Acknowledgement in Research Paper – A Quick Guide [5 Examples]

The acknowledgement section in your research paper is where you thank those who have helped or supported you throughout your research and writing. It is a short section of 3-5 paragraphs or no more than 300 words you put on a page after the title page.

In this post, we are going to provide you with five examples of acknowlegdement section and a handful of best practices you can make your work look professional.

Why should I include an acknowledgement in my research paper?

Acknowledging assistance and contributions from others can establish your integrity as a researcher. This will eventually make your work more credible.

What should be acknowledged about (aka thankful for)?

In your acknowledgement, you can show gratitude for those who provide you with resources in the following area:

• Technical help may include people who helped you by providing materials and supplies.
• Intellectual help includes academic advice and assistance.
• Mental help can be any kind of verbal support and encouragement.
• Financial support that is obviously related to monetary support

Who should be included in the acknowledgement of a research paper?

You can include everyone who helped you technically, intellectually, or financially (assistance with grants or monetary help) in the process of researching and writing your research paper. Except for your family and friends, you should always include the full names with the title of these individuals:

• Your profession, supervisor, or teacher
• Academic staff (e.g. lab assistant) of your school/college
• Your department, faculty, college, or school
• Classmates, teammates, co-workers, or colleague
• Friends and family members

You can start with your professor or the individuals who supported you the most throughout the research. And then you can continue by thanking your institution and then the reviewer who reviewed your paper. Then you can thank your friends and families and any other individual who helped.

What is the tone of the acknowledgement in a research paper?

You should write your acknowledgement in formal language with complete sentences. It is appropriate to write in the first person (‘I’ for a single author or ‘we’ for two or more).

Note that personal pronouns such as ‘I, my, me …’ are nearly always used in the acknowledgements only. For the rest of the research paper, such personal pronouns are generally avoided.

Writing an acknowledgement for research paper is one of the important parts of your project report. You need to thank everyone for helping you with your paper. Here are some examples of acknowledgement for your research paper.

Acknowledgement in Research Paper: Example 1

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. 

I want to express my gratitude to Margaret Kempis and Matthew Brown, my colleagues at Western University for looking over my transcriptions and answered with unfailing patience numerous questions about the language and hands of British Naval Ships MS VII.2.77. 

I greatly appreciate the help from 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 did she provid colour images of the manuscript, but she also shared the invaluable information on the book that she has been gathering for over 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.

Acknowledgement in Research Paper: Example 2

This work would not have been possible without the financial support of the Vanderbilt Physician Scientist Development Award, the American Roentgen Ray Society Scholarship or the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences. 

I am especially indebted to Dr. Martin Sandler, Chairman of the Department of Radiology, and Dr. John Worrell, Chief of the Section of Thoracic Radiology, who have been supportive of my career goals and who worked actively to provide me with the protected academic time to pursue those goals.

I am grateful to all of those with whom I have had the pleasure to work during this and other related projects. Each of the members of my Dissertation Committee has provided me extensive personal and professional guidance and taught me a great deal about both scientific research and life in general. I would especially like to thank Dr. Ron Price, the chairman of my committee. As my teacher and mentor, he has taught me more than I could ever give him credit for here. He has shown me, by his example, what a good scientist (and person) should be.

Nobody has been more important to me in the pursuit of this project than the members of my family. I would like to thank my parents, whose love and guidance are with me in whatever I pursue. They are the ultimate role models. 
Most importantly, I wish to thank my loving and supportive wife, Jennifer, and my three wonderful children, Lauren, Jacob and Elizabeth, who provide unending inspiration.

Acknowledgement in Research Paper: Example 3

I would like to express my very great appreciation to Dr. Martin Sandler for his valuable and constructive suggestions during the planning and development of this research work. His willingness to give his time so generously has been greatly appreciated.

I would also like to thank the staff of the following organizations for enabling me to visit their offices to observe their daily operations:
         Organization 1
         Organization 2

Acknowledgement in Research Paper: Example 4

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Professor *** and Professor ***, my research supervisors, for their patient guidance, enthusiastic encouragement and useful critiques of this research work. 

I would also like to thank Dr. ***, for her advice and assistance in keeping my progress on schedule. My grateful thanks are also extended to Mr. *** for his help in doing the meteorological data analysis, to Ms ***, who helped me calculate the wind pressure coefficient and to Ms *** and Mr. *** for their support in the site measurement.

I would also like to extend my thanks to the technicians of the laboratory of the *** department for their help in offering me the resources in running the program.

Finally, I wish to thank my parents for their support and encouragement throughout my study.

Acknowledgement in Research Paper: Example 5

I'd like to thank Professor X and Professor Y, my research supervisors, for their patient instruction, passionate support, and constructive criticisms of this study effort.

I'd also want to thank Dr. A for her guidance and help in keeping my development on track. My heartfelt gratitude also goes to Mr. B for his assistance with the meteorological data analysis, Ms C, who assisted me in calculating the wind pressure coefficient, and Ms D and Mr. E for their assistance with the site measurement.

I'd also want to thank the technicians at department's laboratory for their assistance in providing me with the resources I needed to run the application.

You can use these or try to create your own version for your project report. Also, you can use our auto acknowledgement generator tool to automatically generate acknowledgement for your project.

FAQs

Where should I put the acknowledgement section?

The acknowledgements section should appear between your title page and your introduction in your research paper.

How long is an acknowledgement in a research paper?

The acknowledgement section (usualy inserted as a page) of your research paper should consist of 3-5 paragraphs or no more than 300 words you put on a page after the title page.

Should I use the full names of family members in an acknowledgement?

You do not necessarily need to use the full name for your family and friends (it would sound pretty awkward to use the full name of your parent or spouse right?), you should always include the full names with the title for all other individuals in your acknowledgement.

Can I use “first person” in an acknowledgement?

Yes. It is appropriate to write in the first person (‘I’ for a single author or ‘we’ for two or more).

More Definitions on Acknowledgement

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  What is the Difference Between Acknowledgement and Empathy?
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• Acknowledgement vs Agreement
  Is Acknowledgement the Same as Agreement?
• Acknowledgement Receipts vs Official Receipts
  What’s the Difference Between Acknowledgement Receipts and Official Receipts?