Publications and Acknowledgments

*Note: This page was translated by AI from the Japanese original. In case of any discrepancy, the Japanese version shall prevail.

When you publish research results using data obtained with our facilities or support, please acknowledge the use of the Division in principle. This includes journal papers, conference presentations (oral and poster), and theses.

Several organizations, programs, and support schemes are involved in installing, maintaining, and supporting the use of our equipment. Each of them needs to secure funding and to collect and track the research outcomes and support records.

Because many organizations and programs are involved, acknowledgments have become complicated. We apologize for the inconvenience and ask that you acknowledge the organizations, programs, and support schemes that were actually involved in your use. You do not need to list organizations that were not involved.

In particular, the Division’s equipment is now registered in the Research equipment sharing system (SHARE) of the Core Facility Center (CFC), and Tohoku University users are required to register with SHARE and submit equipment usage applications. An acknowledgment based on the CFC Regulations is therefore also required. Regardless of the former rule that acknowledgment was “optional for self-operated use by IMR members,” because Tohoku University users must now apply through SHARE, acknowledging both the Division and CFC/SHARE is required for all Tohoku University users, whether inside or outside IMR.

This page summarizes example statements, how to combine multiple statements, and the conditions (with their basis) under which a statement may be omitted, and will be updated as needed. To reduce your workload, we also provide an acknowledgment generator. If you are unsure which statements apply to you, please contact us.

Requests When Publishing

• Include the statements corresponding to the organizations, programs, and support schemes you used.
• Requirements depend on when you actually used the equipment and under which category, not on when you publish.
• After publishing, please also report your publication to the Division (separate from ARIM usage reports).
• Naming the instrument in your methods section is recommended, but it does not replace the acknowledgment.

Why Acknowledgments Are Required, and Their Basis

The Division of Analytical Electron Microscopy (AEM) is the managing body that installs, maintains, and supports the use of its equipment, including equipment provided to the ARIM program. We therefore ask you to acknowledge the Division regardless of the usage category (Analysis frame, ARIM frame, etc.). In addition, CFC/SHARE, ARIM/CINTS, and other statements are required depending on the framework you used.

“Regulation” means a rule set out in regulations; “agreement items” are conditions of use accepted when applying; “request” means a request from a program or scheme. See Sources for versions and check dates.

Statements by Type of Use

Standard combinations under the current operation (as of November 13, 2026).

• The Analysis frame is for Tohoku University members using the equipment themselves for academic purposes (external users should use the ARIM (CINTS) frame).
• SHARE is planned to be extended to external users from January 2027, but the official start date and scope are not yet fixed. This page and the generator will be updated when confirmed.
• The CFC/SHARE statement applies to the use of equipment registered with CFC (SHARE). The Division’s equipment was registered in October 2026 (use from October 2026 is covered). For earlier use, follow the guidance in effect at the time.
• Add statements for other support schemes (e.g., young researcher support) if applicable.

Combined AEM + CFC/SHARE Statement (Standard for Tohoku University Users)

This example combines into one sentence the items required by the Division and by CFC/SHARE (use of the Division, registration in the CFC sharing system, equipment number and name). Tohoku University users should normally use this form.

Division policy Combines the CFC example (organization, sharing system, equipment number and name) with the Division name; satisfies CFC Article 12 and Agreement Item 10. Basis: Division of Analytical Electron Microscopy, IMR: Agreement Items for Usage Applications (Items 9 and 10; exception for CINTS non-public projects), Regulations on the Use of Equipment of the Core Facility Center, Tohoku University, Article 12 (Acknowledgments) [Japanese only], Tohoku University Shared Equipment User Guide (Request for acknowledgments)

You may also use the CFC example as a separate sentence.

The equipment number is the number at the head of the equipment name in SHARE (CFC guide). For the Division’s equipment, a suffix (_1: ARIM, _2: Analysis Core) indicates the usage category; cite the number without the suffix (e.g., 550).

AEM Statement

If you did not use CFC (SHARE) (e.g., current external ARIM users, equipment not registered with CFC, use before registration), acknowledge the Division. Please name the instrument (if not, at least state the type such as TEM or FIB).

Division policy Wording drafted by the Division (Item 10 requires the use to be stated but does not prescribe fixed wording). Basis: Division of Analytical Electron Microscopy, IMR: Agreement Items for Usage Applications (Items 9 and 10; exception for CINTS non-public projects), Guidelines for Use of the Division, Section 8 “Reporting outcomes and acknowledgements”, FAQ regarding the Use of the Division, Q8

Additional ARIM/CINTS Statement

At Tohoku University, the ARIM program is used through CINTS. This page treats “ARIM/CINTS” as one category; separate statements for ARIM and CINTS are not needed. When using data from an ARIM public project, add the following wording prescribed by CINTS together with your 15-character ARIM project number, in addition to the AEM statement (or the combined AEM + CFC statement for Tohoku University users).

Verified against official source Wording prescribed by CINTS. Use your 15-character ARIM project number (JPMXP12..TU….). Basis: CINTS User Guide (Request for acknowledgments) [Japanese page], CINTS Regulations (Terms of use, ARIM equipment terms, data registration terms), IMR ARIM Project Unit: Usage Reports

• Use the project number for the fiscal year of use. If several projects or years are involved, list all relevant numbers.
• Check the name of the support field (platform) in your project notification.
• The nationwide ARIM example (with “JPMXP12” only) differs; for Tohoku University (CINTS) projects, use the CINTS wording.
• For CINTS non-public projects, the ARIM public-project statement is not required.

Other Support Schemes

Support System for Young Researchers to Use Shared Equipment

Add this statement only if you actually received the usage-fee support (being eligible by age or position is not enough). Since the revision of October 1, 2026, the support covers CFC (SHARE) registered equipment only.

Program for Supporting Construction of Core Facilities

CFC asks for the following statement for use of CFC-registered equipment from July 2021 (the last two digits of the grant number are the year of use; e.g., use in 2022 → JPMXS0440600022). The program ran until FY2025, before the Division’s equipment was registered with CFC (October 2026), so it does not normally apply to the Division’s equipment. For other CFC-registered equipment, follow the CFC guide. Do not use a grant number you cannot confirm.

Acknowledging Staff and Co-authorship

If you use data obtained with support from our staff (in either the Analysis or CINTS frame), please state the staff’s contribution according to the level of support.

• Not needed: use of the equipment as a user facility (operated by yourself, minor technical help)
• Acknowledgment: support not requiring academic judgment by staff (standard specimen preparation, observation without searching for fields of view or orientation, low-to-medium magnification observation, EDS mapping, etc.)
• Co-authorship (joint research): support requiring academic judgment (difficult specimen preparation, observation requiring field/orientation search, indexing or simulation, comments on the content). Please consult the staff in advance if you wish to collaborate.

If a staff member is a co-author, an acknowledgment of that person is not needed (acknowledge staff who are not co-authors). However, co-authorship does not remove the need to acknowledge the Division, CFC, ARIM, or other facilities and programs.

Combining and Omitting Statements

Combining several statements into one sentence is different from omitting an acknowledgment of an organization or program. Even when combining, keep the information that identifies each body (organization name, equipment number and name, project number, etc.).

If you are unsure whether something may be omitted, do not omit it and contact us. Confirmed conditions will be added to this page.

Equipment Names and Numbers

CFC (SHARE) equipment numbers of the Division’s equipment, checked against the Research Infrastructure Portal, the CFC Regulations on Equipment and Usage Fees (applied from November 1, 2026), and SHARE registration data.

The equipment number is the number at the head of the equipment name in SHARE (CFC guide). For the Division’s equipment, a suffix (_1: ARIM, _2: Analysis Core) indicates the usage category; cite the number without the suffix (e.g., 550).

Acknowledgment Generator

Your inputs are processed only in your browser and are never sent to or stored on any server or external service. Enter the project number actually issued to you (the format is checked, but authenticity cannot be verified).

Reporting Your Publications

When you first publish results obtained with our facilities or support, please provide the information to the Division (Agreement Item 9). Please also cooperate in reporting results published within about five years of use (optional after five years).

• What to report: venue (conference or journal), title, presenters/authors, date, DOI, etc.
• Where to report: a reporting form is in preparation. Until then, please use the contact page.
• We may ask you to write a summary for IMR reports or public relations materials (e.g., IMR Research Highlights).

ARIM usage reports and outcome information are a separate procedure. ARIM public projects require an ARIM usage report (web entry in principle; publication can be deferred for up to two years) and registration of outcomes such as paper DOIs and presentations. See IMR ARIM Project Unit: Usage Reports and the CINTS regulations. Report to the Division and to ARIM as applicable.

Sources, Regulations, and Official Links

Contact

If you are unsure whether or how to acknowledge, please contact the Division. For ARIM projects and usage reports, see also CINTS and the IMR ARIM Project Unit; for CFC-registered equipment and the young researcher support, see the CFC guide.

Last Updated and Change Log

Last checked: November 13, 2026 (data version 2026-11-13.1)

• November 13, 2026: First version (sources checked on November 13, 2026).
• November 13, 2026: Revised the wording: acknowledgment is required for in-house self-operated use not because of a policy change, but because use by Tohoku University members now goes through SHARE applications. Confirmed (no longer provisional) that the equipment number is cited without its usage-category suffix (_1/_2).

*This post was created by an AI agent.