Researcher Identities in Transition: Signals to Identify and Manage Spheres of Activity in a Risk Career

Montserrat Castelló; Gina Wisker; Sofie Kobayashi; Jenna Vekkaila

Researcher Identities in Transition: Signals to Identify and Manage Spheres of Activity in a Risk Career

Montserrat Castelló, Gina Wisker, Sofie Kobayashi, Jenna Vekkaila

Abstract

Researchers are now embarked upon what we define as a ‘risk career’, rather than, as previously, a relatively more predictable academic career. In this changing context, traditional milestones that enabled early career researchers to build their identities are disappearing. Instead, what we define as other emergent ‘signals’, the latent or clear indications from institutions and academic communities regarding career directions and necessary professional skills and attitudes should be identified and interpreted for researchers to adequately develop their new identities.
The aim of this paper is twofold: a) to present a comprehensive framework of the notion of researcher identity by means of analysing those spheres of activity related to researcher and career development; and b) to relate researcher identities to the experiences of early career researchers with issues concerning signals, and strategies adopted to manage a risk career. Several case studies constructed from authors’ earlier work will be discussed in order to offer exemplar to identify issues and help manage the risk career, for researchers, supervisors and university managers.

Translated title of the contribution	Forskeridentiteter i overgange: Tegn til at identificere og håndtere aktivitetssfærer i en risiko-karriere
Original language	English
Publication date	2015
Number of pages	2
Publication status	Published - 2015
Event	16th Biennial EARLI Conference: Towards a reflective Society - Limassol, Cyprus Duration: 25 Aug 2015 → 29 Aug 2015 Conference number: 16

Conference

Conference	16th Biennial EARLI Conference
Number	16
Country/Territory	Cyprus
City	Limassol
Period	25/08/2015 → 29/08/2015

Cite this

@conference{26f1b85541bf430ba81a7764fa2432b8,

title = "Researcher Identities in Transition: Signals to Identify and Manage Spheres of Activity in a Risk Career",

abstract = "Researchers are now embarked upon what we define as a {\textquoteleft}risk career{\textquoteright}, rather than, as previously, a relatively more predictable academic career. In this changing context, traditional milestones that enabled early career researchers to build their identities are disappearing. Instead, what we define as other emergent {\textquoteleft}signals{\textquoteright}, the latent or clear indications from institutions and academic communities regarding career directions and necessary professional skills and attitudes should be identified and interpreted for researchers to adequately develop their new identities. The aim of this paper is twofold: a) to present a comprehensive framework of the notion of researcher identity by means of analysing those spheres of activity related to researcher and career development; and b) to relate researcher identities to the experiences of early career researchers with issues concerning signals, and strategies adopted to manage a risk career. Several case studies constructed from authors{\textquoteright} earlier work will be discussed in order to offer exemplar to identify issues and help manage the risk career, for researchers, supervisors and university managers.",

author = "Montserrat Castell{\'o} and Gina Wisker and Sofie Kobayashi and Jenna Vekkaila",

note = "Contribution to invited symposium: Trends influencing researcher education and careers: What do we know need to know and do in looking forward? ; 16th Biennial EARLI Conference ; Conference date: 25-08-2015 Through 29-08-2015",

year = "2015",

language = "English",

}

TY - ABST

T1 - Researcher Identities in Transition

T2 - 16th Biennial EARLI Conference

AU - Castelló, Montserrat

AU - Wisker, Gina

AU - Kobayashi, Sofie

AU - Vekkaila, Jenna

N1 - Conference code: 16

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - Researchers are now embarked upon what we define as a ‘risk career’, rather than, as previously, a relatively more predictable academic career. In this changing context, traditional milestones that enabled early career researchers to build their identities are disappearing. Instead, what we define as other emergent ‘signals’, the latent or clear indications from institutions and academic communities regarding career directions and necessary professional skills and attitudes should be identified and interpreted for researchers to adequately develop their new identities. The aim of this paper is twofold: a) to present a comprehensive framework of the notion of researcher identity by means of analysing those spheres of activity related to researcher and career development; and b) to relate researcher identities to the experiences of early career researchers with issues concerning signals, and strategies adopted to manage a risk career. Several case studies constructed from authors’ earlier work will be discussed in order to offer exemplar to identify issues and help manage the risk career, for researchers, supervisors and university managers.

AB - Researchers are now embarked upon what we define as a ‘risk career’, rather than, as previously, a relatively more predictable academic career. In this changing context, traditional milestones that enabled early career researchers to build their identities are disappearing. Instead, what we define as other emergent ‘signals’, the latent or clear indications from institutions and academic communities regarding career directions and necessary professional skills and attitudes should be identified and interpreted for researchers to adequately develop their new identities. The aim of this paper is twofold: a) to present a comprehensive framework of the notion of researcher identity by means of analysing those spheres of activity related to researcher and career development; and b) to relate researcher identities to the experiences of early career researchers with issues concerning signals, and strategies adopted to manage a risk career. Several case studies constructed from authors’ earlier work will be discussed in order to offer exemplar to identify issues and help manage the risk career, for researchers, supervisors and university managers.

M3 - Conference abstract for conference

Y2 - 25 August 2015 through 29 August 2015

ER -