Strategic authenticity: exploring choice and agency in research identity

This paper utilizes photo-elicitation of faculty website photos and semi-structured interviews (n = 20) to examine how research identity is expressed and developed across contexts, focusing on visual representation, authenticity and agency. We explore self-perception across personal, professional, and organizational dimensions, highlighting the organizational dimension as a distinct aspect of research identity. Findings suggest that authenticity extends beyond a real-versus-fake dichotomy, with identity work shaped by audience, setting, and purpose. Rather than viewing these variations as inauthentic, participants describe them as forms of ‘strategic authenticity,’ making intentional choices about what aspects of their identity to disclose or withhold across settings.