different academic documents
The Acknowledgments section is present in both a paper and an academic thesis . For papers, the Acknowledgments section is usually presented at the back, whereas in a thesis, this section is located towards the front of the manuscript and is commonly placed somewhere between the abstract and Introduction . However, the exact location varies between each university , as each establishment possesses its own style guide for theses and student submissions. So, it is always worthwhile consulting your university’s academic style guide before writing a manuscript for undergraduate/postgraduate submission.
Acknowledgments section in theses
For academic theses, there is no right or wrong way to acknowledge people, and who you want to acknowledge is down to personal preference. However, the common types of people authors acknowledge in their academic theses include:
- Supervisor’s contributions
- Research group (especially if the thesis in question is a master’s and the work is helped along by a PhD student)
- Support staff (laboratory technicians, etc.)
- Any students who undertook side projects with them (e.g. final year undergraduates, summer students, master’s students)
- Administrative staff (there can be a lot of bureaucracy for thesis submissions)
- Referees that got them onto the course (postgraduate only)
- Funding bodies
- Any collaboration with industry and the people they worked with at said establishment(s)
Acknowledgments section in journal papers
Now, whilst university manuscripts can include any combination of the above (including all and none in some cases), academic publications in journals more commonly acknowledge the same kind of people/organizations, but again it is up to the author(s) what they feel should be acknowledged; not every piece of help needs to be acknowledged, just the most useful/prevalent help. Also, acknowledgments should be written in the first person .
Examples of whom and what should be acknowledged in a journal publication are listed below:
- Direct technical help (e.g. supply of animal subjects, cells, equipment setup, methods , statistics/data manipulation, samples, chemicals/reagents, analytical/spectroscopy techniques)
- Indirect assistance (topical and intellectual discussions about the research which can lead to generation of new ideas)
- Affiliated institutions
- Grant numbers
- Who received the funding (if not the author, e.g. a supervisor)
- Any associated fellowships
Whom to acknowledge - and whom not to acknowledge
- Other authors/contributors : It is not common practice for the lead paper writer (i.e. the person writing and publishing the manuscript) to acknowledge the other authors/direct contributors to the paper. Only those who are not recognized as authors may be thanked and acknowledged.
- Reviewers : Authors are also not allowed to thank reviewers personally, or those who inspire them but cannot directly receive their appreciation – although reviewers can be thanked if they are kept anonymous .
- Friends and family : Unlike university manuscripts, journal manuscripts should not include help and guidance from family and friends.
Other acknowledgments
- Titles and institutions : Titles such as Mr, Mrs, Miss, etc. are not commonly included, but honorary titles such as Dr, Professor, etc. are. The institutions of the acknowledged people are usually mentioned.
For example, the following would not be acceptable:
We dedicate this work to the deceased Prof. Bloggs.
However, the following would be acceptable:
We acknowledge Prof. Bloggs for discovering the secret of anonymity.
Additional pointers for writing the Acknowledgments section
- The tone of the section should be in an active voice.
- Do not use pronouns indicating possession (i.e. his, her, their, etc.).
- Terms associated with specific companies should be written out in full, e.g. Limited, Corporation, etc.
- If the results have been published elsewhere, then this should also be acknowledged.
- Any abbreviations should be expanded unless the abbreviation appears in the main body of the text.
Below are examples of the Acknowledgments sections taken from a couple of papers from Nature Communications :

Duan L., Hope J., Ong Q., Lou H-Y., Kim N., McCarthy C., Acero V., Lin M., Cui B., Understanding CRY2 interactions for optical control of intracellular signalling, Nature Communications, 2017, 8:547
Xu Q., Jensen K., Boltyanskiy R., Safarti R., Style R., Dufresne E., Direct measurement of strain-dependent solid surface stress, Nature Communications, 2017, 8:555
Many people think that the Acknowledgments section of a manuscript is a trivial and unimportant component. However, it constitutes a vital means to ensure that all affiliated support for the paper can be duly and transparently mentioned. By acknowledging people for their efforts and contributions, you demonstrate your integrity as an academic researcher. In addition, crediting other people for their help can also increase their presence in the academic world and possibly help to boost their career as well as your own.
Maximise your publication success with Charlesworth Author Services.
Charlesworth Author Services, a trusted brand supporting the world’s leading academic publishers, institutions and authors since 1928.
To know more about our services, visit: Our Services
Share with your colleagues
Related articles.

How to write an Introduction to an academic article
Charlesworth Author Services 17/08/2020 00:00:00

Writing an Abstract: Purpose and Tips
Related webinars.

Bitesize Webinar: How to write and structure your academic article for publication- Module 3: Understand the structure of an academic paper
Charlesworth Author Services 04/03/2021 00:00:00

Bitesize Webinar: How to write and structure your academic article for publication: Module 6: Choose great titles and write strong abstracts
Charlesworth Author Services 05/03/2021 00:00:00

Bitesize Webinar: How to write and structure your academic article for publication: Module 11: Know when your article is ready for submission

Bitesize Webinar: How to write and structure your academic article for publication - Module 14: Increase your chances for publication
Charlesworth Author Services 20/04/2021 00:00:00

Authorship of academic papers
Charlesworth Author Services 11/07/2017 00:00:00

Ethics in academic publishing: Understanding ‘gift’ authorships
Charlesworth Author Services 21/11/2019 00:00:00

Who gets the CRediT? Authorship issues and fairness in academic writing
Charlesworth Author Services 15/07/2019 00:00:00
Have a language expert improve your writing
Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.
- Knowledge Base
- Dissertation
- Thesis & Dissertation Acknowledgements | Tips & Examples
Thesis & Dissertation Acknowledgements | Tips & Examples
Published on May 3, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on November 11, 2022.

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.
Download Word doc Download Google doc
Table of contents
Who to thank in your acknowledgements, how to write acknowledgements, acknowledgements section example, acknowledgements dos and don’ts, 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.
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 why students love Scribbr's proofreading services
Discover proofreading & editing
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
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.
Cite this Scribbr article
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
George, T. (2022, November 11). Thesis & Dissertation Acknowledgements | Tips & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/acknowledgements/
Is this article helpful?
Tegan George
Other students also liked, dissertation layout and formatting, thesis & dissertation title page | free templates & examples, how to write an abstract | steps & examples, what is your plagiarism score.
- Journal Article Editing
PhD Thesis Editing
- Discoveries
- Right Journal
- Journal Metrics
- Journal Fit
- Abbreviation
- In-Text Citations
- Bibliographies
- Writing an Article
- Peer Review Types
- Acknowledgements
- Withdrawing a Paper
- Form Letter
- ISO, ANSI, CFR
- Google Scholar
- Journal Manuscript Editing
- Research Manuscript Editing
Book Editing
- Manuscript Editing Services
Medical Editing
- Bioscience Editing
- Physical Science Editing
- PhD Thesis Editing Services
- PhD Editing
- Master’s Proofreading
- Bachelor’s Editing
- Dissertation Proofreading Services
- Best Dissertation Proofreaders
- Masters Dissertation Proofreading
- PhD Proofreaders
- Proofreading PhD Thesis Price
- Book Editing Service
- Editing and Proofreading Services
- Research Paper Editing
- Medical Manuscript Editing
- Academic Editing
- Social Sciences Editing
- Academic Proofreading
- PhD Theses Editing
- Dissertation Proofreading
- Proofreading Rates UK
- Medical Proofreading
- PhD Proofreading Services UK
- Academic Proofreading Services UK
Medical Editing Services
- Life Science Editing
- Biomedical Editing
- Environmental Science Editing
- Pharmaceutical Science Editing
- Economics Editing
- Psychology Editing
- Sociology Editing
- Archaeology Editing
- History Paper Editing
- Anthropology Editing
- Law Paper Editing
- Engineering Paper Editing
- Technical Paper Editing
- Philosophy Editing
- PhD Dissertation Proofreading
- Lektorat Englisch
- Akademisches Lektorat
- Lektorat Englisch Preise
- Wissenschaftliches Lektorat
- Lektorat Doktorarbeit
- Thesis Proofreading Services
- PhD Thesis Proofreading
- Proofreading Thesis Cost
- Proofreading Thesis
- Thesis Editing Services
- Professional Thesis Editing
- Thesis Editing Cost
- Proofreading Dissertation
- Dissertation Proofreading Cost
- Dissertation Proofreader
- Correção de Artigos Científicos
- Correção de Trabalhos Academicos
- Serviços de Correção de Inglês
- Correção de Dissertação
- Correção de Textos Precos
- 定額 ネイティブチェック
- Copy Editing
- FREE Courses
- Revision en Ingles
- Revision de Textos en Ingles
- Revision de Tesis
- Revision Medica en Ingles
- Revision de Tesis Precio
- Revisão de Artigos Científicos
- Revisão de Trabalhos Academicos
- Serviços de Revisão de Inglês
- Revisão de Dissertação
- Revisão de Textos Precos
- Corrección de Textos en Ingles
- Corrección de Tesis
- Corrección de Tesis Precio
- Corrección Medica en Ingles
- Corrector ingles
Select Page
Acknowledgements Example for an Academic Research Paper
Posted by Rene Tetzner | Sep 1, 2021 | How To Get Published | 0 |

Acknowledgements Example for an Academic or Scientific Research Paper This example of acknowledgements for a research paper is designed to demonstrate how intellectual, financial and other research contributions should be formally acknowledged in academic and scientific writing. As brief acknowledgements for a research paper, the example gathers contributions of different kinds – intellectual assistance, financial support, image credits etc. – into a single Acknowledgements section. Do note, however, that the formats preferred by some scholarly journals require the separation of certain contributions such as financial support of research into their own sections.

Although authors often write acknowledgements hastily, the Acknowledgements section is an important part of a research paper. Acknowledging assistance and contributions establishes your integrity as a researcher as well as your connections and collaborations. It can also help your readers with their own research, affect the influence and impact of the researchers and other professionals you thank, and demonstrate the value and purpose of the agencies that fund your work. The contents of the example I have prepared here are appropriate for a research paper intended for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, but the author, the research project, the manuscript studied, the journal publishing the paper and all those to whom gratitude is extended are entirely fictional. They were created for the purpose of demonstrating the following key concerns when writing the acknowledgements for a formal research paper:

• Writing in the first person (‘I’ for a single author or ‘we’ for two or more) to offer concise but sincere acknowledgements of specific contributions to your research. • Maintaining formal language, complete sentences and a professional tone to give specific and thorough information about contributions and convey collegial gratitude. • Expressing respect and appreciation in an appropriate fashion for each and every contribution and avoiding artificial or excessive flattery. • Using the complete names and preferred name formats for individuals, funding agencies, libraries, businesses and other organisations. Here, for example, I posit that the library holding the relevant manuscript has indicated that the name of the collection (lengthy though it is) should not be abbreviated. • Acknowledging contributions to your research and paper in the order that best represents the nature and importance of those contributions. The assistance of the author’s mentor comes first here, for instance, whereas the language editor is acknowledged much further down the list. • Meeting the requirements for acknowledgements set by the journal or other publisher of the research paper. For the example below, the goal is to record all relevant contributions to the research and paper in a single brief Acknowledgements section of 500 words or less – a set of parameters that would suit the acknowledgement requirements or expectations of many academic and scientific journals and even fit into a footnote or endnote if necessary.

Example Acknowledgements for an Academic Research Paper This paper and the research behind it would not have been possible without the exceptional support of my supervisor, Lawrence Magister. His enthusiasm, knowledge and exacting attention to detail have been an inspiration and kept my work on track from my first encounter with the log books of British Naval Ships MS VII.2.77 to the final draft of this paper. Margaret Kempis and Matthew Brown, my colleagues at Western University, have also looked over my transcriptions and answered with unfailing patience numerous questions about the language and hands of British Naval Ships MS VII.2.77. Samantha McKenzie, head librarian of the Southern Region Central Collegiate Library Special Collections and Microfilms Department where British Naval Ships MS VII.2.77 currently resides, not only provided colour images of the manuscript overnight, but unexpectedly shared the invaluable information on the book that she has been gathering for almost twenty years. I am also grateful for the insightful comments offered by the anonymous peer reviewers at Books & Texts. The generosity and expertise of one and all have improved this study in innumerable ways and saved me from many errors; those that inevitably remain are entirely my own responsibility.
Studying British Naval Ships MS VII.2.77 has proved extremely costly and I am most thankful for the Western University Doctoral Fellowship that has provided financial support for the larger project from which this paper grew. A travel grant from the Literary Society of the Southern Region turned the hope of working in person with British Naval Ships MS VII.2.77 into a reality, and the generous offer of free accommodation from Ms McKay (Samantha McKenzie’s aunt) allowed me to continue my research with the book much longer than I could have hoped. The final design of the complicated transcription tables in Appendices I–III is the creative and technical work of Sam Stone at A+AcaSciTables.com, and the language and format of the paper have benefited enormously from the academic editing services of Veronica Perfect. Finally, it is with true pleasure that I acknowledge the contributions of my amazing partner, Kendric James, who has given up many a Friday evening and Sunday afternoon to read every version of this paper and the responses it has generated with a combination of compassion and criticism that only he could muster for what he fondly calls ‘my odd obsession with books about the sea.’
You might be interested in Services offered by Proof-Reading-Service.com
Journal editing.
Journal article editing services
PhD thesis editing services
Scientific Editing
Manuscript editing.
Manuscript editing services
Expert Editing
Expert editing for all papers
Research Editing
Research paper editing services
Professional book editing services
Related Posts

Choosing the Right Journal
September 10, 2021

Example of a Quantitative Research Paper
September 4, 2021

What Is a Good H-Index Required for an Academic Position?
September 3, 2021

Free Sample Letters for Withdrawing a Manuscript
August 31, 2021
Our Recent Posts

Our review ratings
- Examples of Research Paper Topics in Different Study Areas Score: 98%
- Dealing with Language Problems – Journal Editor’s Feedback Score: 95%
- Making Good Use of a Professional Proofreader Score: 92%
- How To Format Your Journal Paper Using Published Articles Score: 95%
- Journal Rejection as Inspiration for a New Perspective Score: 95%
Explore our Categories
- Abbreviation in Academic Writing (4)
- Career Advice for Academics (5)
- Dealing with Paper Rejection (11)
- Grammar in Academic Writing (5)
- Help with Peer Review (7)
- How To Get Published (146)
- Paper Writing Advice (17)
- Referencing & Bibliographies (16)

The Plagiarism Checker Online For Your Academic Work
Start Plagiarism Check
Editing & Proofreading for Your Research Paper
Get it proofread now
Online Printing & Binding with Free Express Delivery
Configure binding now
- Academic essay
- Academic writing
- APA examples
- Bachelor degree
- Chicago style
- Citing sources
- College essay
- Dissertation
- Graduate school
- Harvard referencing
- Language rules
- Master degree
- Methodology
- Printing production
- Research paper
- Research process
- Working with sources
Your Step to Success
Printing & Binding with 3D Live Preview
Acknowledgement for Thesis
How do you like this article.

Inhaltsverzeichnis
- 1 Definition
- 3 Sample Acknowledgement for Thesis
- 4 Writing an Acknowledgement
- 5 Do’s and Don`ts
- 6 In a Nutshell
The acknowledgement for thesis is the section where you thank all people, institutions, and companies that helped you complete the project successfully. It is similar to a dedication, except for the fact that it is formal. Also, you don’t need to mention every single person who helped you with the research- just those who were most important to your research. For example, you don’t need to thank your boyfriend for making you dinner as you worked on the project.
What is an acknowledgement for thesis/for research?
In a research paper, an acknowledgement refers to the section at the beginning of your thesis formatting where you show your appreciation for the people who contributed to your project. It is up to you to determine who you are most grateful to for helping you with the research.

How do you write the thesis/dissertation acknowledgements?
Unlike acknowledgements in a book, a thesis or dissertation acknowledgement has to be formal. You should avoid showing strong emotions in the acknowledgement for thesis and should simply show your appreciation for their input.
Helpful: If you’re having trouble with phrasing your acknowledgement for thesis, transition words will help to enhance the flow of your writing.
Where do you put acknowledgements in a thesis?
The acknowledgement for thesis section is included right at the beginning in your thesis formatting . It is placed immediately after the table of contents, before the body of the thesis. The acknowledgement for thesis section is relatively brief.
Who should you thank in the acknowledgement for thesis section?
You should thank anyone who helped you with the project. Some people who are commonly included in the acknowledgement for thesis include your primary supervisor, other academic staff in your department, anyone who financed the research, and family and friends. Perhaps they helped you with your research proposal right at the beginning, or maybe they helped with editing your thesis. Regardless, you can recognise them in your acknowledgement for thesis. Although the first person is not used in academic research projects, you can use it in the acknowledgement for thesis section.
Can you use the first person in the acknowledgement?
Although the first person is not used in academic research projects, or most academic writing , you can use it in the acknowledgement for thesis section. The acknowledgement for thesis section is informal compared to the rest of your paper. However, you should still refrain from including strong emotional words in your acknowledgements.
Sample Acknowledgement for Thesis
The acknowledgement for thesis should be brief and should not include personal details. Here are some good sample thesis acknowledgements:
- I would like to express my gratitude to my primary supervisor, Michael Brown, who guided me throughout this project. I would also like to thank my friends and family who supported me and offered deep insight into the study.
- I wish to acknowledge the help provided by the technical and support staff in the Economics department of the University of London. I would also like to show my deep appreciation to my supervisors who helped me finalize my project.
Some common phrases you can use in the acknowledgement section of your project include:
- I wish to show my appreciation
- I would like to thank
- The assistance provided by Mr X was greatly appreciated
- I wish to extend my special thanks to
- I would like to thank the following people for helping me finalize the project
- Mr. X offered valuable data and statistics which I used in my project
Writing an Acknowledgement
The acknowledgement for thesis is typically written in the first person, singular or plural. You will have to avoid getting too personal as this section is not meant to be a dedication.You will typically start with the person who was most important in your study. This could be your professor, your supervisor, the staff, or even your family and friends. The last people you should acknowledge are those who played a smaller role in your research.
Acknowledgements don’t have a standard length. It could be just a few paragraphs, or it could run for a few pages. The length will primarily depend on the number of people you want to thank and acknowledge. It is advisable to keep the length of your acknowledgement for thesis as short as possible. If it gets very long, it could easily become meaningless. You can limit longer acknowledgements to the few people who had a significant impact on the study.
In the acknowledgement for thesis, you should try to be very specific. Mention the names of the people you are acknowledging, and not just their titles. Some people have trouble remembering the names of people and how they helped them with the research projects. If you have such tendencies, you can consider writing down the names of the people as they offer their help with the research. You should not miss out any party that played a major role in the study.
Do’s and Don`ts

- State the full names of the people you are acknowledging
- Use the first person singular or plural
- Write in formal language
- Identify the role played by each of the acknowledged parties
- List the funding organizations along with the parts of the projects that they funded

- Use personal or informal language
- Acknowledge every single person who had even the smallest impact on your research. For example, you don’t need to acknowledge the waitress at the restaurant where you used to relax after working on the project.
- Include people who qualified for authorship in the research project. A person will qualify for authorship if they make a substantial contribution to the project, if they draft and revise the work for intellectual content, and if they agree to be accountable for the content of the work.

Thesis printing & binding
You are already done writing your thesis and need a high quality printing & binding service? Then you are right to choose BachelorPrint! Check out our 24-hour online printing service. For more information click the button below :
In a Nutshell
- The acknowledgement for thesis section shows all the people who played an important role in the creation of the final paper, except for those who qualified for authorship.
- You should use the first person to show gratitude to the people who contributed to the project.
- You should show the specific role played by each person and party in the research project.
- The thesis acknowledgement should first show the people who contributed the most to the research and should end with the people who contributed the least.
- The thesis acknowledgement should be added after the table of contents in your research paper.
Discover more helpful articles:

This is our article about writer´s block and how to overcome it:

This is our article about how to write the perfect abstract:

We tell you whats important while writing your conclusion:

This is our article about bibliography and what to pay attention to:
We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help us to improve this website and your experience.
- External Media
Individual Privacy Preferences
Cookie Details Privacy Policy Imprint
Here you will find an overview of all cookies used. You can give your consent to whole categories or display further information and select certain cookies.
Accept all Save
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
Show Cookie Information Hide Cookie Information
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website.
Marketing cookies are used by third-party advertisers or publishers to display personalized ads. They do this by tracking visitors across websites.
Content from video platforms and social media platforms is blocked by default. If External Media cookies are accepted, access to those contents no longer requires manual consent.
Privacy Policy Imprint

How to Draft the Acknowledgment Section of a Manuscript

What is the Purpose of the Acknowledgements Section in a Research Paper?
The acknowledgment section is an integral part of all academic research papers. It provides appropriate recognition to all contributors for their hard work. We discuss here, the relevant guidelines for acknowledging contributors.
Defining Who Is Acknowledged
The acknowledgment section helps identify the contributors responsible for specific parts of the project. It can include:
- Non-authors (colleagues, friends, supervisor, etc.)
- Funding sources
- Editing services ,
- Administrative staff
In academic writing, the information presented in the acknowledgment section should be kept brief. It should only mention people directly involved with the project. In other words, one should not consider thanking ones’ parents for moral and financial support.
Acknowledging contributors is necessary. However, you must know the difference between an author and a contributor . The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors ( ICMJE ) defines four criteria to assign authorship.
He or she has to have
- Made substantial conceptual or design contributions or gathered and analyzed important data, and
- Either helped draft or critically revise the paper in keeping with important intellectual content, and
- Provided final approval before publishing, and
- Agreed to be accountable for the accuracy of the work
These authors and their affiliations will be listed at the beginning of the paper. The “corresponding author” will also be listed a second time and will directly correspond with the journal to ensure documentation requirements are met.
Many journals now ask that you provide the role of each author in your acknowledgment section. For example, a typical statement of authors’ contributions might be as follows (note that only last names are used unless ambiguous):
Smith conducted the data analysis and created the tables and figures. Jones provided his technological expertise for GIS tracking. Johnson provided a factual review and helped edit the manuscript.
This type of acknowledgment provides your reader with a good sense of who was responsible for each part of your research and manuscript.

Non-Author Contributors
There are many people involved in a research project who are not authors but have provided valuable contributions. For example, one person’s responsibility might be to seek project funding; another’s might be to supervise laboratory staff. A few others might have provided valuable services such as technical editing and writing or offering help in reviewing and revising the manuscript for grammar and syntax. These people should also be mentioned in the acknowledgment section of your manuscript.
Acknowledgment should also be provided for writing assistance, technical editing, language editing, and proofreading . Therefore, editing companies need to be duly acknowledged in professionally edited manuscripts as per the ICMJE guidelines.
It is necessary to acknowledge editing companies in professionally edited manuscripts, even though these companies are paid for their work.
Acknowledgment Format
Unlike the main body of your paper, the format for your acknowledgment section can be more personal. It is permissible to use personal pronouns in this section. For example,
I thank the following individuals for their expertise and assistance throughout all aspects of our study and for their help in writing the manuscript.
Keep in mind that many guidelines indicate that funding sources be listed separately from the acknowledgment section. In addition, the sources (funding agencies) might have specific guidelines that you must follow. Please be sure to comply with these sources and your author guidelines.
For more information on authors and contributors , read articles on the Enago Academy website.
What types and formats of acknowledgments have you incorporated into your manuscripts? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. Do you need help with manuscript editing ? Make sure you visit enago.com today!

Thanks!!! This information helped me a lot in finishing my research paper.
This information was very useful for preparing this paper.
We would like to thank Enago (www.enago.com) for the English language review.”
Rate this article Cancel Reply
Your email address will not be published.

Enago Academy's Most Popular

- Manuscripts & Grants
- Reporting Research
Abstract Vs. Introduction — Do you know the difference?
Ross wants to publish his research. Feeling positive about his research outcomes, he begins to…

- Old Webinars
- Webinar Mobile App
Demystifying Research Methodology with Field Experts
Choosing research methodology Research design and methodology Evidence-based research approach How RAxter can assist researchers

- Manuscript Preparation
- Publishing Research
How to Choose Best Research Methodology for Your Study
Successful research conduction requires proper planning and execution. While there are multiple reasons and aspects…

Top 5 Key Differences Between Methods and Methodology
While burning the midnight oil during literature review, most researchers do not realize that the…

如何准备高质量的金融和科技领域学术论文
如何寻找原创研究课题 快速定位目标文献的有效搜索策略 如何根据期刊指南准备手稿的对应部分 论文手稿语言润色实用技巧分享
Discussion Vs. Conclusion: Know the Difference Before Drafting Manuscripts
Annex Vs. Appendix: Do You Know the Difference?
Will Changing the P-Value Fix Reproducibility in Science?
Sign-up to read more
Subscribe for free to get unrestricted access to all our resources on research writing and academic publishing including:
- 2000+ blog articles
- 50+ Webinars
- 10+ Expert podcasts
- 50+ Infographics
- 10+ Checklists
- Research Guides
We hate spam too. We promise to protect your privacy and never spam you.
I am looking for Editing/ Proofreading services for my manuscript Tentative date of next journal submission:

For what are you most likely to depend on AI-assistance?

How to write the Acknowledgements section of a research paper
References & Acknowledgements
Yateendra Joshi

Among all the sections of a typical research paper, the acknowledgements section is the easiest to write—which is probably why most books on writing research papers tend to ignore it. Yet, acknowledgements can be politically tricky. By forgetting to acknowledge those whom you should have acknowledged, you risk offending them; but even those whom you have acknowledged in your paper can take offence at the manner in which this is done. At times, when the help received is substantial, it can be hard to decide whether you should acknowledge the support or offer authorship instead. Wish this were as simple as remembering that it is Acknowledgments without the ‘e’ in US English but Acknowledgements with the ‘e’ in UK English.
This article discusses the purpose of the acknowledgements section in a research paper and offers tips on who should be mentioned in it and how, who should be excluded, and how the section should be formatted.
Why acknowledge?
In academic writing, the time-honoured method of acknowledging people is to cite their work, but that does not apply here. And yet, it is only proper that you put on record – by means of an appropriate mention in the acknowledgements section – any help that you received in conducting your research, in writing about it and publishing it. By doing so, albeit indirectly, you make your work more credible: for instance, when you acknowledge the help you received from a statistician in designing your experiment and in analysing its results, you reassure journal editors and, more important, those who review your manuscript, about the experimental design and the analysis of results. Similarly, acknowledging the help you received from a copy editor shows that you have taken care of the language, style, and formatting.

Who should be acknowledged ?
Broadly, you should acknowledge those who helped you by going beyond their normal call of duty, especially those whose help proved crucial to your work or who provided expertise that you lacked. Such people may include some of your peers, your mentors (research supervisors or guides), and even your students. If you received funding, the fact should be acknowledged. Some funding agencies may have specific instructions about how their funding should be mentioned; if that is so, make sure that the form of acknowledgement is consistent with such instructions. You should also consider acknowledging any material or other resources made available to you free of charge. However, if such help is mentioned as part of a conflict-of-interest statement, it should not be repeated in the acknowledgements section.
Consider including reviewers, even if they are anonymous, if their suggestions have resulted in a substantially improved manuscript.
It is also advisable to have your phrasing approved by those mentioned in the acknowledgements, because such a mention may imply that they approve of the contents of the research paper.

Who should not be acknowledged ?
Unlike dedications and acknowledgement commonly found in books, acknowledgements in research papers do not feature parents, family members, or friends (unless of course they qualify on other grounds). Similarly, those who provide a service as part of their job (laboratory technicians, field assistants, and so on) are usually excluded. Heads of departments, directors of laboratories, and people in similar positions also should not be acknowledged routinely: include them only if they went out of their way to help you.
Phrasing the acknowledgements
In general, be factual and avoid going overboard. Something along the lines of “The authors thank John Smith for advice on experimental design and statistical analysis” should be fine. Courtesy titles (Mr, Ms, Dr, etc.) before the names are rarely used (but check your target journal), and job titles or designations are seldom given. Avoid such expressions as ‘kind help’, ‘eternally grateful’, and ‘greatly indebted to’. If the acknowledgement is specifically by one of the authors of the paper, it is customary to use only the initials, as in “JS thanks...”.
In terms of sequence, any intellectual contributions come first, followed by technical support, help in revising and writing; financial support is mentioned at the end.
Formatting the acknowledgements
As a rule of thumb, the acknowledgement section should be a single short paragraph of say half a dozen lines. Examine the target journal for the format: whether the heading appears on a separate line or run on (that is, the text follows the heading on the same line). Check also whether the heading is in bold or in italics. The headings in the main body of the paper may be numbered, but the acknowledgement section is not numbered. Do not use any special formatting within the paragraph.
Effectively, acknowledgements signal the end of the main body of a research paper. Of course, they are followed by references—but that is another story.
Be the first to clap
for this article
Published on: Dec 02, 2021
- Acknowledgements Section
- manuscript writing
You're looking to give wings to your academic career and publication journey. We like that!
Why don't we give you complete access! Create a free account and get unlimited access to all resources & a vibrant researcher community.
One click sign-in with your social accounts

Sign up via email
1536 visitors saw this today and 1210 signed up.
Subscribe to Manuscript Writing
Translate your research into a publication-worthy manuscript by understanding the nuances of academic writing. Subscribe and get curated reads that will help you write an excellent manuscript.
Confirm that you would also like to sign up for free personalized email coaching for this stage.
Related Reading

Getting the references right: Citing social media sources

Style & Format
Handling abbreviations of journal names in references

Getting the references right: citing books as a source of information
How to write the Acknowledgements section of a research paper 4 min read
Ethical declarations that authors should provide at the journal submission stage 10 min read
Tips on writing the Acknowledgments section 2 min read
"Why should I acknowledge writing assistance if I have paid for it?" A case study 3 min read
Who should be included in the acknowledgements section: A case study 4 min read
Trending Searches
- Statement of the problem
- Background of study
- Scope of the study
- Types of qualitative research
- Rationale of the study
- Concept paper
- Literature review
- Introduction in research
- Under "Editor Evaluation"
- Ethics in research
Recent Searches
- Review paper
- Responding to reviewer comments
- Predatory publishers
- Scope and delimitations
- Open access
- Plagiarism in research
- Journal selection tips
- Editor assigned
- Types of articles
- "Reject and Resubmit" status
- Decision in process
- Conflict of interest
- CSR Partners
- Journal Paper Editing
- Thesis & Dissertation Editing
- Research Grant Proposal Editing
- Translation
- Academic Writing Training
- Short Videos
- Case Studies
- Client Publication Successes
- Client Network
- Get a free quote
- Pricing & Cost Estimator
How to Write the Acknowledgements Section of Your Paper

Quick Takeaways:
- The Acknowledgements section names who helped or supported you, and how, during your research or study
- Use our checklist as a guide to drafting the Acknowledgements of your dissertation or journal manuscript, and
- Download our example Acknowledgements and use it as a template
The English language has a rich history of borrowing words from other languages, especially from Latin. Latin abbreviations such as ‘a.m.’, ‘p.m.’ and ‘CV’ have become part of our everyday vocabulary. Such abbreviations are also frequently used in academic writing, from the ‘Ph.D.’ in the affiliation section to the ‘i.e.’, ‘e.g.’, ‘et al.’, and ‘QED’ in the rest of the paper.
This guide explains when and how to correctly use ‘et al.’ in a research paper.
In this guide:
- 1) Meaning of ‘et al.’
- a) Table: Correct use of ‘et al.’ by style guide
- b) Unusual scenarios
A global requirement in scholarly coursework and research is that the intellectual and practical work, as well as the write-up, must be done entirely by the scholar or researcher.
For that reason, sources of any text, ideas, or data that were not your own need to be clearly cited. Any reproduced or adapted material also needs copyright permission. Similarly, if you were allowed to receive specific types of help during your study, you must declare that support in a special section titled ‘Acknowledgements’.
The Acknowledgements section reflects academic honesty and transparency. It shows your professionalism by publicly giving credit to individuals or groups who substantially contributed to your work, whether for free or paid for. It also shows that you know how to be a courteous member of your academic network. After all, you’d expect similar recognition for helping your peers in the future.
You need to declare support in an Acknowledgements section, in both:
- University degree projects that are submitted as theses or dissertations. In general, ‘thesis’ and ‘dissertation’ are the names of the project write-ups for, respectively, taught degrees and research degrees in the US, but the reverse order in the UK. (From now, just the word ‘dissertation’ will be used.)
- Research manuscripts that are submitted for publication in peer-reviewed scholarly journals, books, monographs, or chapters.
This guide will provide general advice on how to prepare the Acknowledgements section for dissertations and journal manuscripts. We’ll discuss the two document types according to the following six steps.
A. Writing the Acknowledgements for Your Dissertation or Manuscript
Step 1: List who directly helped you and how Step 2: List who else supported you and how Step 3: Take responsibility for your work Step 4: Consider research and publication ethics Step 5: Check document guidelines Step 6: Edit and proofread Putting it all together: A quick checklist
B. Example Acknowledgements for (1) a dissertation and (2) a journal article [ Free Download ]
Quick aside.
The US spelling is ‘Acknowledgments’, whereas the UK spelling is ‘Acknowledgements’. The singular word can be used as the section heading if you’re thanking only one person, group, or institution.
Step 1: List who directly helped you and how
The first step is to transparently and accurately list specific external (non-author) contributions and support necessary to complete your work. Clearly identifying the source of materials or data is particularly important for other researchers wishing to repeat or build on your findings.
Provide full names of the people or institutions that helped you. Omit titles of people, such as Mr or Ms, but you may use Dr or Prof (or Dr. or Prof., depending on whether you’re following US, UK, or other convention in your report). If possible, include the institution of each person and, if required by a journal, also their job title and specialty or department.
Specific support that must normally be acknowledged in both dissertations and manuscripts include:
- Funding, sponsorship, or fellowship, including the name of the funding agency and award or grant number, and a statement of whether the funder was involved in the study and reporting (some journals require a separate funding section for this declaration)
- People, institutions, or organisations that gave access to facilities or equipment
- Study participants (e.g., interviewees, patients, staff of an institution)
- People who supplied special materials, reagents, or samples
- Providers of technical assistance or services (name the specific method and extent of help received)
- Source and permission to use specific datasets, or copyright permission to reproduce or adapt illustrations or other material
- People who collected data, transcribed or translated interviews, or performed data entry, coding, or statistical analysis
- People who discussed, critiqued, or advised on an earlier draft
- People who helped with language (e.g., translation, editing, proofreading) or artwork during report preparation
There are several options for acknowledging support in a formal and polite way in dissertations and manuscripts. A direct way is to start with a relevant verb or noun, such as ‘We thank X [person] for Y [contribution as verb+ing or noun]’, ‘We appreciate the Y [contribution as noun] of X’, ‘Thanks are due/owed to X…’, or, simply, ‘Thanks go to X…’:
We sincerely thank Dr Alan Pan (Department of Surgery, ABC University) for assisting with case selection.
I thank Prof Kate Chang of the University of ABC for permission to use and reproduce the survey instrument.
We appreciate the assistance of the staff of the ABC Division of ABC University, who recruited the volunteers.
Special thanks go to Mari Beer (ABC Editing Company) for useful comments on and for editing an earlier draft of this manuscript.
An indirect, and weaker, way is to use an adjective or a noun conveying thanks, such as ‘We are thankful/grateful to’ or ‘We express/extend our thanks/gratitude/appreciation to’:
I am grateful to the ABC University Core Research Unit for providing DNA sequencing services.
We extend our gratitude to Prof. Mike Jackson (Director, Centre for ABC, University of ABC) for providing the samples used in this study.
An even more indirect, and also ambiguous, way of thanking is to start with a verb of intention, as in ‘I would like to’, ‘I wish to’, and ‘I want to’:
We would like to thank the patients at ABC Medical Centre who participated in this study.
I wish to express my gratitude to Julia Punn for drawing the graph in Figure 2.
Use of the verb ‘acknowledge’ (as in ‘acknowledge X for Y’ or ‘acknowledge Y by/from X’) may imply a sense of obligation or reluctance:
I acknowledge the ABC Department at ABC University for permission to use the data.
We gratefully acknowledge the copyediting performed by Dr Ruth Cone, Associate Professor in English at the University of ABC.
The grammatical subject for thanking in the Acknowledgements can usually be ‘I’ (or ‘We’ for multi-authored journal manuscripts). If the publication style is to avoid personal pronouns, you can use ‘The author/s’ as the subject:
The author is thankful to Louis Grey of ABC Language Services for proofreading the manuscript.
Alternatively, the acknowledged party can be the subject of sentences using either the active or passive voice.
Jeff Smith, Head Librarian at ABC University, deserves special thanks for providing access to the university archives.
The staff at the Institute of ABC are thanked for providing technical advice and facilities throughout the project.
Funding is commonly acknowledged first or last and in a factual, impersonal way in the passive voice:
This study was supported in part by the ABC University Grants Committee (Award No. 123456).
Research funding for this project was provided by the ABC University Grants Committee (Award No. 123456).
Check your institution, publisher, or funder policy for types and extent of support allowed. For example, most universities strictly do not allow writing assistance, but might allow editing and proofreading assistance under certain conditions. Some journals consider that people who wrote drafts qualify as authors.
Step 2: List who else supported you and how
Journal manuscripts and dissertations commonly acknowledge indirect practical assistance and general intellectual support. Dissertations allow a wider range of indirect, non-research acknowledgements written in a more personal style. Examples of indirect support are given below:
- Academic or project supervision
- Obtaining research grants
- Academic discussion or training
- General administrative, logistic, or practical help
- Mentorship and inspirational lecturers, tutors, or other people
- Guidance or support in applying for the studentship
- General training, discussion, or advice (e.g., from teachers, the research group, support staff, or fellow students)
- Moral or emotional support from peers, friends, family, or even pets
- Spiritual or religious support
- Dedication to a family member, friend, or inspirational person
- Dedication to a community, study participants, readers, or other group
- Dedication to a deceased supervisor or close acquaintance such as a family member, friend, or colleague
- Dedications may go at the start or end of the Acknowledgements but may be limited to a deceased co-author of the manuscript
- Useful comments, or a specific useful suggestion, from one or more ‘anonymous reviewers/referees’
The typical order for the Acknowledgements is to mention direct then indirect support. Alternatively, the order can reflect decreasing importance of contributions regardless of category.
It’s best to group similar roles together. Introduce a series of acknowledgements in a list, followed by a colon. You may need to use semicolons as ‘super commas’ to clarify each contribution. For example:
This article has benefited from the contributions of the following people: my former primary supervisor, Dr A (ABC University), who obtained project funding and reviewed multiple drafts; Prof B (DEF University), who provided useful discussion on theoretical frameworks; and Dr C (GHI University), who tutored me in advanced research methods.
For dissertations , non-technical acknowledgements often use a semi-formal, expressive style with positive adjectives and adverbs:
Many thanks go to my supervisor, Prof Jane Wong, for advice, encouragement, and support throughout my degree. Without her immensely valuable and motivational feedback at weekly meetings and on multiple drafts, this dissertation would never have been completed.
Last but not least, I am indebted to my family for their unfailing love and unconditional support. Their strong belief in me kept me going through both thick and thin in my studies.
This dissertation is dedicated to my grandparents, Naomi Tanaka and the late Tom Tanaka. They are my constant guiding light.
In journal manuscripts , use a formal style. Don’t thank co-authors, and thank supervisors only if they don’t meet the journal’s authorship criteria. Examples of non-technical acknowledgements:
I am grateful to my supervisor, Prof Gladys Cho, for her encouragement and guidance.
We thank the two anonymous journal reviewers and the handling editor, Dr Andy Harris, for helpful comments on an earlier draft.
This article is dedicated to the memory of Dr Yvonne Koo, the third co-author, who died during the preparation of this manuscript.
To avoid repeating the same thanking phrase, use a variety of phrases, as well as signal words such as ‘In addition,’ ‘Furthermore,’ and ‘also’. You may end with the most meaningful or special contribution following phrases such as ‘In particular, I am most grateful for’, ‘Most importantly, I thank’ ‘I especially thank’, or ‘Finally, special thanks go to’.
Step 3: Take responsibility for your work
A sentence that is often included near the end of the Acknowledgements, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, is about accepting sole responsibility for the work, text, content, interpretations, opinions, or conclusions presented. This sentence commonly comes after thanking people who gave reviewing, editing, or proofreading assistance. It publicly removes blame from non-authors for any potential problems, deficiencies, or mistakes in the work and implies they may not necessarily agree with the content.
The statement also allows the author/s to explicitly claim that the final version is their own work. For example:
All opinions, omissions, and errors remain my own.
The responsibility for the content and any remaining errors remains exclusively with the authors.
In addition, authors may be required (e.g., by their funder) to explicitly say the content is entirely their own. For example:
The views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of their institutions, employers, or funders.
Acknowledgements for dissertations can end, or begin, with a brief statement of the researcher’s personal reflections of their degree course, about how they have become a credible and mature member of the research community. For example:
This degree has taught me both academic and personal lessons, including how to be a responsible, resilient, and professional researcher.
Step 4: Consider research and publication ethics
You may be required to include specific additional statements in the Acknowledgements that are related to research and reporting ethics. Such declarations may be required in separate itemised sections of a manuscript or dissertation, but if there are no specific instructions, they can go in the Acknowledgments. The following are some examples:
- Ethics approval for conducting human or animal studies, and details of how human participants gave their informed consent
- Prior journal or online publication of the work or presentation at conferences; also for journal manuscripts: prior presentation in a dissertation/thesis
- Authors’ financial or non-financial conflicts of interest, also called competing interests (identify specific authors by initials); or say ‘All authors declare they have no competing interests’
- Conflicts of interest or sources of funding for anyone else who helped in the research or reporting (e.g., copyeditors paid for by industry sponsors)
- Authors’ specific contributions to the research and publication. The contributions may be organised by author (using initials) or by contribution, for example, according to categories in the Contributor Roles Taxonomy ( CRediT ) or authorship criteria of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors ( ICMJE ):
[By author] Author contributions. A.B.C.: study conception and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of results, drafting. D.E.F: data collection, analysis and interpretation of results, drafting. G.H.I: analysis and interpretation of results, drafting. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
[By contribution] Author contributions. Conceptualisation: A.B.C.; Methodology: A.B.C.; Investigation: A.B.C., D.E.F.; Formal analysis: A.B.C., D.E.F., G.H.I.; Writing – original draft: A.B.C.; Writing – review & editing: D.E.F., G.H.I. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Thank only people who genuinely helped you complete your work. Don’t use the Acknowledgements to ‘name drop’ or thank famous people who didn’t help. Journals usually require that all people who are named in the Acknowledgements have given their written permission to be thanked.
Step 5: Check document guidelines
Acknowledgments normally go at the front of a dissertation but the end of a manuscript; however, check relevant guidelines of your institution or journal for the exact placement. Also check guidelines for other content and formatting requirements, such as:
- If the Acknowledgements go on a new page, in a separate section, or in a footnote or endnote
- Types of activity to be acknowledged, or not
- Length of the Acknowledgements
- If only one paragraph is expected, or multiple paragraphs
- If subsections with headings are allowed
- Format of names, titles, institutions
- Whether or not reviewers can be thanked
- Order of support to be thanked (e.g., people before funding sources)
- Whether dedications are allowed
Academic books and monographs may have overall Acknowledgements at the beginning or end of the book, and specific Acknowledgements at the end of each chapter. The content can cover categories of acknowledgements found in both manuscript and dissertations but can be much longer and written in a more personal and expressive style.
Step 6: Edit and proofread
Your Acknowledgements are your opportunity to thank non-authors who helped you in your scholarly work. Acknowledgements follow certain conventions and patterns, and have academic, ethical, and social roles that contribute to the credibility of your work and to your identity as a competent researcher.
So, remember to carefully edit and proofread your Acknowledgements, ensuring the following:
- Keep the tone modest, sincere, and professional
- Fact-check names, titles, and current institutions of people you mention
- Remove any exaggerations or potentially offensive language
- Clarify any possibly ambiguous, misleading, or confusing phrases
- Check spelling, grammar, and punctuation
Putting it all together: A quick checklist
If you’ve followed our guidelines above, you should have an effective Acknowledgements section. Good luck with drafting your dissertation or manuscript! Reach out to [email protected] should you require any editorial assistance.
Example Acknowledgements [Free Download]
This downloadable Acknowledgements, in UK style, is customisable for dissertations and journal manuscripts and is annotated with helpful Comments. Please edit or replace text as needed and delete all Comments when finalising your text. Remember to use non-technical, jargon-free but formal language, and avoid abbreviations, or spell them out at first mention.
Our long-term partner, to deliver an online workshop for their professors and researchers. The workshop, held on 19 August 2021, was aimed at writing successful General Research Fund (GRF) and Early Career Scheme (ECS) applications.
When and how to use ‘et al’.
Our latest online workshop built on the success of face-to-face workshops we developed specifically for local universities. Over 30 faculty members joined the session, presented by our Chief Operating Officer, Mr Nick Case, to learn from our case studies on editing research proposals.
The response to our workshop, which included a constructive and insightful Q&A session, was very positive.Drawing on our extensive experience working with hundreds of Hong Kong researchers targeting the GRF and ECS every year, we used examples of poor and subsequently improved proposals to show the attendees how they can make their applications stand out.
Nick also focused on the “Pathways to Impact” section, a relatively new section that is often the most problematic area for applicants.

Wondering why some abbreviations such as ‘et al.’ and ‘e.g.’ use periods, whereas others such as CV and AD don’t? Periods are typically used if the abbreviations include lowercase or mixed-case letters. They’re usually not used with abbreviations containing only uppercase letters.
Unusual Scenarios
The response to our workshop, which included a constructive and insightful Q&A session, was very positive.Drawing on our extensive experience working with hundreds of Hong Kong researchers targeting the GRF and ECS every year, we used examples of poor and subsequently improved proposals to show the attendees how they can make their applications stand out. The response to our workshop, which included a constructive and insightful Q&A session, was very positive.Drawing on our extensive experience working with hundreds of Hong Kong researchers targeting the GRF and ECS every year, we used examples of poor and subsequently improved proposals to show the attendees how they can make their applications stand out. The response to our workshop, which included a constructive and insightful Q&A session, was very positive.Drawing on our extensive experience working with hundreds of Hong Kong researchers targeting the GRF and ECS every year, we used examples of poor and subsequently improved proposals to show the attendees how they can make their applications stand out.
Author Resources
Check out AsiaEdit’s professional research grant proposal editing service. Read more about our training services covering all aspects of academic writing tailored for local institutions.
More resources on research grant proposal writing: On-demand Webinars Preparing an effective research proposal – Your guide to successful funding application Preparing an effective research proposal – Your guide to successful funding application (Part 2)

Dr Trevor Lane is a publishing and education consultant and an elected Council Member of the Committee on Publication Ethics. He has 25 years of experience helping authors publish their research in peer-reviewed academic journals.

Your Schedule, Our Prime Concern AsiaEdit takes a personalised approach to editing.
We are East Asia's leading academic editing partner. Established in 1996 and headquartered in Hong Kong, we have strong connections with academics and renowned faculty in the region, built by delivering quality work on schedule for more than 25 years.
- News & Events
- Cookie Policy
- Privacy Policy

Suite 2101, 99 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong 9:00am – 6:00pm

(+852) 2590 6588

[email protected]
Subscribe to our newsletter
One email per quarter, bringing you our latest in free writing resources (blog posts, videos, webinars) and discounts.


How could it be improved? Type your revised version here
Example 2. I would like to thank my mother for providing me with delicious dinners when I came home late from the university.
This sounds too personal. Why? Type your suggestions here.
How could it be improved? Type your revised version here.
*************************************************************************
Common expressions used to acknowledge assistance
The following vocabulary/phrases are often used when expressing acknowledgements and they may be of help when writing your own acknowledgements.
Read through the following examples of acknowledgements taken (with permission) from past students' final year projects.

IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Referees that got them onto the course (postgraduate only); Funding bodies; Any collaboration with industry and the people they worked with at said
I am deeply indebted to; I would like to express my deepest appreciation to; I would like to express my deepest gratitude to; I'm extremely
Although authors often write acknowledgements hastily, the Acknowledgements section is an important part of a research paper. Acknowledging
In a research paper, an acknowledgement refers to the section at the beginning of your thesis formatting where you show your appreciation for
What is the Purpose of the Acknowledgements Section in a Research Paper? ... The acknowledgment section is an integral part of all academic research papers. It
Broadly, you should acknowledge those who helped you by going beyond their normal call of duty, especially those whose help proved crucial to
how to write acknowledgment in research paper sample | how to write acknowledgmentSome common phrases you can use in the acknowledgment
How to Write the Acknowledgements Section of Your Paper · Step 1: List who directly helped you and how · Step 2: List who else supported you and
Acknowledgements enable you to thank all those who have helped in carrying out the research. Careful thought needs to be given concerning those whose help
Therefore, this handout should help you write your Acknowledgements section of your dissertation. According to one source, the Acknowledgements section of a Ph.