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How to Write Acknowledgement for Research Paper (5 Samples)

July 12, 2023

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By Mohsin Khurshid

Writing acknowledgements is an essential part of crafting a comprehensive research paper. It allows you to express gratitude and recognize the contributions of individuals and institutions who have supported your work. In this article, we will delve into the art of writing acknowledgement for research papers, providing you with valuable insights, practical tips, and five sample acknowledgements to guide you in acknowledging the people and resources that have played a significant role in your research journey.

Table of Contents

• 1 Understanding the Role of Acknowledgements in Research Papers
• 2 Key Elements of an Effective Acknowledgement
• 3 10 Tips for Writing an Acknowledgement for a Research Paper
• 4.1 Sample 1: Acknowledgement for Collaborative Research:
• 4.2 Sample 2: Acknowledgement for Funding Support:
• 4.3 Sample 3: Acknowledgement for Mentorship and Guidance:
• 4.4 Sample 4: Acknowledgement for Institutional Support:
• 4.5 Sample 5: Acknowledgement for Peer Reviewers:
• 6 Conclusion

Understanding the Role of Acknowledgements in Research Papers

Acknowledgements serve as a platform to express appreciation and recognize the collective effort that goes into the completion of a research paper. They provide an opportunity to acknowledge the guidance, support, and assistance received throughout the research process. By including acknowledgements, you can demonstrate your gratitude and give credit to those who have contributed to your success.

Key Elements of an Effective Acknowledgement

Crafting an effective acknowledgement involves considering various elements to ensure its sincerity and clarity. It is crucial to mention specific individuals, institutions, and their contributions, while keeping the acknowledgement concise and relevant. By adhering to ethical considerations and cultural norms, you can create an acknowledgement that reflects your gratitude and professionalism.

10 Tips for Writing an Acknowledgement for a Research Paper

• Be sincere and genuine : Write your acknowledgements with heartfelt gratitude, expressing sincere appreciation for the support and contributions received during your research.
• Identify specific individuals and institutions: Mention the names of people who have played a significant role in your research, such as mentors, advisors, collaborators, and funding agencies. Also, acknowledge the contributions of institutions that provided resources or facilities.
• Be concise and focused: Keep your acknowledgements concise and to the point. Focus on the key individuals and organizations that have made a substantial impact on your research.
• Use a formal tone: Maintain a professional and formal tone throughout your acknowledgements. Remember that this section is a formal acknowledgment of support, not a casual conversation.
• Follow ethical considerations: Ensure that you acknowledge individuals and organizations according to ethical guidelines and norms. Respect the privacy and confidentiality of individuals who may prefer not to be mentioned.
• Include personal touches: If appropriate, you can include personal anecdotes or specific instances where individuals or organizations made a significant impact on your research.
• Tailor acknowledgements to your research context: Consider the nature of your research and tailor your acknowledgements accordingly. For example, if you conducted interdisciplinary research, acknowledge experts from different fields who provided valuable insights.
• Proofread and edit: Like any other section of your research paper, proofread and edit your acknowledgements for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Ensure that the acknowledgements are well-written and free of errors.
• Seek feedback if needed: If you’re uncertain about whom to acknowledge or how to express your gratitude, seek feedback from your mentors, advisors, or colleagues. They can provide valuable guidance and suggestions.
• Show appreciation beyond formal requirements: While it’s important to acknowledge the required individuals and institutions, also consider extending your appreciation to others who may have supported you indirectly, such as family, friends, or colleagues who provided emotional support during your research journey.

Remember, acknowledgements are an opportunity to express your gratitude and recognize the contributions of those who have helped you along the way. Take the time to craft a thoughtful and sincere acknowledgement section that reflects the support and collaborative spirit of your research endeavor.

5 Samples for Acknowledgment in Research Paper

Explore these 5 carefully crafted acknowledgment samples to effectively express gratitude in your research paper.

Sample 1: Acknowledgement for Collaborative Research:

In this sample, we showcase an acknowledgement that acknowledges the collaborative efforts of research collaborators and team members. It highlights the importance of recognizing the joint contributions made towards the research project.

“I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the members of the research team, [Collaborators’ Names], for their invaluable contributions and collaborative spirit throughout this research project. Our collective efforts and synergistic teamwork have significantly enhanced the quality and depth of this study. Each member’s unique expertise and perspectives have brought forth diverse insights, resulting in a more comprehensive and well-rounded analysis.

I am grateful for the dedication, commitment, and professionalism demonstrated by each team member. The constructive discussions, intellectual debates, and shared enthusiasm have fostered an enriching research environment that has truly pushed the boundaries of our collective knowledge. This research project stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and the collective pursuit of knowledge.”

Sample 2: Acknowledgement for Funding Support:

This sample acknowledgement focuses on acknowledging the financial support received for the research. It emphasizes the significance of recognizing funding agencies or organizations that have provided the necessary resources for the research to take place.

“I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the funding agencies and organizations that have provided financial support for this research. Their generous contributions have made it possible to conduct this study and have significantly contributed to its successful completion. The financial support has allowed for the procurement of necessary research materials, access to specialized equipment, and the opportunity to engage in valuable research experiences.

I would like to express my appreciation to [Name of Funding Agency/Organization 1] for their generous grant, which has played a crucial role in supporting this research project. Their belief in the significance of this study and their commitment to advancing knowledge in this field have been instrumental in its realization.

Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge the support received from [Name of Funding Agency/Organization 2]. Their funding has been vital in facilitating data collection, analysis, and the dissemination of research findings. Their investment in this project has not only provided financial resources but has also validated the importance and potential impact of this research.”

Sample 3: Acknowledgement for Mentorship and Guidance:

Here, we present a sample acknowledgement that expresses gratitude towards mentors and advisors who have provided guidance and support throughout the research journey. It underscores the critical role of mentorship in academic and research endeavors.

“I am deeply grateful to my mentor, [Mentor’s Name], for their exceptional guidance and unwavering support throughout this research endeavor. Their expertise, insightful feedback, and continuous encouragement have been invaluable in shaping the direction and outcomes of this study. Their unwavering commitment to my academic growth and professional development has been truly inspiring.

I am indebted to [Mentor’s Name] for their generous allocation of time and resources, their willingness to share their wealth of knowledge, and their unwavering dedication to pushing me to new heights. Their mentorship has not only enriched the quality of this research but has also had a profound impact on my personal and intellectual growth. I am truly fortunate to have had the privilege of working under their guidance.”

Sample 4: Acknowledgement for Institutional Support:

In this sample, we illustrate an acknowledgement that acknowledges the support and resources provided by institutions. It emphasizes the institutional backing that has facilitated the research process and contributed to its success.

“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the faculty members and academic advisors who have provided guidance, feedback, and support throughout my academic journey. Their expertise, wisdom, and dedication to teaching and mentoring have been instrumental in shaping my research skills and scholarly pursuits.

I am grateful to [Name of Faculty Member/Advisor 1] for their unwavering support and invaluable insights. Their expertise and guidance have been critical in refining the research design, analyzing data, and interpreting findings. Their constructive feedback and intellectual discussions have truly enriched this study.

I would also like to acknowledge the contributions of [Name of Faculty Member/Advisor 2]. Their mentorship and encouragement have played a pivotal role in the development of my research abilities and have inspired me to reach for new heights. Their belief in my potential has been a constant source of motivation throughout this research journey.”

Sample 5: Acknowledgement for Peer Reviewers:

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the anonymous peer reviewers who have dedicated their time and expertise to provide valuable feedback and constructive criticism on this research paper. Their rigorous evaluation, insightful comments, and suggestions for improvement have immensely contributed to the quality and credibility of this work.

The meticulous review process conducted by the peer reviewers has helped shape and refine the content, methodology, and interpretation of this study. Their expertise in the field and their commitment to upholding scholarly standards have been crucial in ensuring the accuracy, validity, and relevance of the research findings.

I am sincerely grateful for the time and effort invested by each reviewer in thoroughly assessing this paper. Their detailed comments and recommendations have not only helped enhance the clarity and coherence of the manuscript but have also encouraged further reflection and refinement of the research.

The contributions of the peer reviewers are invaluable in the advancement of scientific knowledge and the improvement of academic publications. Their commitment to maintaining the rigor and integrity of the research process plays a pivotal role in fostering academic excellence and promoting the dissemination of high-quality research outcomes.”

When writing an acknowledgement in a research paper, begin by expressing gratitude to individuals, institutions, or organizations who have contributed to the research. Provide a sincere and concise acknowledgement, mentioning their specific contributions and the impact they made on the study.

While specific examples may vary depending on the research context, an acknowledgement section in a journal article typically acknowledges the contributions of individuals, funding sources, or institutions involved in the research process. It expresses gratitude for their support, guidance, or resources.

The purpose of the acknowledgement section in a research paper is to recognize and express gratitude to individuals or entities who have supported the research. It acknowledges their contributions, whether through funding, mentorship, technical assistance, data provision, or other forms of support.

When writing acknowledgements for a publication , start by identifying the key individuals or entities that have contributed to the research. Express gratitude for their support, mentioning specific contributions and the value they added to the study. Keep the acknowledgements concise and focused on the research context.

The acknowledgement section of a research paper should include acknowledgements for individuals or entities that have contributed to the research process. This may include mentors, advisors, funding agencies, research collaborators, or others who have provided valuable support, guidance, or resources.

While including an acknowledgement section in a research paper is not mandatory, it is a common practice in academic publishing. It provides an opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of individuals or entities who have supported the research.

When writing an acknowledgements section for a literature review, acknowledge individuals or sources that have influenced and contributed to your understanding of the topic. Express gratitude for their insights, guidance, or resources that have shaped your literature review.

The terms “acknowledgement” and “acknowledgment” are both correct and interchangeable. The choice of spelling (with or without the “e”) may depend on regional or personal preferences.

To acknowledge a source in a research paper, use proper citation and referencing techniques according to the specific citation style guidelines. Include in-text citations and a corresponding entry in the reference list or bibliography to give credit to the original source.

Yes, you can acknowledge individuals who provided personal support in the acknowledgement section, such as family, friends, or loved ones. Recognize their emotional support, encouragement, or understanding during the research process.

Writing acknowledgements for a research paper allows you to express gratitude and acknowledge the invaluable contributions of individuals and institutions who have supported your work. By following the tips and utilizing the sample acknowledgements provided in this article, you can effectively and sincerely express your appreciation. Remember, acknowledgements are an opportunity to show your gratitude and give credit where it is due.

Acknowledgement for Paper Publication (10 Samples)

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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.

Saying thank you with style

How to write an acknowledgement: the complete guide for students, 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

Acknowledgement in research paper: example 2, acknowledgement in research paper: example 3, acknowledgement in research paper: example 4, acknowledgement in research paper: example 5.

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.

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).

What is an acknowledgement in academic writing?

An acknowledgement is a page is where you show appreciation to people who helped or supported you intellectually, mentally, or financially in your academic writing.

It should be no longer than one page.

More Definitions on Acknowledgement

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“Acknowledgement” vs “Acknowledgment”… …what the hack?

Both “acknowledgement” and “acknowledgment” are used in the English-speaking world. However, acknowledgement with the “e” in the middle is more commonly used. It is up to 24.5 times more popular in the top 5 English-speaking countries in the world.

Other Popular Acknowledgement Examples

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Acknowledgement Examples for School/College Projects

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How-to Guides on Academic Writing and Others

Most popular How to Write an Acknowledgement: The Complete Guide for Students How to Write an Acknowledgement for College Project? How to Write a Dedication Page for a Thesis or Dissertation? More on acknowledgements How to Write Acknowledgment for a Dissertation or a Thesis? Is Acknowledgement and Dedication the Same? Thesis or Dissertation How to Write a Master’s Thesis: The Ultimate Guide How to Write a Thesis Proposal? How to Write an Abstract for a Thesis? How to Write a Preface for a Thesis? Others How to Write an Introduction for a Research Paper? 7 Real Research Paper Examples to Get You Started How to Write Cover Letter for an Internship Program? How to Write an Internship Acceptance Letter? How to Write a Leave Application? For Schools and the Workplace How to Write a Resignation Letter?

Introduction to Academic Writing

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Writing in English at University

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Academic English: Writing Specialization

By the University of California, Irvine Duration: 6 months Cost: Free 7-day trial, USD39 per month The skills taught in this Specialization will empower you to succeed in any college-level course or professional field. You’ll learn to conduct rigorous academic research and to express your ideas clearly in an academic format. Share your Course Certificates in your LinkedIn profile, on printed resumes, CVs, or other documents.

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Thesis Acknowledgements Examples

5 Examples For Your Inspiration

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewers: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | May 2024

The acknowledgements section of your thesis or dissertation is an opportunity to say thanks to all the people who helped you along your research journey. In this post, we’ll share five thesis acknowledgement examples to provide you with some inspiration.

Overview: Acknowledgements Examples

• The acknowledgements 101
• Example:  Formal and professional
• Example:  Warm and personal
• Example:  Challenge-centric
• Example:  Institution-centric
• Example:  Reflective and philosophical
• FREE Acknowledgements template

Acknowledgements 101: The Basics

The acknowledgements section in your thesis or dissertation is where you express gratitude to those who helped bring your project to fruition. This section is typically brief (a page or less) and less formal, but it’s crucial to thank the right individuals in the right order .

As a rule of thumb, you’ll usually begin with academic support : your supervisors, advisors, and faculty members. Next, you’ll acknowledge any funding bodies or sponsors that supported your research. You’ll then follow this with your intellectual contributors , such as colleagues and peers. Lastly, you’ll typically thank your personal support network , including family, friends, and even pets who offered emotional support during your studies.

As you can probably see, this order moves from the most formal acknowledgements to the least . Typically, your supervisor is mentioned first, due to their significant role in guiding and potentially evaluating your work. However, while this structure is recommended, it’s essential to adapt it based on any specific guidelines from your university. So, be sure to always check (and adhere to) any requirements or norms specific to your university.

With that groundwork laid, let’s look at a few dissertation and thesis acknowledgement examples . If you’d like more, check out our collection of dissertation examples here .

Need a helping hand?

Example #1: Formal and Professional

This acknowledgement formally expresses gratitude to academic mentors and peers, emphasising professional support and academic guidance.

I extend my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Professor Jane Smith, for her unwavering support and insightful critiques throughout my research journey. Her deep commitment to academic excellence and meticulous attention to detail have significantly shaped this dissertation. I am equally thankful to the members of my thesis committee, Dr. John Doe and Dr. Emily White, for their constructive feedback and essential suggestions that enhanced the quality of my work.

My appreciation also goes to the faculty and staff in the Department of Biology at University College London, whose resources and assistance have been invaluable. I would also like to acknowledge my peers for their camaraderie and the stimulating discussions that inspired me throughout my academic journey. Their collective wisdom and encouragement have been a cornerstone of my research experience.

Finally, my sincere thanks to the technical staff whose expertise in managing laboratory equipment was crucial for my experiments. Their patience and readiness to assist at all times have left a profound impact on the completion of my project.

Example #2: Warm and Personal

This acknowledgement warmly credits the emotional and personal support received from family, friends and an approachable mentor during the research process.

This thesis is a reflection of the unwavering support and boundless love I received from my family and friends during this challenging academic pursuit. I owe an immense debt of gratitude to my parents, who nurtured my curiosity and supported my educational endeavours from the very beginning.

To my partner, Alex, your endless patience and understanding, especially during the most demanding phases of this research, have been my anchor. A heartfelt thank you to my supervisor, Dr. Mark Brown, whose mentorship extended beyond the academic realm into personal guidance, providing comfort and motivation during tough times.

I am also thankful for my friends, who provided both distractions when needed and encouragement when it seemed impossible to continue. The discussions and unwavering support from my peers at the university have enriched my research experience, making this journey not only possible but also enjoyable. Their presence and insights have been pivotal in navigating the complexities of my research topic.

Example #3: Inclusive of Challenges

This acknowledgement recognises the wide range of support received during unexpected personal and academic challenges, highlighting resilience and communal support.

The path to completing this dissertation has been fraught with both professional challenges and personal adversities. I am profoundly grateful for the enduring support of my supervisor, Dr. Lisa Green, whose steadfast belief in my capabilities and academic potential encouraged me to persevere even during my lowest moments. Her guidance was a beacon of light in times of doubt.

I must also express my deepest appreciation for my family, who stepped in not only with emotional reassurance, but also with critical financial support, when unexpected personal challenges arose. Their unconditional love and sacrifice have been the foundation of my resilience and success.

I am thankful, too, for the support services at the university, including the counselling centre, whose staff provided me with the tools to manage stress and maintain focus on my academic goals. Each of these individuals and institutions played a crucial role in my journey, reminding me that the pursuit of knowledge is not a solo expedition but a communal effort.

Example #4: Institution-Centric

This acknowledgement succinctly appreciates the financial, academic, and operational support provided by the university and its staff.

This dissertation would not have been possible without the generous financial support from the University of Edinburgh Scholarship Programme, which enabled me to focus fully on my research without financial burden. I am profoundly grateful to my advisor, Professor Richard Miles, for his sage advice, rigorous academic guidance, and the confidence he instilled in me. His expertise in the field of microbiology greatly enriched my work.

I would also like to thank the staff at the university library, whose assistance was indispensable. Their patience and willingness to help locate rare and essential resources facilitated a thorough and comprehensive literature review. Additionally, the administrative and technical staff, who often go unmentioned, provided necessary support that greatly enhanced my research experience. Their dedication and hard work create an environment conducive to academic success.

Lastly, my peers’ encouragement and the intellectual environment at the university have been vital in completing my research.

Example #5: Reflective and philosophical

This acknowledgement reflects on the philosophical growth and personal insights gained through the support of mentors, peers, and family, framing the dissertation as a journey of intellectual discovery.

Completing this thesis has been not only an academic challenge but also a profound journey of personal and philosophical growth.

I am immensely grateful to my mentor, Professor Sarah Johnson, for encouraging me to explore complex ideas and to challenge conventional wisdom. Her guidance helped me navigate the philosophical underpinnings of my research and deepened my analytical skills. My fellow students in the Philosophy Department provided a supportive and intellectually stimulating community. Our discussions extended beyond the classroom, offering new insights and perspectives that were crucial to my thesis.

I am also deeply thankful for my family, whose intellectual curiosity and spirited philosophical debates at home sparked my interest in philosophy from a young age. Their continuous support and belief in my academic pursuits have been instrumental in my success.

This dissertation reflects not only my work but also the collective support of everyone who has touched my life academically and personally. The journey has taught me the value of questioning and the importance of diverse perspectives in enriching our understanding of complex philosophical issues.

FREE Acknowledgements Template

To help fast-track your writing process, we’ve created a free, fully editable template . This template covers all the necessary content for a generic thesis or dissertation acknowledgements section. If you’re interested, you can download a copy here .

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Dissertation acknowledgments [with examples]

What are dissertation acknowledgements?

What to consider when writing your dissertation acknowledgments, who to thank in your dissertation acknowledgments, what (and what not) to write in your dissertation acknowledgments, good examples of dissertation acknowledgments, a final word on writing dissertation acknowledgments: have fun, frequently asked questions about dissertation acknowledgments, related articles.

While you may be the sole author of your dissertation, there are lots of people who help you through the process—from your formal dissertation advisors to the friends who may have cooked meals so that you could finish your last chapter . Dissertation acknowledgments are a chance to thank everyone who had a hand in the completion of your project.

Dissertation acknowledgments are a brief statement of your gratitude to advisors, professors, peers, family, and friends for their help and expertise.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• the most important things to consider when you’re writing your dissertation acknowledgments
• who to thank in your dissertation acknowledgments
• what (and what not) to write in your dissertation acknowledgments
• short examples of dissertation acknowledgments

Once you’re at the stage where you’re writing your dissertation acknowledgments, you may be tempted to kick back and relax. After all, the hard part of writing the dissertation itself is over and a list of thanks should be simple to churn out.

However, the acknowledgments are an important part of your overall work and are something that most people who read your dissertation, including prospective employers, will look at.

Tip: The best dissertation acknowledgements are concise, sincere, and memorable.

Approach this part of the process, brief as it may be compared to the long haul of writing the dissertation, with the same high level of care and attention to detail. It’s an explicit and permanent statement of who made a real impact on your work and contributed to your academic success.

Plus, the people you thank are often deeply moved by being included—some even go so far as to frame the acknowledgments. Aim to make yours sincere, memorable and something that people will be touched by.

First things first: who should you include in your dissertation acknowledgments? If you’re not sure who to thank, try the brainstorming technique to generate some ideas. Consider these two approaches:

• Make a list of everyone, both professional and personal, who was involved at any point during your work on your dissertation, and then thin down the list from there.
• Make a list of the pivotal aspects of your process and think about who was involved and how they helped.

As you select the people and groups to include in your dissertation acknowledgments, keep in mind that it’s essential to acknowledge your supervisor and anyone else with a visible connection to your work.

It’s an unfortunate reality that not every supervisor goes above and beyond to provide feedback and guidance to the students they are supposed to supervise. However, leaving them out, even if you personally felt disappointed by their involvement or lack thereof, could be seen as a snub.

You should end up with a fairly short list of people to thank. While being mindful of professional etiquette and personal feelings, be choosy about who makes the final cut since your acknowledgments should be limited to no more than a page.

Now that you have your list of people and groups to thank, it’s time to start writing. Before your first pen or keystroke, however, check your university’s guidelines as your institution may have specific rules around what can and cannot be included.

The standard practice is to begin with the formal and then progress to the informal, so the first people to mention would be:

• supervisors
• committee members
• other professional contacts

Use their full names and titles and go into brief detail about how they contributed to your work.

Once those are done, you can move on to the personal thanks, which can include friends, family, even pets. If you are so inclined, it is also considered appropriate to thank God or make mention of spiritual support.

You may also choose to inject a little humor at this point, but don’t get carried away and definitely don’t include sarcasm or critical comments of any kind, including self-critical ones. Remember that the acknowledgments precede your dissertation, so you want to be taken seriously.

A couple more basics that are essential when creating your acknowledgments:

• Position: Acknowledgments should be placed after the title page and before the abstract.
• Perspective: Write from the first-person perspective and speak in your own voice.

A really good way to get a sense of how to write your own dissertation acknowledgments is to read ones written by others. Notice which ones you respond particularly well to and use them as a model upon which to base your own.

Here are some good examples to help you get started:

I couldn’t have reached this goal without the help of many people in my life. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support.

First, my sincere thanks to my dissertation committee. The value of their guidance cannot be overstated. Dr. Elaine Gooding and Dr. Matthew Hunter provided much wisdom that helped me chart my course. I couldn’t have asked for a better supervisor than Dr. Fiona Moore, whose knowledge and experience guided me every step of the way.

Next, I’d like to thank my partner, Elliott. Your votes of confidence kept me going when my spirits dipped. I couldn’t have done this without you.

Last but not least, I’d like to acknowledge the emotional support provided by my family and friends. We made it to the top of the mountain! I look forward to celebrating with all of you.

This example is shorter, but still contains the key components:

Several people played a decisive role in my success and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them.

My chair, Dr. Ronald Saulk, provided invaluable support and infinite patience and I am truly grateful for all of his wisdom and guidance. I also owe the entire staff of the Wilhelm Library a debt of gratitude. From tracking down books and arranging for interlibrary loans to keeping the coffee maker in the lobby well-stocked and in good working order, they offered the practical help and kind gestures that made all the difference.

I’d also like to thank my family and God, for always being there for me.

One final piece of advice: enjoy this process. Writing a dissertation doesn’t happen every day, and the opportunity to acknowledge the important people in your life in a published format is as rare as it is wonderful.

What’s more, this part of your dissertation is unlike any other. It’s unbounded by the conventions that apply to the formal work. It’s a chance to really flex some creative muscle and let your personality shine through. So make the most of it and have fun!

In your dissertation acknowledgments, you thank everyone who has contributed to your work or supported you along the way. Who you want to thank is a very personal choice, but you should include your supervisors and anyone else with a visible connection to your work. You may also thank friends, family, and partners.

First, you need to come up with a list of people you want to thank in your dissertation acknowledgments. As a next step, begin with the formal and then progress to the informal, so the first people to mention would be supervisors, mentors, committees, and other professional contacts. Then, you can move on to the personal thanks, which can include friends, family, even pets.

Who you acknowledge in your dissertation is ultimately up to you. You should, however, thank your supervisor and anyone else with a visible connection to your work. Leaving them out, even if you personally felt disappointed by their involvement or lack thereof, could be seen as a snub. In addition, you can thank friends, partners or family.

There are many ways so you can acknowledge your dissertation supervisor. Some examples can be found in this article above. If you need more examples, you can find them here .

While acknowledgments are usually more present in academic theses, they can also be a part of research papers. In academic theses, acknowledgments are usually found at the beginning, somewhere between abstract and introduction. In research papers, acknowledgments are usually found at the end of the paper.

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Acknowledgments and References

Acknowledgments.

This usually follows the Discussion and Conclusions sections. Its purpose is to thank all of the people who helped with the research but did not qualify for authorship (check the target journal’s Instructions for Authors for authorship guidelines). Acknowledge anyone who provided intellectual assistance, technical help (including with writing and editing), or special equipment or materials.

TIP: The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors has detailed guidelines on who to list as an author and who to include in the Acknowledgments that are useful for scientists in all fields.

Some journals request that you use this section to provide information about funding by including specific grant numbers and titles. Check your target journal’s instruction for authors for specific instructions. If you need to include funding information, list the name(s) of the funding organization(s) in full, and identify which authors received funding for what.

As references have an important role in many parts of a manuscript, failure to sufficiently cite other work can reduce your chances of being published. Every statement of fact or description of previous findings requires a supporting reference.

TIP: Be sure to cite publications whose results disagree with yours. Not citing conflicting work will make readers wonder whether you are really familiar with the research literature. Citing conflicting work is also a chance to explain why you think your results are different.

It is also important to be concise. You need to meet all the above needs without overwhelming the reader with too many references—only the most relevant and recent articles need to be cited. There is no correct number of references for a manuscript, but be sure to check the journal’s guidelines to see whether it has limits on numbers of references.

TIP: Never cite a publication based on what you have read in a different publication (such as a review), or based only on the publication’s abstract. These may mislead you and readers. Read the publication itself before you cite it, and then check the accuracy of the citation again before submitting your manuscript.

You should reference other work to:

• Establish the origin of ideas

When you refer to an idea or theory, it is important to let your readers know which researcher(s) came up with the idea. By citing publications that have influenced your own work, you give credit to the authors and help others evaluate the importance of particular publications. Acknowledging others’ contributions is also an important ethical principle.

• Justify claims

In a scientific manuscript, all statements must be supported with evidence. This evidence can come from the results of the current research, common knowledge, or from previous publications. A citation after a claim makes it clear which previous study supports the claim.

• Provide a context for your work

By highlighting related works, citations help show how a manuscript fits into the bigger picture of scientific research. When readers understand what previous studies found and what puzzles or controversies your study relates to, they will better understand the meaning of your work.

• Show there is interest your field of research

Citations show that other researchers are performing work similar to your own. Having current citations will help journal editors see that there is a potential audience for your manuscript.

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• Writing Tips

How to Write Acknowledgements

• 2-minute read
• 25th March 2015

If you are near the end of your thesis, you can start to think about putting on the finishing touches . One thing you will have to do here is write your acknowledgements. A lot of people worry about this, but there’s really no need. As we are about to show, it’s actually quite simple!

What Are Acknowledgements?

The acknowledgement section of a thesis is where you can thank everyone who has helped you in your research. It is typically located at the beginning of your thesis, right after the contents page, and shouldn’t really be more than one or two pages long. The best thing to do is to keep it concise.

Who Should I Thank?

Think about the people who were of crucial importance during your research. This could include friends, family or professors, or even volunteers who have taken part in your research. It’s also important to acknowledge professional bodies who have given you funding or other help.

How Should I Write It?

There are no strict requirements for the tone of your acknowledgements; it’s essentially the one section where you can be a little bit more informal! Try to make sure the tone fits the person or organization you’re thanking, though, maintaining a formal approach when addressing funding bodies or other official groups.

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Other than trying to be concise, the main thing you should keep in mind is varying your language, if only because starting every sentence with “I would like to thank…” will sound a bit dull.

There are several ways you could word your thanks. A few suggestions are:

• This research would not have been possible without…
• My sincere thanks go to…
• I am grateful to…
• Heartfelt thanks to…
• I would like to express my gratitude to…
• Appreciation is due to…
• I acknowledge the contribution of…
• I am indebted to…

And that’s all there is to it! Relax and enjoy writing your acknowledgements. If you’ve got this far in the thesis-writing process, you’re over the toughest bit now! For more information about writing a dissertation or thesis, read our full dissertation writing guide .

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• Acknowledgements for PhD Thesis and Dissertations – Explained
• Doing a PhD

The Purpose of Acknowledgements

The acknowledgement section of a thesis or dissertation is where you recognise and thank those who supported you during your PhD. This can be but is not limited to individuals, institutions or organisations.

Although your acknowledgements will not be used to evaluate your work, it is still an important section of your thesis. This is because it can have a positive (or negative for that matter) influence the perception of your reader before they even reach the main body of your work.

Who Should I Acknowledge?

Acknowledgements for a PhD thesis will typically fall into one of two categories – professional or personal.

Within these categories, who you thank will ultimately be your decision. However, it’s imperative that you pay special attention to the ‘professional’ group. This is because not thanking someone who has played an important role in your studies, whether it be intentional or accidental, will more often than not be seen as a dismissal of their efforts. Not only would this be unfair if they genuinely helped you, but from a certain political aspect, it could also jeopardise any opportunities for future collaborations .

Professional Acknowledgements

This may include, but is not limited to:

• Funding bodies/sponsorship providers
• Supervisors
• Research group and lab assistants
• Research participants
• Proofreaders

Personal Acknowledgements

• Key family members and friends
• Individuals who inspired you or directly influenced your academic journey
• Anyone else who has provided personal support that you would like to mention

It should be noted that certain universities have policies which state only those who have directly supported your work, such as supervisors and professors, should be included in your acknowledgements. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you read your university guidelines before writing this section of your thesis.

How to Write Acknowledgements for PhD Thesis

When producing this section, your writing style can be more informal compared to the rest of your thesis. This includes writing in first person and using more emotive language. Although in most cases you will have complete freedom in how you write this section of your thesis, it is still highly advisable to keep it professional. As mentioned earlier, this is largely because it will be one of the first things your assessors will read, and so it will help set the tone for the rest of your work.

In terms of its structure, acknowledgements are expected to be ordered in a manner that first recognises the most formal support before moving onto the less formal support. In most cases, this follows the same order that we have outlined in the ‘Who Should I Thank’ section.

When thanking professionals, always write out their full name and provide their title. This is because although you may be on a first-name basis with them, those who read your thesis will not. By providing full names and titles, not only do you help ensure clarity, but it could also indirectly contribute to the credibility of your thesis should the individual you’re thanking be well known within your field.

If you intend to include a list of people from one institution or organisation, it is best to list their names in alphabetical order. The exception to this is when a particular individual has been of significant assistance; here, it would be advisable to list them.

How Long Should My Acknowledgements Be?

Acknowledgements vary considerably in length. Some are a single paragraph whilst some continue for up to three pages. The length of your acknowledgement page will mostly depend on the number of individuals you want to recognise.

As a general rule, try to keep your acknowledgements section to a single page. Although there are no word limits, creating a lengthy acknowledgements section dilutes the gratitude you’re trying to express, especially to those who have supported you the most.

Where Should My Acknowledgements Go?

In the vast majority of cases, your acknowledgements should appear directly after your abstract and before your table of contents.

However, we highly advise you to check your university guidelines as a few universities set out their own specific order which they will expect you to follow.

Phrases to Help You Get Started

We appreciate how difficult it can be to truly show how grateful you are to those who have supported you over the years, especially in words.

To help you get started, we’ve provided you with a few examples of sentences that you can complete or draw ideas from.

• I am deeply grateful to XXX…
• I would like to express my sincere gratitude to XXX…
• I would like to offer my special thanks to XXX…
• I would like to extend my sincere thanks to XXX…
• …for their assistance at every stage of the research project.
• …for their insightful comments and suggestions.
• …for their contribution to XXX.
• …for their unwavering support and belief in me.

Thesis Acknowledgement Examples

Below are three PhD thesis acknowledgment samples from which you can draw inspiration. It should be noted that the following have been extracted from theses which are freely available in the public domain. Irrespective of this, references to any individual, department or university have been removed for the sake of privacy.

First and foremost I am extremely grateful to my supervisors, Prof. XXX and Dr. XXX for their invaluable advice, continuous support, and patience during my PhD study. Their immense knowledge and plentiful experience have encouraged me in all the time of my academic research and daily life. I would also like to thank Dr. XXX and Dr. XXX for their technical support on my study. I would like to thank all the members in the XXX. It is their kind help and support that have made my study and life in the UK a wonderful time. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my parents, my wife and my children. Without their tremendous understanding and encouragement in the past few years, it would be impossible for me to complete my study.

I would like to thank my supervisors Dr. XXX and Dr. XXX for all their help and advice with this PhD. I would also like to thank my sisters, whom without this would have not been possible. I also appreciate all the support I received from the rest of my family. Lastly, I would like to thank the XXX for the studentship that allowed me to conduct this thesis.

I would like to thank my esteemed supervisor – Dr. XXX for his invaluable supervision, support and tutelage during the course of my PhD degree. My gratitude extends to the Faculty of XXX for the funding opportunity to undertake my studies at the Department of XXX, University of XXX. Additionally, I would like to express gratitude to Dr. XXX for her treasured support which was really influential in shaping my experiment methods and critiquing my results. I also thank Dr. XXX, Dr. XXX, Dr. XXX for their mentorship. I would like to thank my friends, lab mates, colleagues and research team – XXX, XXX, XXX, XXX for a cherished time spent together in the lab, and in social settings. My appreciation also goes out to my family and friends for their encouragement and support all through my studies.

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How to Write an Acknowledgement for a Research Paper

Hey guys, Phill Collins here! Today, I will teach you how to write an acknowledgment section in a research paper. Let’s do this!

Acknowledging contributions is a crucial aspect of creating a thorough research paper. It provides an opportunity to convey appreciation and acknowledge the support from individuals and institutions throughout your work. This piece will explore the intricacies of crafting acknowledgments for papers, offering valuable insights, practical advice, and sample acknowledgments. It aims to assist you in expressing gratitude to those who have played a substantial role in your research journey. As usual, I recommend those of you who struggle with your writings to pay for a research paper to save time and have a stress-free evening.

What Is Acknowledgement in a Research Paper

Acknowledgment in a research paper is a section dedicated to expressing gratitude and recognizing the individuals, institutions, or resources that have contributed to the completion of the research. This section is an opportunity for the author to appreciate the support, guidance, or assistance received during the research process. Acknowledgments go beyond the academic content of the paper and serve as a personal and professional gesture of recognition for those who played a significant role in the research endeavor.

In this section, researchers typically acknowledge the contributions of mentors, advisors, colleagues, or peers who provided valuable insights, feedback, or assistance in shaping the research project. Additionally, institutions, funding agencies, or organizations that supported the research financially or through resources may be acknowledged. The acknowledgment section reflects the collaborative and communal nature of academic work, highlighting the interconnected web of individuals and entities that contribute to the scholarly pursuit.

While there is no strict format for writing acknowledgments, it is important to balance professionalism and sincerity. Authors can use this space to express genuine gratitude, share personal reflections on the collaborative process, and convey the impact of the support received. The acknowledgment section adds a human touch to the paper, recognizing the collective effort that goes into the creation of academic knowledge.

The Role of an Acknowledgment in a Research Papers

The acknowledgment section in a paper plays a vital role in recognizing and appreciating the various contributors and influences that have shaped the research journey. Beyond the academic rigor captured in the main body of the paper, acknowledgments offer a space to express gratitude for the support and guidance received during the research process. This section often serves as a heartfelt acknowledgment of the collaborative effort to bring a research project to fruition.

Essentials of an Acknowledgement in Research Paper

An essential component of a complex paper, the acknowledgment section serves as a heartfelt expression of gratitude towards individuals and entities who have contributed significantly to the research process. In this section, authors typically recognize mentors, advisors, colleagues, and peers who provided valuable insights, guidance, or support. Additionally, institutions, funding sources, or organizations that played a role in the research project are acknowledged. The acknowledgment is a personal touch within the scholarly document, acknowledging the collaborative nature of academic work and underscoring the importance of communal support in the research journey. It adds a human element to the paper, recognizing the interconnected network of individuals and resources that contribute to the scholarly endeavor.

How to Write an Acknowledgement for Research Paper Using 8 Simple Tips

Keep in mind that acknowledgments offer a chance to express gratitude and acknowledge the valuable contributions of those who assisted you. Dedicate time to creating a genuine and thoughtful acknowledgment section that mirrors the collaborative and supportive nature of your research endeavor.

Sincerity and Authenticity

Write your acknowledgments with heartfelt gratitude, conveying genuine appreciation for the support and contributions you received throughout your research journey.

Specific Individuals and Institutions

Identify key figures and entities that played a substantial role in your research, including mentors, advisors, collaborators, and funding agencies. Acknowledge institutions that provided resources or facilities.

Conciseness and Focus

Keep your acknowledgments brief and to the point. Concentrate on highlighting the pivotal individuals and organizations that significantly influenced your research.

Formal Tone

Maintain a professional and formal tone throughout your acknowledgments. Remember that this section serves as a formal recognition of support, not a casual conversation.

Ethical Considerations

Adhere to ethical guidelines and norms when acknowledging individuals and organizations. Respect the privacy and confidentiality of those who may prefer not to be mentioned.

Personal Touches

If appropriate, include personal anecdotes or specific instances where individuals or organizations made a noteworthy impact on your research.

Tailor to Research Context

Consider the nature of your research and customize your acknowledgments accordingly. For instance, if your research is interdisciplinary, recognize experts from various fields who provide valuable insights.

Appreciation Beyond Formal Requirements

While an acknowledgement in research paper has to list individuals and institutions, extend your appreciation to others who indirectly supported you. This may include family, friends, or colleagues who provided emotional support during your research journey.

Example of Acknowledgement in Research Paper

An Additional Example of Acknowledgement in Research Paper

Final Words

In my opinion, acknowledgements in a research paper provide an avenue to convey appreciation and recognize the indispensable contributions of individuals and institutions that have bolstered your work. In this article, I did my best to offer tips and a sample acknowledgment to assist you in authentically expressing your gratitude. Keep in mind that acknowledgments are a chance to genuinely convey appreciation and attribute credit where it is rightfully due.

How to write acknowledgement in research paper?

Begin your acknowledgment section with a formal salutation, expressing gratitude to those who contributed to your research. Use a sincere and appreciative tone, mentioning specific individuals and institutions, and keep it concise.

What is the purpose of the acknowledgement section in a research paper?

The acknowledgment section serves to express gratitude and recognize the contributions of individuals and institutions who supported the research. It reflects the researcher's appreciation for guidance, resources, and collaboration during the project.

What should the acknowledgement section of a research paper include?

An acknowledgement for research paper includes thanks to advisors, committee members, funding agencies, collaborators, institutions providing resources, and anyone who significantly contributed. Maintain a formal tone, adhere to ethical considerations, and, if appropriate, add a personal touch or anecdotes.

How to acknowledge someone in a research paper?

Acknowledge individuals by mentioning their names, roles, and specific contributions. Follow a formal and respectful tone, adhering to ethical guidelines. If applicable, express personal appreciation and consider tailoring acknowledgments to the nature of the research and relationships involved.

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Acknowledgements Example for an Academic Research Paper

Posted by Rene Tetzner | Sep 1, 2021 | How To Get Published | 0 |

Acknowledgements Example for an Academic or Scientific Research Paper This example of acknowledgements for a research paper is designed to demonstrate how intellectual, financial and other research contributions should be formally acknowledged in academic and scientific writing. As brief acknowledgements for a research paper, the example gathers contributions of different kinds – intellectual assistance, financial support, image credits etc. – into a single Acknowledgements section. Do note, however, that the formats preferred by some scholarly journals require the separation of certain contributions such as financial support of research into their own sections.

Although authors often write acknowledgements hastily, the Acknowledgements section is an important part of a research paper. Acknowledging assistance and contributions establishes your integrity as a researcher as well as your connections and collaborations. It can also help your readers with their own research, affect the influence and impact of the researchers and other professionals you thank, and demonstrate the value and purpose of the agencies that fund your work. The contents of the example I have prepared here are appropriate for a research paper intended for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, but the author, the research project, the manuscript studied, the journal publishing the paper and all those to whom gratitude is extended are entirely fictional. They were created for the purpose of demonstrating the following key concerns when writing the acknowledgements for a formal research paper:

•   Writing in the first person (‘I’ for a single author or ‘we’ for two or more) to offer concise but sincere acknowledgements of specific contributions to your research. •   Maintaining formal language, complete sentences and a professional tone to give specific and thorough information about contributions and convey collegial gratitude. •   Expressing respect and appreciation in an appropriate fashion for each and every contribution and avoiding artificial or excessive flattery. •   Using the complete names and preferred name formats for individuals, funding agencies, libraries, businesses and other organisations. Here, for example, I posit that the library holding the relevant manuscript has indicated that the name of the collection (lengthy though it is) should not be abbreviated. •   Acknowledging contributions to your research and paper in the order that best represents the nature and importance of those contributions. The assistance of the author’s mentor comes first here, for instance, whereas the language editor is acknowledged much further down the list. •   Meeting the requirements for acknowledgements set by the journal or other publisher of the research paper. For the example below, the goal is to record all relevant contributions to the research and paper in a single brief Acknowledgements section of 500 words or less – a set of parameters that would suit the acknowledgement requirements or expectations of many academic and scientific journals and even fit into a footnote or endnote if necessary.

Example Acknowledgements for an Academic Research Paper 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. Margaret Kempis and Matthew Brown, my colleagues at Western University, have also looked over my transcriptions and answered with unfailing patience numerous questions about the language and hands of British Naval Ships MS VII.2.77. 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 provided colour images of the manuscript overnight, but unexpectedly shared the invaluable information on the book that she has been gathering for almost 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.

Studying British Naval Ships MS VII.2.77 has proved extremely costly and I am most thankful for the Western University Doctoral Fellowship that has provided financial support for the larger project from which this paper grew. A travel grant from the Literary Society of the Southern Region turned the hope of working in person with British Naval Ships MS VII.2.77 into a reality, and the generous offer of free accommodation from Ms McKay (Samantha McKenzie’s aunt) allowed me to continue my research with the book much longer than I could have hoped. The final design of the complicated transcription tables in Appendices I–III is the creative and technical work of Sam Stone at A+AcaSciTables.com, and the language and format of the paper have benefited enormously from the academic editing services of Veronica Perfect. Finally, it is with true pleasure that I acknowledge the contributions of my amazing partner, Kendric James, who has given up many a Friday evening and Sunday afternoon to read every version of this paper and the responses it has generated with a combination of compassion and criticism that only he could muster for what he fondly calls ‘my odd obsession with books about the sea.’

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Acknowledgement in Research Paper | How to Write | Perfect Example

What is acknowledgement in research paper.

Acknowledgement in a research paper is the section where the author expresses gratitude to individuals and organizations who have contributed to the completion of the study. This section is usually placed at the beginning or end of the paper and is an important part of the research process. It allows the author to recognize the support, assistance, and guidance they have received from others in the course of their research.

What is the purpose of acknowledgement in research paper?

The acknowledgement section is an opportunity for the author to show appreciation for anyone who has helped them in the research process, including mentors, advisors, colleagues, and funding agencies. It is also a way to acknowledge the contributions of participants, interviewees, or anyone else who has played a role in the study.

Acknowledgements can also include thanks to individuals who have provided critical feedback, technical assistance, or resources that have been essential to the research project. Overall, this section is a way for the author to show their appreciation for the collaborative and supportive nature of the research community.

How to write acknowledgement in research paper?

• Identify Key Contributors : Make a list of individuals and organizations that have contributed significantly to your research. This includes advisors, mentors, collaborators, funders, participants, and institutions.
• Understand the Purpose : Acknowledgments are meant to recognize and thank those who have supported or contributed to your research in various ways. Understand the purpose of this section is to express gratitude and recognize their contributions.
• Be Genuine and Specific : Your acknowledgments should be sincere and specific. Avoid generic expressions of thanks and instead, mention the specific contributions each person or organization made to your research.
• Start with Formality : Begin your acknowledgment section with a formal tone and expression of gratitude. Address individuals with their appropriate titles, such as Dr., Prof., Mr., or Ms., and mention any institutional affiliations if relevant.
• Personalize Your Thanks : Tailor your acknowledgments to acknowledge each individual’s specific contributions. Mention how their support, guidance, or expertise influenced your research or contributed to its success.
• Maintain Professionalism : While acknowledgments can be personal, maintain a professional tone and avoid overly informal language or colloquialisms. Remember that this section is part of your scholarly work.
• Consider Cultural Sensitivities : Be mindful of cultural norms and sensitivities when expressing gratitude, especially if your research involves international collaborations. Tailor your acknowledgments to reflect cultural expectations or customs, as appropriate.
• Proofread Carefully : Ensure your acknowledgments are free of grammatical errors and typos. Take the time to review and edit this section to ensure clarity and coherence.
• Respect Space Limitations : While it’s important to acknowledge all key contributors, be mindful of space limitations in your research paper. Prioritize mentioning those who made significant contributions while being respectful of length constraints.
• End on a Positive Note : Conclude your acknowledgment section with a positive and appreciative tone. Express your gratitude to everyone who supported your research journey, including family, friends, colleagues, and institutions.

Example of Acknowledgement in Research

I am immensely grateful to the individuals and organizations whose support and guidance have been instrumental in the completion of this research paper. Their assistance and expertise have significantly contributed to the development and refinement of my study.

Firstly, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Aurora Rivera, my mentor and advisor throughout this research journey. Her insightful feedback, encouragement, and scholarly guidance have been invaluable in shaping the direction and methodology of my study.

I am also deeply thankful to Mr. Santiago Cruz, Director of Research at the Philippine Social Sciences Institute, for his generous support and assistance in accessing research resources. His expertise and encouragement have greatly facilitated the progress of my research.

Special gratitude is extended to my research collaborators, including Dr. Sofia Ramirez and Mr. Miguel Hernandez, for their collaborative efforts and insightful perspectives that have enriched the depth and analysis of my research findings.

I would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions of the staff and researchers at the Philippine Research Center for Social Sciences, whose support and expertise have been indispensable in navigating complex research methodologies and data analysis.

Furthermore, I extend my sincere appreciation to the participants of my study for their cooperation and willingness to share their experiences, which have provided essential insights and perspectives.

I wish to express my profound gratitude to my family and friends for their unwavering support, encouragement, and understanding throughout this research endeavor. Their belief in my abilities has been a constant source of motivation and inspiration.

Acknowledgement in Research Paper Example

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the individuals and institutions whose unwavering support has been indispensable in the completion of this research paper. Their guidance, encouragement, and expertise have greatly contributed to the success of our study.

Firstly, we express our sincere appreciation to Dr. Juanita Cruz, Professor of Economics at the University of the Philippines, for her invaluable mentorship and insightful feedback throughout the research process. Her expertise in the field has been instrumental in shaping the direction of our study.

We are also indebted to Dr. Manuel Reyes, Director of the Philippine Economic Development Institute, for his generous assistance and provision of research resources. His support has been pivotal in enhancing the quality and depth of our analysis.

Special thanks are extended to our research collaborators, including Dr. Sofia Garcia from the Department of Political Science at Ateneo de Manila University, and Dr. Miguel Hernandez from the Department of Sociology at Mapua University. Their collaboration and expertise have enriched our research with diverse perspectives and profound insights.

We would like to acknowledge the invaluable assistance provided by the staff and researchers at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, who generously shared their knowledge and resources throughout the duration of our study.

Furthermore, we extend our gratitude to the participants of our study, whose cooperation and willingness to share their experiences have been instrumental in shaping our findings.

• Acknowledgement for Thesis
• Acknowledgement for Dissertation

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Recognizing Contributions: Acknowledge In Research Paper

Learn how to acknowledge in research paper with our simple guide, and ensure that your work gains recognition.

When we work on any project, it’s not just about our individual effort, it’s about teamwork as well. It’s important to acknowledge the contributions of others who have helped you along the way. This is where the acknowledgment section comes in. In this part of your paper, you can express your gratitude to those who have supported you throughout the research process, such as funders, advisors, assistants, collaborators, participants, and editors.

However, it’s important to be mindful of ethical considerations and avoid any promotion or advertising of specific individuals or organizations. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about acknowledgments, including how to acknowledge in research paper ,  tips for writing them, common mistakes to avoid, and ethical considerations. So, let’s get started!

What Is Acknowledgement In A Research Paper?

The acknowledgment section in a research paper credits individuals, institutions, or organizations that aided in the research or manuscript preparation. It’s usually found after the conclusion.

While optional, acknowledgments are commonly added to recognize and thank contributors for their efforts. This section typically starts with a statement thanking those who funded or supported the project, along with colleagues, research assistants, or other contributors who provided valuable feedback or assistance.

Being specific and detailing the contributions of each individual or organization is crucial to show their importance in the research process. However, it’s unnecessary to acknowledge everyone who helped, and acknowledgments should be kept brief and relevant to the project.

Why Is Acknowledgment Important?

Acknowledgment holds significant importance in research as it acknowledges and provides credit to individuals or organizations who have contributed to the research project. It expresses gratitude for their guidance, support, and assistance during the research process.

Acknowledgments are commonly included in research papers to build relationships and encourage future collaborations with those who have supported the research. By acknowledging their contributions, researchers demonstrate their appreciation for the input of others and the importance of collaboration in the research process.

Moreover, the acknowledgment section ensures academic integrity by recognizing and crediting all contributors to the research project. It also prevents any potential issues related to plagiarism or lack of attribution. 

Who Should Be Acknowledged?

Acknowledgments in a research paper should recognize and give credit to individuals, organizations, or institutions that contributed to the research project in some way. This can include: 

• Funding sources: Acknowledge those who provided financial support for the research project.
• Academic advisors or mentors: Acknowledge those who provided guidance or supervision throughout the research process.
• Research assistants: Acknowledge those who provided technical or administrative support during the research.
• Participants : Acknowledge those who took part in the research study, such as survey respondents.
• Collaborators : Acknowledge colleagues or other researchers who contributed to the research project in some way.
• Editors or proofreaders: Acknowledge those who helped with editing or proofreading the manuscript .
• Institutions or organizations: Acknowledge the institution or organization that provided resources or support for the research project. 

Types Of Acknowledgement

Acknowledgment in a research paper can take various forms, depending on the purpose and context of the project. Here are some common types of acknowledgments: 

1. Formal Acknowledgments

These are typically written in a formal tone and are used to recognize and give credit to people, organizations, or institutions that provide financial or technical support to the research project. These acknowledgments often appear at the beginning or end of the research paper and may include formal language and formatting.

2. Informal Acknowledgments

These acknowledgments are often more personal and informal in tone. They may include acknowledging friends, family members, or colleagues who provided emotional support or helped in some way during the research process.

3. Professional Acknowledgments

These acknowledgments are typically used in academic or professional settings and are aimed at giving credit to individuals or organizations that contributed to the research project. These acknowledgments may include thanking mentors, colleagues, research assistants, or funding agencies.

4. Collaborative Acknowledgments

These acknowledgments are used to recognize the collaborative nature of research projects. They may include acknowledging co-authors, collaborators, or other researchers who contributed to the project in some way.

Tips For Writing An Acknowledgement

When writing acknowledgment in a research paper, it’s important to keep the following tips in mind: 

• Be specific: Clearly mention the contributions made by individuals or organizations, and how they helped in the research process.
• Use appropriate tone: Write in a professional tone and avoid using overly emotional language.
• Keep it concise: Avoid lengthy paragraphs and keep the acknowledgment section brief and relevant.
• Follow the required format: Check the guidelines provided by the journal or institution and ensure that you follow the required format.
• Proofread: Carefully proofread the acknowledgment section for any errors or typos.
• Be grateful: Show appreciation and gratitude to the individuals or organizations who contributed to the research project.
• Avoid self-promotion: The acknowledgment section should not be used to promote oneself or one’s organization.

 Examples Of Acknowledgement

Examples of acknowledgments in a research paper include thanking the funding sources, academic advisors or mentors, research assistants, participants, collaborators, editors or proofreaders, and institutions or organizations that provided support. Here are some sample acknowledgments that are concise and relevant to the research project:

Acknowledge In Research Paper: Example 1

“I would like to thank Dr. Ram for his invaluable guidance and support throughout this project. I am also grateful to my research assistant, Priya, for her technical expertise and administrative assistance. This project would not have been possible without the generous financial support of the XYZ Foundation. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the study participants who generously shared their time and insights.”

Acknowledge In Research Paper: Example 2

“I am indebted to Dr. Mary for her continuous support and feedback throughout the research process. I also want to thank my colleagues, Shahin and Sarah, for their valuable input and suggestions. The editorial assistance provided by XYZ Editing Services was also greatly appreciated. I am also grateful to the ABC Institution for providing the necessary resources for this research project.”

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Writing An Acknowledgement

When writing acknowledgment, it’s important to avoid certain mistakes, such as:

• Forgetting to acknowledge someone who contributed to the research project.
• Using vague language instead of specific details about how someone contributed.
• Focusing too much on personal anecdotes or stories, rather than keeping the acknowledgment concise and relevant to the research project.
• Using the acknowledgment section to promote or advertise specific individuals or organizations.
• Forgetting to proofread the acknowledgment section for errors in grammar or spelling.
• Including acknowledgments that are not relevant to the research project.
• Making it too formal or too casual, rather than matching the tone of the rest of the research paper.

To avoid these mistakes, it’s important to carefully consider who should be acknowledged, what specific contributions they made, and to keep the language concise and relevant to the research project. It’s also helpful to have someone else review the acknowledgment section to ensure that it’s free of errors and strikes the right tone.

How To Acknowledge In Research Paper? 

• When citing an acknowledgment in a research paper, it should be listed as a separate section at the end of the paper, following the references section. It should be titled “Acknowledgement” and be placed after the conclusion but before the reference list.
• Acknowledgment section should not be included within the text citation or reference list. However, if a person or organization mentioned in the acknowledgment section was cited within the text, it should be included in the in-text citation and reference list.
• It’s important to make sure that acknowledgments are cited correctly in order to give credit to those who contributed to the research project. This will help to ensure academic integrity and avoid plagiarism. Learn more about Plagiarism here .

Ethical Considerations For Acknowledging Others In Your Research Paper

It is essential to consider ethical principles when acknowledging others in your research paper. First and foremost, ensure that you acknowledge all individuals and organizations that made significant contributions to your research. This acknowledgment must be honest and accurate and should not falsely claim credit for the work of others.

Additionally, it is crucial to obtain consent from individuals before acknowledging them in your research paper, particularly when using their personal information. Ensure that you have informed them about how their contribution will be acknowledged and seek their permission to do so.

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How to Draft the Acknowledgment Section of a Manuscript

What is the Purpose of the Acknowledgements Section in a Research Paper?

The acknowledgment section is an integral part of all academic research papers. It provides appropriate recognition to all contributors for their hard work. We discuss here,  the relevant guidelines for acknowledging contributors.

Defining Who Is Acknowledged

The acknowledgment section helps identify the contributors responsible for specific parts of the project. It can include:

• Non-authors (colleagues, friends, supervisor, etc.)
• Funding sources
• Editing services ,
• Administrative staff

In academic writing, the information presented in the acknowledgment section should be kept brief. It should only mention people directly involved with the project. In other words, one should not consider thanking ones’ parents for moral and financial support.

Acknowledging contributors is necessary. However, you must know the difference between an author and a contributor . The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors ( ICMJE ) defines four criteria to assign authorship.

He or she has to have

• Made substantial conceptual or design contributions or gathered and analyzed important data, and
• Either helped draft or critically revise the paper in keeping with important intellectual content, and
• Provided final approval before publishing, and
• Agreed to be accountable for the accuracy of the work

These authors and their affiliations will be listed at the beginning of the paper. The “corresponding author” will also be listed a second time and will directly correspond with the journal to ensure documentation requirements are met.

Many journals now ask that you provide the role of each author in your acknowledgment section. For example, a typical statement of authors’ contributions might be as follows (note that only last names are used unless ambiguous):

Smith conducted the data analysis and created the tables and figures. Jones provided his technological expertise for GIS tracking. Johnson provided a factual review and helped edit the manuscript.

This type of acknowledgment provides your reader with a good sense of who was responsible for each part of your research and manuscript.

Non-Author Contributors

There are many people involved in a research project who are not authors but have provided valuable contributions. For example, one person’s responsibility might be to seek project funding; another’s might be to supervise laboratory staff. A few others might have provided valuable services such as technical editing and writing or offering help in reviewing and revising the manuscript for grammar and syntax. These people should also be mentioned in the acknowledgment section of your manuscript.

Acknowledgment should also be provided  for  writing assistance, technical editing, language editing, and proofreading . Therefore, editing companies need to be duly acknowledged in professionally edited manuscripts as per the  ICMJE guidelines.

It is necessary to acknowledge editing companies in professionally edited manuscripts, even though these companies are paid for their work.

Acknowledgment Format

Unlike the main body of your paper, the format for your acknowledgment section can be more personal. It is permissible to use personal pronouns in this section. For example,

I thank the following individuals for their expertise and assistance throughout all aspects of our study and for their help in writing the manuscript.

Keep in mind that many guidelines indicate that funding sources be listed separately from the acknowledgment section. In addition, the sources (funding agencies) might have specific guidelines that you must follow. Please be sure to comply with these sources and your author guidelines.

For more information on authors and contributors , read articles on the Enago Academy website.

What types and formats of acknowledgments have you incorporated into your manuscripts? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. Do you need help with manuscript editing ? Make sure you visit enago.com today!

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Writing Acknowledgments for Your Research Paper

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In this article, we describe what types of contributions warrant mention in the acknowledgments section of a paper .

Updated on July 8, 2014

In another article , we discuss four criteria that must be met for an individual to qualify for manuscript authorship. In this article, we describe what types of contributions warrant mention in the acknowledgments section of a paper instead. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) describes several roles that merit acknowledgment, rather than authorship :

“acquisition of funding; general supervision of a research group or general administrative support; and writing assistance, technical editing, language editing, and proofreading.”

You should also acknowledge direct technical assistance, including help with animals, cells, equipment, patients, procedures, or techniques or provision of data, equipment, reagents, or samples, as well as more indirect assistance via intellectual discussions. Note that all of these contributions are typically more mechanical, indirect, and/or one-dimensional than those of authors. Additionally, some argue that individuals who provided help and could be chosen as a peer reviewer, leading to a potential conflict of interest, should be cited.

In any case, the ICMJE states that contributors may be cited individually or collectively and that their precise contributions should be specified.

e.g., “We thank Dr. X and Dr. Y for performing the surgeries” or “We thank the physicians who performed the surgeries"

Institutional affiliations may or may not be mentioned, depending on the journal's guidelines. Finally, the ICMJE encourages written permission from acknowledged individuals “because acknowledgment may imply endorsement.”

Funding sources should also be mentioned in the acknowledgments section, unless your target journal requires a separate section for this information. Whether the funding was partial or full, relevant grant numbers, and the author(s) who received the funding, if applicable, should be detailed as well. Note that acknowledging grants and fellowships is in fact required by many funding agencies and research institutions.

In contrast, contributions that are not specifically related to your research, including personal encouragement (e.g., by your friends or parents) and very general help (e.g., from a laboratory manager who purchases all supplies for your research group), should not be cited. Additionally, anonymous editors and peer reviewers are usually not thanked in the acknowledgments section; many journals (such as American Physical Society journals ) explicitly discourage this practice because it is difficult to comprehensively acknowledge all anonymous support and because this practice could potentially bias reviewers.

The writing style of acknowledgments sections may vary according to the journal, but generally, these sections are written in the first person and are as succinct as possible. A statement about conflicts of interest, citation of previous publication in poster or abstract form, and other information may also be included in this section, again depending on the journal. As you proceed through revisions for one journal or if you change your target journal, remember to reformat as necessary and to update your acknowledgments if additional help was obtained during the revision, such as with editing or new experiments.

Although an acknowledgments section may be appended to the end of your manuscript or relegated to a footnote, it is not a trivial component. By acknowledging all help received with your research, you are demonstrating your integrity as a researcher, which in turn encourages continued collaboration. You may also be bolstering your colleagues' careers, as being credited in an acknowledgments section is emerging as one of many gauges of a researcher's professional impact beyond citations (see ImpactStory , based on altmetrics ). Furthermore, information about who provided certain data, equipment, protocols, reagents, or samples may be of help to other researchers in your field.

This editing tip has hopefully elucidated what to include in the acknowledgments section of your manuscript and why this section is significant. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us . Best wishes in your research and writing!

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• Academic Writing Skills

Most academic papers have many people who have helped in some way in the preparation of the written version or the research itself. This could be someone from a sponsoring institution, a funding body, other researchers, or even family, friends or colleagues who have helped in the preparation. These people need to be mentioned in the Acknowledgments section of the paper.

Acknowledgments section in different academic documents

The Acknowledgments section is present in both a paper and an academic thesis . For papers, the Acknowledgments section is usually presented at the back, whereas in a thesis, this section is located towards the front of the manuscript and is commonly placed somewhere between the abstract and Introduction . However, the exact location varies between each university , as each establishment possesses its own style guide for theses and student submissions. So, it is always worthwhile consulting your university’s academic style guide before writing a manuscript for undergraduate/postgraduate submission.

Acknowledgments section in theses

For academic theses, there is no right or wrong way to acknowledge people, and who you want to acknowledge is down to personal preference. However, the common types of people authors acknowledge in their academic theses include:

• Supervisor’s contributions
• Research group (especially if the thesis in question is a master’s and the work is helped along by a PhD student)
• Support staff (laboratory technicians, etc.)
• Any students who undertook side projects with them (e.g. final year undergraduates, summer students, master’s students)
• Administrative staff (there can be a lot of bureaucracy for thesis submissions)
• Referees that got them onto the course (postgraduate only)
• Funding bodies
• Any collaboration with industry and the people they worked with at said establishment(s)

Acknowledgments section in journal papers

Now, whilst university manuscripts can include any combination of the above (including all and none in some cases), academic publications in journals more commonly acknowledge the same kind of people/organizations, but again it is up to the author(s) what they feel should be acknowledged; not every piece of help needs to be acknowledged, just the most useful/prevalent help. Also, acknowledgments should be written in the first person .

Examples of whom and what should be acknowledged in a journal publication are listed below:

• Direct technical help (e.g. supply of animal subjects, cells, equipment setup, methods , statistics/data manipulation, samples, chemicals/reagents, analytical/spectroscopy techniques)
• Indirect assistance (topical and intellectual discussions about the research which can lead to generation of new ideas)
• Affiliated institutions
• Grant numbers
• Who received the funding (if not the author, e.g. a supervisor)
• Any associated fellowships

Whom to acknowledge - and whom not to acknowledge

• Other authors/contributors : It is not common practice for the lead paper writer (i.e. the person writing and publishing the manuscript) to acknowledge the other authors/direct contributors to the paper. Only those who are not recognized as authors may be thanked and acknowledged.
• Reviewers : Authors are also not allowed to thank reviewers personally, or those who inspire them but cannot directly receive their appreciation – although reviewers can be thanked if they are kept anonymous .
• Friends and family : Unlike university manuscripts, journal manuscripts should not include help and guidance from family and friends.

Other acknowledgments

• Titles and institutions : Titles such as Mr, Mrs, Miss, etc. are not commonly included, but honorary titles such as Dr, Professor, etc. are. The institutions of the acknowledged people are usually mentioned.

For example, the following would not be acceptable:

We dedicate this work to the deceased Prof. Bloggs.

However, the following would be acceptable:

We acknowledge Prof. Bloggs for discovering the secret of anonymity.

Additional pointers for writing the Acknowledgments section

• The  tone  of the section should be in an active voice.
• Do not use pronouns indicating possession (i.e. his, her, their, etc.).
• Terms associated with specific companies should be written out in full, e.g. Limited, Corporation, etc.
• If the results have been published elsewhere, then this should also be acknowledged.
• Any abbreviations should be expanded unless the abbreviation appears in the main body of the text.

Below are examples of the Acknowledgments sections taken from a couple of papers from Nature Communications :

Duan L., Hope J., Ong Q., Lou H-Y., Kim N., McCarthy C., Acero V., Lin M., Cui B., Understanding CRY2 interactions for optical control of intracellular signalling, Nature Communications, 2017,  8:547

Xu Q., Jensen K., Boltyanskiy R., Safarti R., Style R., Dufresne E., Direct measurement of strain-dependent solid surface stress, Nature Communications, 2017,  8:555

Many people think that the Acknowledgments section of a manuscript is a trivial and unimportant component. However, it constitutes a vital means to ensure that all affiliated support for the paper can be duly and transparently mentioned. By acknowledging people for their efforts and contributions, you demonstrate your integrity as an academic researcher. In addition, crediting other people for their help can also increase their presence in the academic world and possibly help to boost their career as well as your own.

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• Thesis & Dissertation Acknowledgements | Tips & Examples

Thesis & Dissertation Acknowledgements | Tips & Examples

Published on 4 May 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on 4 November 2022.

The acknowledgements section is your opportunity to thank those who have helped and supported you personally and professionally during your thesis or dissertation process.

Thesis or dissertation acknowledgements appear between your title page and abstract  and should be no longer than one page.

In your acknowledgements, it’s okay to use a more informal style than is usually permitted in academic writing , as well as first-person pronouns . Acknowledgements are not considered part of the academic work itself, but rather your chance to write something more personal.

To get started, download our step-by-step template in the format of your choice below. We’ve also included sample sentence starters to help you construct your acknowledgments section from scratch.

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Table of contents

Who to thank in your acknowledgements, how to write acknowledgements, acknowledgements section example, acknowledgements dos and don’ts, frequently asked questions.

Generally, there are two main categories of acknowledgements: professional and personal .

A good first step is to check your university’s guidelines, as they may have rules or preferences about the order, phrasing, or layout of acknowledgements. Some institutions prefer that you keep your acknowledgements strictly professional.

Regardless, it’s usually a good idea to place professional acknowledgements first, followed by any personal ones. You can then proceed by ranking who you’d like to thank from most formal to least.

• Chairs, supervisors, or defence committees
• Funding bodies
• Other academics (e.g., colleagues or cohort members)
• Editors or proofreaders
• Librarians, research/laboratory assistants, or study participants
• Family, friends, or pets

Typically, it’s only necessary to mention people who directly supported you during your thesis or dissertation. However, if you feel that someone like a secondary school physics teacher was a great inspiration on the path to your current research, feel free to include them as well.

Professional acknowledgements

It is crucial to avoid overlooking anyone who helped you professionally as you completed your thesis or dissertation. As a rule of thumb, anyone who directly contributed to your research should be mentioned.

A few things to keep in mind include:

• Even if you feel your chair didn’t help you very much, you should still thank them first to avoid looking like you’re snubbing them.
• Be sure to follow academic conventions, using full names with titles where appropriate.
• If several members of a group or organisation assisted you, mention the collective name only.
• Remember the ethical considerations around anonymised data. If you wish to protect someone’s privacy, use only their first name or a generic identifier (such as ‘the interviewees’).

Personal acknowledgements

There is no need to mention every member of your family or friend group. However, if someone was particularly inspiring or supportive, you may wish to mention them specifically. Many people choose to thank parents, partners, children, friends, and even pets, but you can mention anyone who offered moral support or encouragement, or helped you in a tangible or intangible way.

Some students may wish to dedicate their dissertation to a deceased influential person in their personal life. In this case, it’s okay to mention them first, before any professional acknowledgements.

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After you’ve compiled a list of who you’d like to thank, you can then sort your list into rank order. Separate everyone you listed into ‘major thanks’, ‘big thanks’, and ‘minor thanks’ categories.

• ‘Major thanks’ are given to people who your project would be impossible without. These are often predominantly professional acknowledgements, such as your advisor , chair, and committee, as well as any funders.
• ‘Big thanks’ are an in-between, for those who helped you along the way or helped you grow intellectually, such as classmates, peers, or librarians.
• ‘Minor thanks’ can be a catch-all for everyone else, especially those who offered moral support or encouragement. This can include personal acknowledgements, such as parents, partners, children, friends, or even pets.

How to phrase your acknowledgements

To avoid acknowledgements that sound repetitive or dull, consider changing up your phrasing. Here are some examples of common sentence starters you can use for each category.

Note that you do not need to write any sort of conclusion or summary at the end. You can simply end the acknowledgements with your last thank-you.

Here’s an example of how you can combine the different sentences to write your acknowledgements.

A simple construction consists of a sentence starter (in purple highlight ), followed by the person or entity mentioned (in green highlight ), followed by what you’re thanking them for (in yellow highlight .)

Acknowledgements

Words cannot express my gratitude to my professor and chair of my committee for her invaluable patience and feedback. I also could not have undertaken this journey without my defense committee, who generously provided knowledge and expertise. Additionally, this endeavor would not have been possible without the generous support from the MacArthur Foundation, who financed my research .

I am also grateful to my classmates and cohort members, especially my office mates, for their editing help, late-night feedback sessions, and moral support. Thanks should also go to the librarians, research assistants, and study participants from the university, who impacted and inspired me.

Lastly, I would be remiss in not mentioning my family, especially my parents, spouse, and children. Their belief in me has kept my spirits and motivation high during this process. I would also like to thank my cat for all the entertainment and emotional support.

• Write in first-person, professional language
• Thank your professional contacts first
• Include full names, titles, and roles of professional acknowledgements
• Include personal or intangible supporters, like friends, family, or even pets
• Mention funding bodies and what they funded
• Appropriately anonymise or group research participants or non-individual acknowledgments

Don’t:

• Use informal language or slang
• Go over one page in length
• Mention people who had only a peripheral or minor impact on your work

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• Published: 15 May 2024

Identifying proteomic risk factors for cancer using prospective and exome analyses of 1463 circulating proteins and risk of 19 cancers in the UK Biobank

• Keren Papier   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4102-6835 1   na1 ,
• Joshua R. Atkins   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0821-1112 1   na1 ,
• Tammy Y. N. Tong   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0284-8959 1 ,
• Kezia Gaitskell   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2474-1159 1 ,
• Trishna Desai 1 ,
• Chibuzor F. Ogamba   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3778-311X 1 ,
• Mahboubeh Parsaeian 1 ,
• Gillian K. Reeves 1 ,
• Ian G. Mills   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5347-5083 2 , 3 ,
• Tim J. Key   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2294-307X 1 ,
• Karl Smith-Byrne   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1932-7463 1   na1 &
• Ruth C. Travis 1   na1  

Nature Communications volume  15 , Article number:  4010 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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The availability of protein measurements and whole exome sequence data in the UK Biobank enables investigation of potential observational and genetic protein-cancer risk associations. We investigated associations of 1463 plasma proteins with incidence of 19 cancers and 9 cancer subsites in UK Biobank participants (average 12 years follow-up). Emerging protein-cancer associations were further explored using two genetic approaches, cis -pQTL and exome-wide protein genetic scores (exGS). We identify 618 protein-cancer associations, of which 107 persist for cases diagnosed more than seven years after blood draw, 29 of 618 were associated in genetic analyses, and four had support from long time-to-diagnosis ( > 7 years) and both cis -pQTL and exGS analyses: CD74 and TNFRSF1B with NHL, ADAM8 with leukemia, and SFTPA2 with lung cancer. We present multiple blood protein-cancer risk associations, including many detectable more than seven years before cancer diagnosis and that had concordant evidence from genetic analyses, suggesting a possible role in cancer development.

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Introduction.

Proteins are integral to most biological processes including many that lead to carcinogenesis, such as tissue growth and proliferation. Previous prospective studies of individual or small panels of blood proteins have identified aetiological cancer proteins, such as insulin-like growth factor-I, which is a causal risk factor for breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers, and microseminoprotein-beta, which is associated with lower prostate cancer risk 1 , 2 , 3 . Other cancer biomarkers identified include protein markers for early detection, progression, recurrence and prognosis, for example, CA-125, CEACAM5, CA19-9 and prostate-specific antigen 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 . However, new multiplex proteomics methods allow for the simultaneous measurement of thousands of proteins, many of which have not previously been assessed for their associations with risk across multiple cancer sites.

Identifying aetiological markers of cancer risk using prospective data alone can be challenging due to the potential for confounding and other epidemiological biases. However, the abundance of many proteins in the circulation can be partially explained by inherited genetic variation; these genetic predictors of protein levels can be used to generate complementary evidence, with orthogonal biases, on protein-cancer associations 8 , 9 , 10 . Many of these genetic variants lie in a protein’s cognate gene (known as cis protein quantitative trait loci [ cis- pQTL]) and likely influence biological processes directly and can be highly robust and specific predictors of protein concentrations 11 , 12 , 13 . Such genetic analyses complement traditional prospective epidemiology, and the combination of observational and genetic approaches can improve our ability to identify proteins most likely to have a causal role in cancer development and progression 14 .

Here, we use an integrated multi-omics approach combining prospective cohort and exome-variant study designs to identify proteins with a role in cancer aetiology: we describe the association of 1463 protein biomarkers quantified using the Olink platform with the risk of 19 common cancers and 9 cancer subsites in 44,645 UK Biobank participants, overall and by time to diagnosis. We further assess the identified protein-cancer associations as aetiological risk factors using exome cis- pQTL variant and exome-wide genetic score analyses (exGS).

Observational analyses

Our prospective analyses included 4921 incident malignant cancer cases with a mean follow-up of 12 years (SD 2.7). The median age at any cancer diagnosis was 66.9 years (Interquartile range (IQR) 9.9) [youngest median diagnosis was for breast cancer in women (median 64.5, IQR 12.5) and oldest for squamous cell carcinoma of the lung in women (median 71.8, IQR 9.9)]. Supplementary Data  1 shows the median ages at diagnosis for all cancer subsites.

Baseline characteristics of the analysis sample overall, by sex and in those who developed a malignant cancer over follow-up are shown in Table  1 and Supplementary Data  2 . Compared with the total analysis sample, participants who developed cancer were on average older and a higher proportion of them were former or current smokers, moderate to high alcohol consumers, and had a family history of various cancers; among the women, they reported having fewer children, were younger at menarche, and a higher proportion of them were postmenopausal, had used hormone replacement therapy, and had never used the oral contraceptive pill.

From the 1463 proteins included in our analyses, we identified an association for 371 proteins with a risk of at least one cancer after correction for multiple testing, which amounted to 618 protein-cancer associations (Fig. 1 , Fig.  2 & Supplementary Data  3 ). Almost half of these associations (304) were for proteins enriched (greater than 10% of total body expression) for mRNA expression in either the tissue or candidate cell of origin for cancer indicated in our analyses. For 83 of the protein-cancer associations, the proteins whose cognate genes were majority expressed (i.e., > 50%) in either the tissue or candidate cell of origin. Many of these associations were for proteins that were associated with the risk of haematological cancers with high mRNA expression in either B-cells or T-cells. However, we also identified proteins that were both associated with risk for cancer and either had enriched or majority mRNA expression in the liver, lung, colorectum, kidneys, brain, stomach, oesophagus, and endometrium (Supplementary Fig. 6 ).

cis-pQTL - cis protein quantitative trait loci, PRS – polygenic risk score, SNP – single nucleotide polymorphism, ENT – effective number of tests. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.

Volcano plot displaying the results from the prospective observational analyses of 1463 proteins with cancer risk. Top protein-cancer associations plotted with point size indicating the number of ENT significant protein-cancer associations. The point colour represents the cancer site. Hazard ratios per SD for cancer risk are plotted on the x -axis while –log 10 p -values are plotted on the y -axis. Protein names and hazard ratios are labelled to highlight a selection of associations significant after correction for multiple testing ( p  < 0.05/639). Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for each cancer site were separately estimated using two-sided Cox proportional hazards regression models. N- number, ENT – effective number of tests. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.

More than half of our ENT-significant protein-cancer associations (320) were for haematological malignancies (non-Hodgkin overall (NHL) [124], diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin (DLBCL) [50], leukaemia [87], and multiple myeloma [59]). These included the associations of TNFRSF13B and SLAMF7 with risk of multiple myeloma [HR (95%CI): 2.09 (1.96–2.24) and 3.07 (2.73–3.46), respectively], PDCD1 and TNFRSF9 with risk of NHL [1.99 (1.87–2.11) and 1.98 (1.85–2.11), respectively], and FCER2 and FCRL2 with risk of leukaemia [2.12 (1.98–2.29) and 2.10 (1.95–2.26), respectively].

We also observed associations between 131 proteins and risk of liver cancer that included IGFBP7 and IGFBP3 [1.65 (1.48–1.84) and 0.46 (0.39–0.54), respectively], and 51 proteins and risk of kidney cancer, such as HAVCR1 and ESM1 [2.88 (2.55–3.24) and 1.84 (1.55–2.19)]. We identified 28 proteins associated with the risk of lung cancer overall and/or at least one histological subtype that included WFDC2 and CEACAM5 [1.52 (1.39–1.67) and 1.44 (1.33–1.56)]. Although most protein-cancer associations (log odds) did not differ greatly between minimally and fully adjusted models, some proteins associated with the risk of lung cancer after ENT correction were attenuated by more than 50% compared with minimally adjusted models, which may imply a potential risk for residual confounding stemming from measurement error in smoking behaviours (Supplementary Fig.  2 ).

Twenty-two proteins were associated with the risk of oesophageal cancer and/or oesophageal adenocarcinoma, including REG4 and ST6GAL1 [2.02 (1.66–2.45) and 1.83 (1.53–2.19)]. We identified 15 proteins associated with colorectal, colon, and/or rectal cancer, such as AREG and GDF15 [1.30 (1.19–1.42) and 1.32 (1.20–1.45)]. Five proteins were associated with the risk of stomach cancer including ANXA10 and TFF1 [1.75 (1.51–2.02) and 1.90 (1.58–2.28)]. We found five proteins associated with the risk of breast cancer, such as STC2 and CRLF1 [1.33 (1.23–1.44) and 1.31 (1.21–1.42)]. Three proteins were associated with risk of prostate cancer: GP2, TSPAN1, and FLT3LG [1.29 (1.21–1.36), 1.14 (1.09–1.18), and 0.87 (0.82–0.92)] and three were associated with endometrial cancer: CHRDL2, KLK4, and WFIKKN1 [1.42 (1.21–1.65), 1.41 (1.20–1.65), and 1.42 (1.20–1.68)]. Two proteins were associated with the risk of ovarian cancer, DKK4 and WFDC2 [1.46 (1.28–1.70), 1.57 (1.26–1.96)]. We identified one protein for each of bladder [WAS, 0.54 (0.39–0.73)], brain [GFAP, 1.55 (1.31–1.86)], and head and neck cancers [TPP1, 1.33 (1.16–1.52)]. Little evidence for protein associations was observed in these data for cancers of the pancreas, thyroid, lip and oral cavity, or melanoma after correcting for multiple tests. Limited heterogeneity was observed after stratifying the protein-cancer associations by sex, however, none survived multiple testing corrections (Supplementary Data  4 ). Pathway analyses for ENT-significant protein-cancer associations, grouped by cancer endpoint, highlighted a potential role for the adaptive immune response in haematological cancers (Supplementary Fig.  3 – 5 ). Further adjusting for time since the last meal did not materially affect the magnitude and precision of the ENT significant associations (Supplementary Data  8 ).

Analysis stratified by the time between blood draw and diagnosis

In stratified analyses, we identified 107 of the 618 ENT significant protein-cancer associations as ENT significant in the analysis of cases diagnosed more than seven years after blood draw, representing 72 unique proteins [cancers of the blood: 14, liver: 13, lung: 11, stomach: 5, breast: 3, oesophagus: 3, kidney: 2, colorectum: 1, prostate:1, thyroid: 1] (Fig.  3 ). Among the proteins associated with risk of haematological cancers, we identified associations with risk of multiple blood cancers for members of the FC-receptor protein [FCRL1, FCRL2, FCRL3, FCRL5, FCRLB] and TNF receptor families [TNFRSF4, TNFRSF9, TNFRSF13B, TNFRSF13C, TNFSF13B, TNFSF13]. Among the 618 ENT significant protein-cancer associations, 398 were also ENT significant in the analysis of cases diagnosed within three years of blood draw, representing 256 unique proteins [cancers of the blood: 193, liver: 15, lung: 18, colorectum: 12, kidney: 7, prostate: 6, stomach: 3, bladder: 1, oesophagus: 7, breast: 1, brain: 1, ovary: 1, head and neck:1], which may indicate effects of reverse causation.

Two volcano plots displaying the results from prospective observational analyses of 1463 proteins with cancer risk stratified by time from blood draw to diagnosis, with analyses among cases diagnosed within three years of blood draw (left) and after seven years of blood draw (right). Top protein-cancer associations plotted with point size indicating the number of ENT significant protein-cancer associations. The point colour represents the cancer site. Hazard ratios for cancer risk per SD are plotted on the x -axis while –log 10 p -values are plotted on the y -axis. Protein names and hazard ratios are labelled to highlight a selection of associations significant after correction for multiple testing ( p  < 0.05/639). Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for each cancer site were separately estimated using two-sided Cox proportional hazards regression models. N- number, ENT – effective number of tests. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.

Integrating existing publicly available datasets on drug targets

We identified 38 proteins associated with the risk of at least one cancer that was also the target of a drug currently approved and available [haematological malignancies (20), liver (17), kidney cancer (7), oesophageal adenocarcinoma (1), and lung cancer (1)]. Most of these proteins were the target of monoclonal antibodies (21) and small molecule inhibitors (13). The proposed action for most of these drugs would be to reduce the cancer risk as indicated in our observational analyses, i.e., the drug would inhibit a protein positively associated with cancer risk. Nine of these proteins are also the target of drugs currently indicated for the treatment of the cancers identified in our risk analyses. These include Dasatinib (EPHA2), Moxetumomab pasudotox (CD22) and Inotuzumab ozogamicin (CD22) indicated in the treatment of leukaemia subtypes, Brentuximab vedotin (TNFRSF8), Polatuzumab vedotin (CD79B) and Pembrolizumab (PDCD1) indicated in the treatment of NHL subtypes including DLBCL, Elotuzumab (SLAMF7) indicated in the treatment of multiple myeloma, and Regorafenib (EPHA2, PDGFRA, FGFR2) indicated in the treatment of liver cancers (Supplementary Data  5 ).

Circulating proteins with both prospective and single cis -variant associations

Using 939 cis -pQTL, which represented 294 unique proteins, we investigated 498 of the 618 protein-cancer associations that were identified after multiple tests in the main analyses. Three cis- pQTL coding for higher TNFRSF14 were associated with a lower risk of NHL after correction for multiple testing ( p  < 0.05/939 tests based on cis -pQTL variants), 1:2559766:C:T [0.85 (0.79–0.91)]; 1:2559503:C:A, [0.85 (0.79–0.91)] and 1:2556714:A:G [0.86 (0.80–0.92)] (Fig.  4 ). We found evidence to support the potential role of an additional 81 proteins in cancer risk as indicated by 106 protein-cancer associations at p  < 0.05 which did not meet correction for multiple testing (Supplementary Data  6 ).

This mirror Manhattan plot displays the results of each cis -pQTL (top) in the full exome-sequencing cohort within the UK Biobank across European samples for proteins passing correction for multiple testing in the observational results on cancer risk. The y-axis represents the -log 10 p -values. The bottom of this plot contains the exome-wide score results for genetically predicted proteins. Markers coloured in grey represent results that did not reach the conventional p  < 0.05 significance threshold, while markers in blue represent conventionally significant results. If a cis- variant or an exome-wide score passes Bonferroni significance, those markers are coloured by the cancer site of association. Odds ratios were estimated using logistic regression models to investigate the association of each genetically predicted protein with cancer risk per standard deviation increase. Cis -variants were adjusted to be on the same scale. cis-pQTL - cis protein quantitative trait loci, NHL – Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.

Circulating proteins with both prospective and exome-score associations

We derived exGS that combined known cis and trans -pQTLs to predict circulating protein concentrations and assessed their associations with cancer risk. We were able to investigate 533 of the 618 protein-cancer associations across 324 unique proteins. After correcting for multiple testing (0.05/533 exGS tests), we identified 28 associations, including 24 for NHL, 2 for leukaemia (SRP14, TREML2), 1 for both liver (KRT18) and lung cancer (TNR) (Fig.  4 ). The strongest association was for SRP14 with leukaemia [1.22 (1.16–1.28)] followed by KRT18 for liver cancer [1.29 (1.18–1.42)], CD1C for NHL [1.11 (1.06–1.16)] and TNR for lung cancer [0.92 (0.89–0.95). In addition, we found 115 conventionally significant protein-cancer associations, representing 96 unique proteins (Supplementary Data  7 ) of which 74 were directionally concordant with the results from the prospective analyses.

Integrated evidence of protein-cancer associations

We identified four proteins that were both associated with the risk of cancer in the main analyses and had directionally concordant, conventionally significant support from all three additional analyses, i.e., long (> 7 years) time-to-diagnosis, cis -pQTL, and exGS analyses: SFTPA2 for lung cancer [1.24 (1.14–1.35)], TNFRSF1B [1.28 (1.19–1.37)] and CD74 [1.68 (1.49–1.90)] for NHL and ADAM8 for leukaemia [1.87 (1.69–2.06)] (Fig.  5 ). In addition, we found genetic and observational evidence supporting the role of 45 unique proteins in the risk of cancer that were associated with cancers of the blood (22 proteins), liver (11), lung (6), kidney (5), colorectum (3), prostate (1) (Supplementary Data  9 ).

Plots show  the associations for the four proteins that were associated with the risk of cancer in the main analyses and that had directionally concordant, conventionally significant support from all three additional analyses, i.e., long (>7 years) time-to-diagnosis, cis -pQTL, and exGS analyses. For each protein–cancer association evidence for the association of concentrations with cancer risk is presented from minimally and fully adjusted models per SD, as well as models stratified by time-to-diagnosis, and from exome proteins score and cis- pQTL analyses. The observational analyses (minimally adjusted, fully adjusted models, and time-to-diagnosis analyses were conducted in a maximal sample of 44,645 participants, and the genetic analyses were conducted in a maximal sample of 336,823 UK participants. Data are presented as relative risk and 95% confidence intervals. The reference value is 1.0. cis -pQTL- cis protein quantitative trait loci. Source data are provided as a Source data file.

Volcano plots for protein associations with risk of individual cancer types can be found in Supplementary Figs. 7 – 31 .

In this large prospective study of 1463 proteins with the risk of up to 19 cancers, we identified 371 plasma protein markers of cancer risk, including 107 that were associated with cancer diagnosed more than seven years after blood draw and many that also had support from complementary genetic analyses, which may suggest a role in aetiology. Furthermore, 182 proteins were strongly associated with diagnosis within three years, suggesting potential relevance as biomarkers for early detection.

We identified both proteins that mark common processes across cancer sites and those with associations specific to a particular cancer. The proteins associated with the risk of multiple cancers included GDF15, a stress-regulated hormone that we found to be associated with an increased risk of eight cancers (liver, aerodigestive and gastrointestinal tract, and haematological malignancies), and MMP12, an enzyme expressed on macrophages that was associated with an increased risk of cancers of the colon, lung, and NHL 15 . However, the majority of protein-cancer associations were cancer site-specific (225 of the 371 proteins), and many also had the majority mRNA expression in the cell or tissue of cancer origin. We note, however, that further evidence for proteins and risk of less common cancers and cancer subtypes may emerge with further follow-up in the UK Biobank or other cohorts.

We found that protein-cancer associations were most prevalent for cancers related to the blood or in tissues with a role in the maintenance of blood composition or with a high throughput of blood, such as the liver, kidneys, and lungs. Further, the smaller number of protein associations for cancers with a higher incidence in this study but whose organs are not directly involved in blood composition (such as breast and prostate) may indicate a more localised effect and highlight the limitation of only measuring blood protein levels when investigating diseases in other tissues. Current multiplex technologies measure a sizable but limited subset of the total human proteome. It is therefore possible that the currently measurable proteins may not include all those with important aetiological relevance for cancer risk. When, in the future, stage and histological grading information becomes available for cancers within the UK Biobank or other cohorts, it may be possible to identify proteins associated with the disease that have progressed beyond the primary organ which may lead to more easily measurable effects in the circulation.

Integrating prospective observational and genetic evidence for candidate aetiological proteins

We found four proteins associated with cancer that in observational long time-to-diagnosis analyses, and cis -pQTL and exGS analyses; CD74 and TNFRSF1B were associated with NHL, and ADAM8 and SFTPA2, were associated with risk of leukaemia and lung cancer, respectively. While each of these three complementary analyses have their own specific biases, the combination of concordant support from all methods may lead to greater confidence for a role in cancer development 10 . Each of these four also appears to have notable biological plausibility. CD74, TNFRSF1B, and ADAM8 all have important roles in the immune system and have enrichment for mRNA expression on candidate cells of origin for NHL and leukaemia. Similarly, SFTPA2 has a well-described role in maintaining healthy lung function and is also majority expressed in alveolar cells, which are a candidate cell of origin for multiple common subtypes of lung cancer 16 .

SRP14 was associated with the risk of leukaemia in both observational and exGS analyses and was more strongly associated with the risk of leukaemia in people diagnosed within the first three years. SRP14 has a well-described role in protein targeting in the endoplasmic reticulum, has a high probability of being loss-of-function intolerant (pLi), and is essential for leukaemia and lymphoid malignancy cell survival, as shown using CRISPR knockout models 17 . Notably, the SRP14 exGS association was explained by a single trans missense variant (9:5073770:G:T) in JAK2, that leads to constitutively active JAK2, which is known to predispose to various forms of leukaemia 18 , 19 , 20 . Given that cis- pQTL did not support a role for SRP14 with leukaemia risk, it is therefore possible that SRP14, as a biomarker of imminent leukaemia diagnosis, may indicate constitutively active JAK2.

Similarly, higher FLT3LG was associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer in both observational and exGS analyses. We found that the FLT3LG exGS was largely explained by trans- pQTL that lie in established cancer risk genes involved in the regulation of cell division and DNA repair (CHEK2 [22:28695868:AG:A], ATM [11:108267276:T:C], and TERT [5:1293971:C:T]). For example, carriers of the CHEK2 allele previously reported to increased risk of prostate cancer had lower circulating concentrations of FLT3LG 21 , 22 . FLT3LG is predominantly expressed by lymphocytes, in particular natural killer cells, and has a high pLi. It also binds to FLT3, which is expressed on dendritic cells to enhance tumour antigen presentation to facilitate anti-tumour immune responses 23 . Prostate cancer cases carrying high-risk genetic variants in DNA repair pathway genes, such as CHEK2, have a greater risk of progression and are often early onset cases with a higher mutational burden 24 , 25 . Heightened mutation rates in the absence of effective tumour antigen presentation/immune surveillance would form a coherent biological explanation for higher cancer risk and shorter progression times. Therefore, lower FLT3LG may serve as a potential biomarker of early cancer processes leading to diagnosis among carriers of established prostate cancer risk variants.

Together these findings highlight the need for research into the potential role of blood proteins as circulating readouts that could indicate emerging early carcinogenic processes before diagnosis, and that may complement existing strategies that use germline genetics to identify and monitor at-risk populations.

We also identified protein-cancer associations with support from genetic analyses but with a discordant direction of effect. Using cis -pQTL, we identified an inverse association of TNFRSF14, a gene with high pLi, with NHL risk, while observational results suggested an association with higher risk, particularly within the initial three years of follow-up. TNFRSF14 is known to acquire loss-of-function mutations early in the development of NHL, which may suggest that it has a protective role during NHL development 26 . TNFRSF14 may therefore be overexpressed as an anti-tumour response to the presence of disease, which could explain our findings. However, current protein assay technology limitations do not enable us to distinguish between multiple proteoforms that may contain higher levels of TNFRSF14 with loss of function variants in these samples.

Previous studies of proteins and cancer risk

While there have been multiple previous case-control and cross-sectional studies of circulating proteins and cancer risk (with blood taken at or after cancer diagnosis), there are limited published prospective data. We replicate some previously reported prospective associations for proteins and the risk of cancer, which may serve as reassuring confirmation for the reproducibility of findings in this fast-emerging field of multiplex proteomics. We also identified many previously unreported associations possibly due to the prospective study design and/or the large sample size. For example, we replicated the association of CDCP1 with lung cancer risk reported within the EPIC cohort and also found concordant evidence for risk proteins, such as CEACAM5, identified within up to three years before diagnosis in the INTEGRAL project 21 , 22 , 27 . We additionally identified risk associations with lung cancer for multiple proteins that were either not previously investigated or that did not meet the significance criteria for multiple testing within previous studies. For colorectal cancer, we were not able to replicate the previously reported associations for several proteins identified in prospective studies using samples taken up to three years before diagnosis or in those studies with relatively modest numbers of incident cases ( n  ≤ 100) 28 , 29 . We also did not replicate protein risk associations previously reported for pancreatic cancer 30 . Nonetheless, our findings are in-line with some of those reported in a cross-cancer case-control study (with blood collected at or after diagnosis) within the Uppsala-Umeå Comprehensive Cancer Consortium biobank; we replicated the reported association of GFAP with glioma and the associations of CNTN5, SLAMF7, MZB1, QPCT and TNFRSF13B with multiple myeloma 31 .

Our study has several notable strengths. We examined the role of over one thousand blood proteins in cancer development and reported several hundred novel proteins and cancer associations. The detailed information in the UK Biobank on a wide range of cohort characteristics (including cohort-wide exome data) has made it possible to assess the potential for cancer-specific confounders to influence our findings and to run complementary genetic analyses on the majority of candidate proteins identified in our observational analyses. Further, information on cancer diagnosis was obtained from data linkage, thus minimising selective dropouts. The cross-cancer approach also reduced outcome selection bias and enabled us to find proteins associated with both multiple and specific cancers, and their subtypes.

Furthermore, the UK Biobank is a mature prospective cohort, which allowed us to assess whether protein-cancer associations were being driven by altered protein levels in individuals who were likely to have preclinical disease at blood draw and/or persisted with longer follow-up. Nonetheless, some haematological cancers can be present long before clinical diagnosis, such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia 32 , 33 . Further, liver and kidney disease both have risk factors, including cirrhosis and chronic kidney disease, respectively, that we may expect to perturb the blood proteome far in advance of diagnosis. It is therefore possible that associations with risk observed more than seven years before diagnosis may still be due to either reverse causality or be markers of established risk factors and not aetiological. However, proteins associated with cancer risk long before diagnosis and that have support from complementary genetic analyses may warrant follow-up as potential cancer risk factors.

We also note that we only analysed protein concentrations measured at baseline and therefore were not able to address potential regression dilution bias, which may have led to underestimates of relative risks. Also, while this is the largest cohort study of plasma proteins and cancer to date, we had relatively limited power to detect protein-cancer associations for less common cancer sites and subsites that nonetheless hold substantial public health importance. Finally, the UK Biobank predominantly consists of adults of White ethnicity and who have a more favourable risk profile compared to the national UK population 34 . Proteomics holds significant promise for developing future cancer prevention initiatives that are needed to address the predicted increase in cancer burden among diverse populations, and so further studies into the proteomics of cancer risk including in non-White populations are necessary 35 . This is especially important as the limited observational and genetic evidence suggests that inherited determinants of proteins and the protein-cancer associations can vary between populations of different ancestry 27 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 .

Several research priorities are leading from our findings that are necessary to pursue to more fully understand the roles of proteins in cancer development and progression. These priorities include more large-scale prospective data from mature cohorts, such as in the European Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), to replicate our findings, and further complementary genetic studies, including Mendelian randomisation analyses. As new GWAS data for cancers of the blood, liver, and kidney become available, further investigations into aetiology using genetic epidemiology will be possible. Where protein associations prove replicable, it will be necessary to better understand their role at the tissue and cellular level. This is of particular interest given proteins are the target of 98% of all drugs and that 38 of our candidate aetiological proteins are the target of existing drugs, of which nine had further directionally concordant evidence from genetic analyses supporting their role in cancer development 40 . Nonetheless, substantial additional research would be needed to assess any potential for therapeutic prevention, including functional and experimental studies, and those to assess potential toxicity.

In conclusion, we discovered multiple associations between blood proteins and cancer risk. Many of these were detectable more than seven years before cancer diagnosis and had concordant evidence from genetic analyses, suggesting they may have a role in cancer development. We also identified proteins that may mark early cancer processes among carriers of established cancer risk variants, which may serve as potential biomarkers for risk stratification and early diagnosis.

Observational data

Ethical approval.

The study was approved by the National Information Governance Board for Health and Social Care and the National Health Service Northwest Multicenter Research Ethics Committee (06/MRE08/65).

Study population

This study is based on data from the UK Biobank participants, a prospective cohort of 503,317 adults aged between 39 and 73, recruited between 2006 and 2010 from across the UK. The study design and rationale have been described elsewhere 34 , 41 . Briefly, eligible participants were those registered with the National Health Service in England, Scotland or Wales who lived within travelling distance of one of the 22 assessment centres in these regions. In total, ~5% of invited participants joined the study by attending a baseline visit, where they completed a touchscreen questionnaire, had anthropometric data and biological samples taken by trained staff, and gave informed written consent to be followed up through national record linkage.

Exposure and outcome assessment

Non-fasting blood samples were collected from all participants at recruitment and plasma was prepared and stored at −80 °C. Protein measurements were generated using the Olink Proximity Extension Assay in 54,306 participants selected as part of the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project (UKB-PPP). Samples were selected for inclusion in the UKB-PPP based on a number of factors described in detail elsewhere 38 . In brief, an initial 5500 were pre-selected by UKB-PPP members. A further 44,502 representative participant samples were selected from the UK Biobank, stratified by age, sex, and recruitment centre. The remaining samples were chosen as part of a second-picking process based on a variety of criteria including membership of a COVID-19 case-control imaging study. Plasma samples were transferred to the Olink Analyses Service, Uppsala, Sweden for measurements.

Olink assay technology and analyses are described in detail elsewhere 42 . In brief, the relative abundance of 1463 proteins was quantified using antibodies distributed across four 384-plex panels: inflammation, oncology, cardiometabolic, and neurology. Blood samples were assayed in four 384-well plates consisting of four abundance blocks for each of the four panels per 96 samples using the Olink Explore platform, which is based on proximity extension assays (PEA) that are highly sensitive and reproducible with low cross-reactivity. Relative concentrations of the 1463 unique proteins were read out by next-generation sequencing. Measurements are expressed as normalised protein expression (NPX) values that are log-base-2 transformed. Protein values below the limit of detection (LOD) were replaced with the LOD divided by the square root of 2 and each protein was rescaled to have a mean of 0 and a standard deviation (SD) of 1 27 . Protein values were subsequently inverse rank normal transformed.

Cancer registration and death data were obtained through record linkage to national registries (NHS Digital for England and Wales using participants’ NHS numbers, and NHS Central Register for Scotland using the Community Health Index). Data were available until the censoring date (December 31, 2020, in England and Wales and November 30, 2021, in Scotland) or until participants died, withdrew consent for future linkage or were reported to have left the United Kingdom. Further information on data linkage is available from https://biobank.ndph.ox.ac.uk/crystal/crystal/docs/CancerLinkage.pdf ). For the observational analyses, the endpoints were defined as the first incident cancer diagnosis, or cancer first recorded in death certificate if there was no previous record of a cancer diagnosis [all coded using the 10th revision of the World Health Organisation’s International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD-10)]: head and neck (C00–14, C32), oesophagus (C15), stomach (C16), colorectum (C18–20), liver (C22), pancreas (C25), lung (C34), malignant melanoma (C43), breast in women (C50), uterine (C54), ovary (C56), prostate (C61), kidney (C64–65), bladder (C67), brain (C71), thyroid (C73), and the blood cancer subgroups non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL; C82–85), multiple myeloma (C90), and leukaemia (C91–95). The following subclassifications of these cancer groupings were also considered: oral (C00–14) and lip and oral cavity (C00–06) within head and neck cancers (C00–14, C32); adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus (C15, morphology codes ICD-O-3 8140–8573) within oesophageal cancer (C15); colon (C18) and rectum (including rectosigmoid junction, C19–20) within colorectal cancer (C18–20); adenocarcinoma of the lung (C34, morphology codes ICD-O-3 8140, 8211, 8250–8260, 8310, 8323, 8480–8490 and 8550), squamous cell carcinoma (C34, morphology codes ICD-O-3 8070-8072), small cell carcinoma (C34, morphology codes ICD-O-3 8041-8042) within lung cancer (C34); and diffuse lymphoma (C83) within NHL (C82–85). The person-years of follow-up were calculated from the date of recruitment until the date of first registration of malignant cancer, death due to cancer, death, loss or end of follow-up, or censoring date, whichever came first.

Exome-sequencing in the UK Biobank and exonic pQTL discovery

Exome-sequencing data preparation and quality control procedures in the UK Biobank have been previously described 43 . In brief, exome capture was done using the IDT xGen Exome Research Panel v1.0 that underwent 75 bp paired-end Illumina sequencing on the NovaSeq 6000 platform using the S2 and S4 flow cells. BWA-MEM was used to map reads to GRCh38 with variant calling performed by DeepVariant using a 100 bp buffer at each site of the custom target regions. We extracted 27,335 exome variants associated with circulating protein concentrations on the Olink Explore panel at p  < 5 × 10 −8 reported by Dhindsa et al. for 50,829 UK Biobank participants 44 . The exome variants reported by Dhindsa et al. underwent a different pipeline using AstraZeneca’s Genomics Research (CGR) bioinformatics pipeline 44 . Single Nucleotide variants (SNV) and small insertions and deletions (INDEL) were additionally annotated to SnpEFF v4.3 against Ensembl Build 38.92 45 .

Exclusion and inclusion criteria

Olink proteomics was measured in EDTA plasma on 54,221 UK Biobank participants. Two participants were removed due to withdrawn consent from the UK Biobank and 1429 samples were removed as part of quality control procedures. These procedures included identifying and excluding participants with a median protein value or median interquartile range across all protein values that lay more than five standard deviations outside the scaled mean median protein value or mean median interquartile range across all protein values in the cohort. More details can be found in a previous publication by the UKB-PPP 46 . We further excluded 2969 participants due to cancer diagnosis at or before baseline (except non-melanoma skin cancer C44), 37 whose self-reported sex did not match their genetic sex, 242 who had missing information on height or weight, 2113 who were currently using hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives, and 2709 who reported having diabetes at baseline. Following these exclusions, the maximal analysis cohort included 44,645 participants (see Supplementary Fig.  1 for participant flowchart).

Statistical analysis

All analyses were conducted using Stata release 18.1 and R version 4.1.2. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each cancer site separately using Cox proportional hazards regression models with age as the underlying time variable. Missing data in covariates were handled by assigning participants to an “unknown” category for each respective variable. The minimally adjusted models were stratified by age group at recruitment (< 45, 45–49, 50–54, 55–59, 60–64, and ≥ 65 years) and self-reported gender where applicable and adjusted for geographical region (London, North-West, North-East, Yorkshire and Humber, West Midlands, East Midlands, South-East, South-West, Wales, and Scotland), and Townsend deprivation index (fifths, unknown). Multivariable-adjusted models were additionally adjusted for cancer-specific risk factors (see Extended “Methods”). Cancer-specific risk factors were chosen upon review of the literature and restricted to variables available in the UK Biobank. We used an effective number of tests (ENT) correction for multiple testing, applied in a family-wise manner by cancer type. The ENT method accounts for multiple tests by applying a Bonferroni correction that determines the number of independent tests as the number of principal components needed to explain 95% of the variance in protein abundance. In this case, this was 639 independent tests 27 .

We examined protein and cancer-risk associations by time to diagnosis (diagnosed in < 3 years, 3–7 years, and > 7 years of follow-up) to investigate the potential effects of reverse causality. We also conducted a sensitivity analysis by self-reported sex (women and men) to investigate potential sex differences for protein-cancer associations that passed multiple testing corrections. We tested the heterogeneity of risk coefficients between the subgroups in each stratified analysis using inverse variance weighting, testing for statistical significance with a χ2 test with k-1 degrees of freedom, where k is the number of subgroups. Finally, we further adjusted the 618 ENT significant risk-factor adjusted protein-cancer associations for time since the last meal to investigate the potential impact of fasting status.

Integrating existing publicly available datasets on gene expression

To provide greater biological context for identified protein-cancer associations, we extracted single-cell RNA expression from the Human Protein Atlas to describe mRNA expression in cancer-free individuals for genes that code for the identified protein markers in our main observational analyses 47 . Normalised expression levels were extracted for genes in 30 different human tissues and 82 cell types. Gene expression specificity at the cell or tissue type level was calculated as the ratio of each gene cell type or tissue expression to the total expression of each gene across all cell or tissue types. We subsequently grouped genes into majority expression (more than 50% of total expression in each cell or tissue type) and enriched expression (between 10% and 50% of total expression in each cell type or tissue). For proteins with either mRNA enriched or majority expression in at least one cell or tissue type, we also mapped these to their likely candidate cell and tissue of origin where possible.

We gathered information on the potential druggability of proteins with evidence of a cancer risk association in our main analyses by extracting information on whether a protein was the target of a known drug from the Open Targets Platform 48 . Subsequently, we filtered information from Open Targets to identify drugs that were approved and on the market by additionally cross-referencing against the ChEMBL database and other drug databases including DailyMed and the Electronic Medicines Compendium 49 , 50 , 51 . Proteins identified as the target of an available drug were additionally annotated with information on whether the effect of the drug would act to reduce or increase the proposed protein association with cancer risk.

Cis-pQTL and exome-wide genetic score on cancer outcomes

We further investigated protein-cancer associations identified after correction for multiple testing in observational analyses using two genetic approaches: single cis- pQTL risk analyses, where cis- pQTL were available for the protein of interest, and using an exome-wide genetic score approach. No exonic variants were identified by Dhindsa et al. for PREB, ING1, NPM1, PQBP1, SEPTIN9, KRT14 and ARTN and so were not considered in these analyses. In all exome-wide analyses, variants were oriented to the protein-increasing allele and exGS were calculated by summing the number of independent (clumping r 2  < 0.05, 10,000KB) protein-increasing alleles, weighted by betas reported in Dhindsa et al., and projected in up to 337,543 European UK Biobank participants with exome-sequencing (Supplementary Data  10 ) using PLINK2 52 . We subsequently used logistic regression models to estimate the association of each genetically predicted protein with cancer risk, using both cis- pQTL and exGS models, for each protein-cancer association identified in observational analyses. Models were adjusted for age, sex, and the first 10 genetic principal components of ancestry. For sex-specific cancers (breast, prostate, ovary and uterine), sex was excluded from the model. Trans- pQTL single variant analyses were conducted to contextualise which genes may drive protein associations with cancer risk from exGS analyses. In addition, we annotated exGS and single variant analyses with pLi from gnomAD and used IntOGen to annotate driver genes 26 , 53 . In the exome analysis, conventional significance was defined as p  < 0.05, while Bonferroni correction was used as the threshold for multiple test correction across the number of cis -pQTL or exGS analysed for cis -pQTL or exome-wide genetic scores, respectively.

Combined evidence from prospective observational and genetic analyses

To enhance our understanding of a protein’s likelihood of having a role in cancer aetiology, we combined evidence from observational long time-to-diagnosis analyses (> 7 years between blood drawn and diagnosis), cis -pQTL analyses, and exGS analyses, and categorised protein-cancer associations by degree of directionally concordant support from each of these three analyses. Acknowledging that not all proteins may have cis -pQTL, we ranked proteins as most likely to be aetiological risk factors if all three types of analyses supported an association at conventional significance, followed by long time-to-diagnosis and cis -pQTL analyses, then long time-to-diagnosis and exGS, exGS and cis-pQTL, and finally any one of long time-to-diagnosis, cis -pQTL, or exGS analyses.

Reporting summary

Further information on research design is available in the  Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article.

Data availability

This research has been conducted using the UK Biobank Resource under Application Number 67506. Researchers can apply to use the UK Biobank resource for health-related research that is in the public interest ( https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/register-apply/ ). We wish to express our gratitude to the participants and those involved in building the resource.  Source data are provided with this paper.

Code availability

The code and weights for the protein profiles generated in this study can be found: https://github.com/GenomicEPIOX/paper_1463_proteins_19_cancers_UKBB/tree/main .

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Cancer Research UK (grant numbers C8221/A29017 and C8221/A29186) to fund the centralised pooling, checking and data analysis. Keren Papier is supported by Wellcome, Our Planet Our Health (Livestock, Environment and People—LEAP) [grant number 205212/Z/16/Z]. Tammy Tong is supported by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship (MR/X032809/1). Trishna Desai is supported by a Cancer Research UK studentship (grant number C8221/A30904). Chibuzor F. Ogamba is supported by an NDPH studentship. The funders had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

Keren Papier, Joshua R. Atkins, Tammy Y. N. Tong, Kezia Gaitskell, Trishna Desai, Chibuzor F. Ogamba, Mahboubeh Parsaeian, Gillian K. Reeves, Tim J. Key, Karl Smith-Byrne & Ruth C. Travis

Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

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Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK

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These authors contributed equally: Keren Papier, and Joshua R Atkins These authors jointly supervised this work: Karl Smith-Byrne, Ruth C Travis Study concept and design: K.P., J.R.A., K.S.B. and R.C.T. Statistical analysis and draughting of the initial manuscript: K.P., J.R.A. and K.S.B. Interpretation of the data, critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, and approval of the final submitted version: K.P., J.R.A., T.Y.N.T., K.G., T.D., C.F.O., M.P., G.K.R., I.G.M., T.J.K., K.S.B. and R.C.T.

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Papier, K., Atkins, J.R., Tong, T.Y.N. et al. Identifying proteomic risk factors for cancer using prospective and exome analyses of 1463 circulating proteins and risk of 19 cancers in the UK Biobank. Nat Commun 15 , 4010 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-48017-6

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Research Status, Hot Spots and Frontiers Related to Chinese Banking in the Wave of Digital Transformation: Bibliometric Analysis and Knowledge Graph

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Today, the digital transformation of banks is a hot topic in both theory and practice. In recent years, the number of relevant research results has increased significantly, and the research focus, level and perspective are complicated. So it is necessary to systematically summarize and sort out it, and build a relatively complete knowledge graph to provide support for subsequent research. At the same time, it can provide useful reference for the banking industry and policy makers. In this paper, CiteSpace is used to analyze the literatures of bank digital transformation. Firstly, the research status is analyzed from the aspects of publication trends, institutions and authors. Secondly, through keyword co-occurrence, keyword clustering and keyword burst analysis, the research hotspots and evolution trend are studied. Finally, we construct the knowledge graph of bank digital transformation, and six research topics are identified. In addition, we propose five possible research directions in the future.

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Acknowledgement

This research is supported by Guangzhou key industrial technology project modern industrial technology under Grant 201802010035.

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Jiangping Wan, Jiahong Lin & Siting Lin

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Wan, J., Lin, J., Lin, S. (2024). Research Status, Hot Spots and Frontiers Related to Chinese Banking in the Wave of Digital Transformation: Bibliometric Analysis and Knowledge Graph. In: Tu, Y.P., Chi, M. (eds) E-Business. New Challenges and Opportunities for Digital-Enabled Intelligent Future. WHICEB 2024. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 515. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-60264-1_7

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