Animal research practices and doctoral student identity development in a scientific community

This article examines doctoral student identity development in regard to engagement with research practices. Using animal research as a contextual lens, it considers how students develop an identity congruent to their perception of the community which facilitates their social and cognitive activities. The shared, interpretive understanding among members of a community legitimizes group activities. Students demonstrate conflicting responses to the act of animal research: first, as an emotional, empathic layperson and second, as a detached scientist. Tension exists in regard to these dualistic responses as the students move through their degree program. Not only did the skillful mastery of such research practices facilitate a student’s socialization to the field, but it also serves as a mechanism to foster integration within the larger scientific community.