How to write the acknowledgement in a paper?

 

Acknowledgement can be an important part of a paper too. Those who have  in any way played an important role in assisting the accomplishment of the paper but not important enough to be one of the authors  should be acknowledged in the manuscript. 

 

Acknowledgement can include the the source of the research funds, your appreciation to people who have given you help in the accomplishment and the improvement of the manuscript.

 

Many authors, especially the Chinese authors cann't write the acknowledgewent part well. The major problem is to write the acknowledgement in very general words instead of specific aspects.

For example,

,

"the authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of XXX and XXX. The authors also acknowledge the assistance of XXX". 

 

It will be better if the authors list the concrete assistance that the addressed people have provided.

 

Generally the acknowledgement should contain these parts : (1) the names of the people  or the organizations you want to show your appreciation (if not a specific people, it can be a group of people);  (2) the affiliation of the acknowledged people; (3) the concrete contents that you want to show your appreciation to them. Don’t just say thanks for their help (assistance, guidance). Try to be more specific. It can be fund support, material providing, field investiagation, assistance in experiment (or data analysis), manuscript improvement, language editing, and so on.

 

Several examples of acknowledgement:

Example One:

We thank Dr. XXX from Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Purdue University, and anonymous reviewers for their useful comments and language editing which have greatly improved the mansucript. 

Example Two:

The authors wish to thank University of the Punjab, Lahore-Pakistan, for providing necessary financial assitance to Syed Amer to pursue his phD in Germany. The authors also like to thank the partial support from German Academic Exchange Service, Germany. The authors also would like to thank anonymous reviewers who gave valuable suggestion that has helped to improve the quality of the manuscript.

Example Three:

Support from numerous colleagues, friends and experts from Hunza is gratefully acknowledged. Funding was received from various generous grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and support from the Aga Khan Development Network represented by past and present staff in lieu of many others is gratefully acknowledged. The article is dedicated to the mountain farmers of Hunza who have built the system that is unique and to be admired in its achievements and resilience.

Example Four:

The authors would like to thank Dr XXX, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, CAS for field investigation and data statistical analysis.

 

Related link:

Write Your  Thesis Acknowledgement As If You Are Acknowledging Receiving Your Academy Award

http://www.educationalwriting.net/resource_center/Thesis/Writing/Thesis_Acknowledgements.htm

许多人可能没有想过，致谢在许多情况下，编辑是比较看中的，有了致谢，可以免除许多不必要的麻烦。对于不够署名条件, 但对研究成果确有贡献者, 可以“致谢”的形式列出. “致谢”除了表达道义上的感激外, 也是尊重他人贡献的表示.“致谢”中通常包括的主要内容:

(1) 感谢任何个人或机构在技术上的帮助, 其中包括提供仪器、设备或相关实验材料, 协助实验工作, 提供有益的启发、建议、指导、审阅, 承担某些辅助性工作, 等等.

(2) 感谢外部的基金帮助, 如资助、协议或奖学金等, 通常需要附注基金资助的项目号、合同书编号等(但不宜列出具体的项目名称和所得到经费的数额).表达“致谢”的注意事项:

(1) 致谢的内容应尽量具体、恰如其分

致谢的对象应是对论文工作有直接和实质性帮助、贡献的人或机构, 因此, 致谢中应尽量指出相应对象的具体帮助与贡献. 例如: 应该使用诸如“We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Steven Conley inpreparing the photomicrographs. We also thank David Hill and Marilee Burrell for preparing themouse antisera to WAF1.”的表达, 避免诸如“To acknowledge all of the people who have contributedto this paper…”的表述.并且, 致谢某人可能暗含着某人赞同论文的观点或结论, 如果被感谢的人并不同意论文的全部观点或结论, 那么论文公开发表后被感谢的人和作者都会很尴尬. 因此, 如果是感谢一个思想、建议或解释, 就要尽量指明这些内容, 以免将被感谢的对象敏感而尴尬地置于为整篇论文承担文责的境地.为表示应有的礼貌和尊重, 投稿前应请所有被感谢的对象阅读论文的定稿(尤其要包括“致谢”部分), 以获得允许或默认.

(2) 用词要恰当

要注意选用适当的词句来表达感谢之情, 避免因疏忽而冒犯本应接受感谢的个人或机构. 致谢的开始就用“Wethank”, 不要使用“We wish to thank”, “We would like to thank”, 或“The authors wish to thank”等. 尤其是“wish”一词最好从致谢中消失. 当表达愿望时, “wish”是很好的词, 但如果说“I wish tothank Dr. R. Richman” 则是在浪费单词, 并且也可能蕴含着“I wish that I could thank Dr. R.Richman for his help but it was not all that great.”(我希望感谢R. Richman博士的帮助, 但实际上这种帮助并不那么大). 因此, 用“I thank Dr. R. Richman”显得更简明和真诚.

(3) 致谢的形式要遵从拟投稿期刊的习惯和相关规定参阅拟投稿期刊的“作者须知”和该刊已发表论文的致谢部分, 注意其致谢的表达形式和相关要求. 通常情况下, 无须将审稿人和期刊编辑列为致谢对象； 对于感谢有关基金资助的信息, 国内大部分科技期刊习惯将其作为论文首页的脚注, 国外期刊则多将其作为“致谢”的一部分. 对于基金项目类别名称的英文表达, 应尽量通过查询相关资助机构的官方网站或文本获取. 此外, 应尽量避免在同一篇论文的致谢中列出3个以上的基金资助来源, 以免给他人造成“拿钱不少, 出活不多”的感觉.英文“致谢”实例。