Key Takeaways:
- The acknowledgments section thanks people, institutions, and funders who supported your research but who do not meet the criteria for authorship.
- It usually appears after the conclusion or discussion and before the reference list, and it typically runs 50 to 200 words.
- Always get written consent before naming someone, and check your target journal’s specific formatting and disclosure requirements.
- Most journals now require a separate statement disclosing any AI tool used for writing, editing, coding, or data analysis.
Glossary of Key Terms
| Term | Definition |
| Acknowledgments section | A short section thanking nonauthor contributors, funders, and institutions that supported the research. |
| Authorship | Formal credit given to individuals who made substantial intellectual contributions to the study and its writing. |
| Contributorship statement | A separate statement, often required by journals, that lists specific tasks each author performed. |
| Conflict of interest | A financial or personal relationship that could influence, or appear to influence, the research or its reporting. |
| Funding statement | A formal declaration naming the grant, agency, or sponsor that financed the study, often paired with a grant number. |
| AI disclosure statement | A written notice explaining which artificial intelligence tool was used, for what task, and to what extent. |
| Large language model (LLM) | An AI system, such as a chatbot, trained on text data to generate or edit written content. |
| Ghost authorship | The practice of omitting someone who made a substantial contribution from the author list or acknowledgments. |
| Ancillary support | Practical help such as equipment loans, facility access, or administrative assistance that is not intellectual in nature. |
What Is an Acknowledgments Section in a Research Paper?
An acknowledgments section is a short, dedicated part of a paper where you formally thank individuals, groups, or institutions that helped your study but do not meet the criteria for authorship.
It sits apart from the author list, the funding statement, and the contributorship statement, though many journals now combine these into one back matter block. The section is not a place for extended personal reflection; it is a factual, professional record of support received.
Why Is an Acknowledgments Section Important?
An acknowledgments section is important because it credits contributors fairly, satisfies funder and institutional reporting rules, and shows transparency about who and what shaped the research.
Skipping this section, or writing it carelessly, can create ethical problems. Funders may require citation of a specific grant number for continued support. Colleagues who provided data, equipment, or feedback may feel overlooked. Journals increasingly treat missing or incomplete acknowledgments as a gap in research integrity, not just a style issue.
Who Should Be Included in Your Acknowledgments?
Include anyone who gave meaningful, non-authorship help: funders, mentors, technical staff, colleagues who reviewed drafts, participating institutions, and any AI tool used in the writing process.
- Funding bodies, sponsors, and specific grant or award numbers
- Departments, laboratories, or institutions that provided facilities or resources
- Colleagues who gave feedback, advice, or informal review without writing text
- Technicians, research assistants, field staff, or survey administrators
- Editors, proofreaders, translators, or statistical consultants
- Study participants or community partners, where appropriate and permitted
- AI tools used for writing support, editing, coding, or data analysis
What to Include in the Acknowledgments Section
A strong acknowledgments section groups support into clear categories rather than listing names at random. The four categories below cover most research papers, from short reports to full dissertations.
Funding and Grant Support
Name the funding agency in full, along with any grant, award, or contract number. If more than one funder contributed, list each one separately so that reporting requirements are easy to trace.
Institutional and Administrative Support
Mention universities, laboratories, hospitals, or field sites that provided space, equipment, ethical approval, or administrative help. Include the department name if the support was department specific rather than institution wide.
Individual Contributors and Mentors
Thank advisors, colleagues, and peer reviewers who gave feedback but did not co-author the paper. State briefly what each person contributed, such as statistical advice, manuscript review, or technical guidance.
Technical, Editorial, and Proofreading Help
Credit anyone who edited language, formatted references, built figures, or proofread the final draft. This category is also where many journals expect AI writing or editing tools to be disclosed.
Where Should the Acknowledgments Section Appear in a Paper?
Most journals place acknowledgments after the conclusion or discussion section and before the reference list. Some place it on the title page, and others place it after the abstract. Always confirm placement in the specific author guidelines for your target journal.
| Journal or paper type | Typical placement |
| Biomedical and clinical journals | After discussion, before references |
| Engineering and physical sciences | After conclusion, before references or appendices |
| Social sciences and humanities | After conclusion or before references |
| Theses and dissertations | Separate page near the front, after the title page |
| Conference papers | Final short section, before references |
How Long Should an Acknowledgments Section Be?
Most acknowledgments sections run 50 to 200 words in a single paragraph. Dissertations and books allow more space, sometimes a full page, since they cover years of support rather than one study.
| Paper type | Typical length |
| Journal article | 50 to 150 words, 1 paragraph |
| Conference paper | 30 to 80 words, 1 short paragraph |
| Master’s thesis | 150 to 400 words, 1 page |
| Doctoral dissertation | 300 to 800 words, 1 to 2 pages |
Step by Step Guide to Writing an Acknowledgments Section
Step 1: List Everyone Who Helped
Before drafting, make a working list of every person, group, and funder involved in the project. Include informal help, such as a colleague who reviewed a draft chapter, alongside formal support like grants.
Step 2: Sort Contributions into Categories
Group your list into funding, institutional support, individual contributors, and technical or editorial help. This mirrors how most journals expect the section to read and keeps the writing organized.
Step 3: Draft Short, Specific Statements
Write 1 or 2 sentences per category. Name the person or body, then state the type of help given. Avoid vague phrases like ‘for everything’ and instead specify tasks such as ‘for statistical review’.
Step 4: Obtain Consent Before Naming Anyone
Ask each named individual for permission before submission. Some journals require written consent on file, since naming someone can imply their endorsement of the study’s conclusions.
Step 5: Match Your Target Journal’s Style
Check the author guidelines for word limits, required headings, and whether AI disclosure belongs in this section or in a separate methods statement. Format grant numbers exactly as the funder requires.
Sample Acknowledgments Wording by Contribution Type
| Contribution type | Sample wording |
| Funding | This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number 123456. |
| Institutional support | We thank the Department of Chemistry at Central State University for providing laboratory access. |
| Individual mentor | We thank Dr. A. Rivera for helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. |
| Technical assistance | We thank J. Okafor for assistance with sample preparation and data collection. |
| Editing or proofreading help | We thank Editage for language editing prior to submission. |
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Acknowledgments Sections
- Naming someone without asking permission first
- Listing a contributor whose input was substantial enough to qualify for authorship
- Omitting a required grant or contract number
- Writing overly personal or emotional language in a formal research paper
- Forgetting to disclose AI tools used during writing, editing, or analysis
- Copying a generic template without matching the target journal’s format
- Leaving out ethical approval or data access statements that the journal requires separately
How Should You Disclose AI Use in the Acknowledgments Section?
Disclose AI use by naming the specific tool, describing the exact task it performed, and confirming that a human author reviewed and takes responsibility for the final content.
This statement is typically separate from statements thanking human contributors, since AI tools cannot hold authorship, give consent, or take accountability for the work. Keep the wording factual and specific rather than general.
Why Do Journals Require AI Use Disclosure?
Journals require disclosure because undisclosed AI use raises concerns about accuracy, originality, and accountability. Reviewers need to know which parts of a manuscript reflect AI-generated or AI-edited text.
Most major publishers, including large scientific and medical publishing groups, now state that AI tools cannot be listed as authors, since authorship requires the capacity to give consent and accept responsibility. Disclosure keeps the record accurate for readers and future researchers.
What Should an AI Disclosure Statement Include?
- The name and version of the AI tool, where known
- The specific task performed, such as drafting, editing, translating, or generating code
- The section or type of content affected, such as language editing or figure generation
- A confirmation that authors reviewed, edited, and take responsibility for the final text
- Any journal-specific phrasing required by the submission guidelines
Sample AI Disclosure Statements
| Use case | Sample wording |
| Language editing | The authors used [tool name, version] to improve language clarity in the manuscript draft. All content was reviewed and edited by the authors. |
| Literature search support | The authors used [tool name, version] to assist with an initial literature search. All sources were independently verified by the authors. |
| Code generation | The authors used [tool name, version] to generate initial analysis code, which was tested, reviewed, and modified by the authors before use. |
| No AI tools used | No generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were used in conducting this study nor in the preparation of this manuscript. |
Do Different Journals Have Different AI Disclosure Rules?
Yes, requirements vary by journal and publisher, covering where the statement appears, what detail is required, and whether AI use in figures or images needs separate disclosure.
- Some publishers require AI disclosure in the methods section rather than acknowledgments
- Some require disclosure only for generative writing tools, not reference managers or grammar checkers
- Some require a signed statement confirming no AI-generated data fabrication occurred
- Some prohibit AI-generated images or figures entirely, regardless of disclosure
Acknowledgments Section Checklist
- Every named person has given consent to be included
- All funders and grant numbers are listed accurately
- Institutional and facility support is credited by name
- Individual contributions are described specifically, not vaguely
- AI tools used in the paper are disclosed with tool name and task
- Word count and placement match the target journal’s guidelines
- No one qualifying for authorship has been placed in acknowledgments instead
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I acknowledge my dissertation advisor in a journal article?
Yes, thesis/dissertation advisors are commonly acknowledged in journal articles drawn from a dissertation/thesis, unless their contribution was substantial enough to qualify them for co-authorship instead.
Should I include funding grant numbers in the acknowledgments section?
Yes, most funders require the exact grant or award number to be listed, since this supports their own reporting and helps readers trace the study’s financial support.
Do I need permission to thank someone in a research paper?
Yes, journal guidelines generally require written consent before naming a person, since acknowledgment can imply that they endorse the paper’s methods or conclusions.
Is it okay to acknowledge ChatGPT in a research paper?
Yes, many journals now expect a disclosure statement naming ChatGPT or similar tools, describing the task performed and confirming that the authors reviewed the output, though AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
What is the difference between acknowledgments and author contributions?
Acknowledgments thank nonauthor contributors, while an author contributions or contributorship statement lists specific tasks performed by each listed author, such as data analysis, writing, or study design.
Can acknowledgments affect peer review or plagiarism checks?
Yes, reviewers sometimes check acknowledgments for undisclosed conflicts of interest, missing consent, or AI involvement that was not properly disclosed elsewhere in the manuscript.
How do I write acknowledgments for a group project or multi-author paper?
List shared funding and institutional support once, then add any individual contributors who are not co-authors. Coordinate with all co-authors before submission so that no contributor is missed or duplicated.
Should undergraduate research papers include an acknowledgments section?
Yes, undergraduate papers, capstones, and honors theses commonly include a short acknowledgments section thanking advisors, funders, and anyone who supported the project, following the same short, specific format.
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