2000 – 3000 words paper
10 to 15 pages
English/Hindi/Marathi
Times New Roman 12
Line spacing 1.5
Margin 1 inch on all sides (1 inch = 2.54 centimeters)
- All research papers must be accompanied by a plagiarism report submitted by the author.
- Similarity must not exceed 10%, excluding references.
- Papers failing to meet originality standards will be rejected.
Acknowledgements
On a research paper, formal acknowledgments are almost never placed directly on the title page. Instead, they belong in a dedicated “Acknowledgments” section at the very end of the paper, right before your References/Bibliography.
However, there is one major exception: if you need to acknowledge financial funding or a specific grant that made the research possible, it is often placed on the title page as a footnote linked to the title or the authors’ names.
Here is a breakdown of what to include, where to put it, and how to write it.
What to Include in Your Acknowledgments
The goal is to thank anyone who contributed to the paper but didn’t meet the strict criteria for authorship. You should acknowledge:
- Funding and Grants: The exact names of funding agencies, grant numbers, or fellowships (e.g., “This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DGE-1234567.”).
- Technical & Lab Support: Lab technicians, programmers, or research assistants who helped gather data or maintain equipment.
- Advising & Feedback: Mentors, colleagues, or peer reviewers who read early drafts and offered critical insights.
- Administrative Support: Department staff or institutions that provided access to specialized archives, software, or data sets.
Where to Place It (Format Styles)
The exact placement depends entirely on the formatting style required by your target journal or professor.
1. APA Style (7th Edition)
APA puts these on the title page, but inside a specific section called the Author Note.
- Placement: The Author Note is placed in the bottom half of the title page.
- Structure: It typically contains four paragraphs: ORCID iDs, changes in affiliation, disclosures (including funding and conflicts of interest), and contact information.
2. MLA Style
MLA rarely uses formal title pages at all, let alone title page acknowledgments.
- Placement: Include a brief section titled Acknowledgments on its own line at the very end of the text, just before the “Works Cited” page.
3. IEEE, Chicago, & Most Science Journals
- Title Page Option: A numbered or asterisked footnote is attached to the paper’s title or the author’s name, leading to a note at the bottom of the first page detailing the funding source.
- End-of-Text Option: A distinct, unnumbered heading titled Acknowledgments is placed at the end of the manuscript, right before the references.
How to Write It: Professional Examples
Keep your acknowledgments brief, formal, and objective. Avoid overly emotional language.
For Funding (Title Page Footnote or End Section)
“This research was funded by the [Name of Foundation/Agency], grant number [XYZ-123]. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy of the funding agency.”
For Individuals (End-of-Paper Section)
“The authors would like to thank Dr. Sarah Jenkins for her invaluable feedback on early drafts of this manuscript, and James Cole for his assistance with the statistical analysis.”
For Institutional/Data Access
“We are grateful to the Princeton University Library Special Collections for granting access to the historical archives used in this study.”