  Research on acknowledgment sections of scientific papers has gained
significant attention, but there remains a dearth of studies examining
acknowledgments in the context of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. This
paper addresses this gap by investigating the sources of support for male and
female researchers in completing their master's or doctoral theses, focusing on
the discipline of Library and Information Science. We utilize a novel method of
extracting the various types of support systems that are acknowledged in 1252
ETDs using RoBERTa-based models. The most prominent forms of support
acknowledged by researchers are academic, moral, financial, and religious
support. While there are no significant gender-based differences in religious
and financial support, the ratio of academic to moral support acknowledged by
researchers shows strong gender-based variation. Additionally, advisors display
a preference for supervising same-gender researchers. By comprehending the
nuances of support systems and the unique challenges faced by researchers of
different genders, we can foster a more inclusive and supportive academic
environment. The insights gained from this research have implications for
improving mentoring practices and promoting gender equality in academia.
