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.