In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, a reader writes:

I'm still in grad school and want to submit a paper to journals. There is a place where I'd like to acknowledge in a footnote a committee member's help with specific phrasing. Should I just acknowledge them in a specific footnote or in the general acknowledgement section? My work has also benefitted a lot from discussions with them in general as well as with other committee members, but I don't remember where so will have to just acknowledge them generally. Would it be bad to just cite one in a specific footnote without the others?

Another reader submitted the following reply:

I wouldn't give it more than 1/2 a second's thought. Thank them together in the acknowledgements, individually, both, neither, whatever.

Maybe so, but I think it might be interesting to hear from others. I've always been a bit uncertain about how to best acknowledge people in papers, and wonder if there are any particular norms or best practices that people think exist here. What do you all think?

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2 responses to “Norms for acknowledgments?”

  1. TT

    I’m glad for the OP that they’ve had lots of positive interactions and help on the paper. But like the previous commenter, this honestly is not a big deal. But first off, if you’re just sending it off for review, it should be blinded anyway, so don’t include acknowledgements! After it’s accepted, just stick acknowledgments at the very end or whatever. Or footnote a thank you to the specific person who helped bring up a point. All in all not a big deal.
    I’ve been thanked in acknowledgements for papers I never even read or commented on, probably out of an abundance of caution. Same for my own papers. Just do the same and you’ll be fine.

  2. Tam

    I probably wouldn’t thank someone explicitly in a part of the paper (as opposed to general acknowledgements for phrasing help; I only do this if it’s their idea. Especially since they are a committee member. But this is just my instinct, it costs you nothing so go for it! Always nice to be thanked. Like the other commenter said, don’t sweat it either way (easier said than not). If you want to do it, something like ‘I’m grateful to X for their help formulating this point/sentence/principle/whatever’.

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