Establishing researcher identity as an emerging scholar

Abstract Becoming a researcher not only involves the acts of contributing to the body of knowledge in a field but also constructing the image or identity of a researcher. Doctoral students who aim for positions within academia upon graduation see doctoral education as a phase in which they develop their research and publication skills. An existing body of literature in the field of writing has explored doctoral students’ experiences in research and publication focusing on the role of the external factors, such as mentoring, resource accessibility, issue of authority, and so on. Other studies have explored how various experiences facilitate or inhibit the development of research skills. However, less attention has been paid to the role of internal motivators or intrinsic factors in doctoral writing and how these factors relate to research work and research productivity. Using a narrative approach, this study explores the experiences of four doctoral students in developing a researcher identity, focusing on the challenges that they face, and the role of the doctoral program in shaping their researcher identity. This study offers insights into doctoral students’ training and advising by illustrating how research productivity can be enhanced at the doctoral level.