PaolaShreider
New member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2026
- Messages
- 6
My research paper is technically done. The abstract is polished, the methodology is sound, my analysis is (mostly) coherent. I should be popping champagne or taking a victory nap, right? Wrong. I am currently frozen in front of a blank page, and it's not the introduction this time. It's the acknowledgements section. And I am stressing about how to write acknowledgement for research paper that doesn't accidentally start a family feud or make my supervisor think I'm a total weirdo. 
Like, the rest of the paper had rules! There were style guides, citation formats, a clear structure. But this? This is just... feelings? On paper? In an academic document? It feels so exposed! My brain is going in a million directions. Do I start with my supervisor? Obviously. But do I call her "Dr. Chen" or "my amazing supervisor who saved my sanity"? Is that too informal? Then there's my lab partner who brought me coffee at 2 AM during data collection. Does he get a mention? What about the librarian who helped me find that obscure 1987 journal article? Is that too detailed?
And oh no—the fear of forgetting someone is real.
What if I leave out my roommate who listened to me rant about p-values for four months? What if I forget to thank my mom for her "you can do it!" texts? They'll read it and think I'm so ungrateful!
I know it's supposed to be the "easy" part, but honestly, figuring out how to write acknowledgement for research paper feels like navigating a social minefield. I want it to be warm and genuine but also professional. I want to thank everyone who truly helped without writing a second novel. Does anyone have a good template or a strategy for making sure you cover all your bases without turning it into an Oscar speech?
Like, the rest of the paper had rules! There were style guides, citation formats, a clear structure. But this? This is just... feelings? On paper? In an academic document? It feels so exposed! My brain is going in a million directions. Do I start with my supervisor? Obviously. But do I call her "Dr. Chen" or "my amazing supervisor who saved my sanity"? Is that too informal? Then there's my lab partner who brought me coffee at 2 AM during data collection. Does he get a mention? What about the librarian who helped me find that obscure 1987 journal article? Is that too detailed?
And oh no—the fear of forgetting someone is real.
What if I leave out my roommate who listened to me rant about p-values for four months? What if I forget to thank my mom for her "you can do it!" texts? They'll read it and think I'm so ungrateful!I know it's supposed to be the "easy" part, but honestly, figuring out how to write acknowledgement for research paper feels like navigating a social minefield. I want it to be warm and genuine but also professional. I want to thank everyone who truly helped without writing a second novel. Does anyone have a good template or a strategy for making sure you cover all your bases without turning it into an Oscar speech?