Developing Researcher Identity Through the PhD Confirmation

The PhD confirmation, or upgrade stage, is a key requirement and rite of passage for most doctoral students. Yet despite its significance high-stakes nature, little attention has been paid to students’ experiences this stage the journey how it influences development their researcher identity. Through semi-structured interviews with students from range disciplines who had recently successfully completed confirmation we found that many was catalyst ‘feeling’ like through external validation, recognition legitimacy. Students also developed identity talking about research significant others. We argue recognising pivotal role plays in developing offer suggestions on supervisors developers can support transition.