Abstract
Interdisciplinary researchers can be perceived as valuable but also as dilettantistic. Therefore, claiming an interdisciplinary self and identity is not a straightforward task. This paper draws on a narrative-discursive psychology approach to analyse the biographical narrative of a postdoctoral researcher to position himself successfully as interdisciplinary. This autobiographical story was published in the scientific journal Nature. The analysis of this account identifies a number of discursive resources that can be used for the construction of oneself as an interdisciplinary researcher, and for the negotiation of this position as convenient and desirable.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Brigitte Nerlich and Alison Pilnick, as well as two anonymous reviewers, for their advice and insightful comments. Thanks also to the editor of this special issue of Contemporary Social Science. Special thanks to Fabio Paglieri and the editorial board of Nature for their permission to reproduce the article analysed here. The author's doctoral studies are funded by the National Council on Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACYT), grant no. 353322. This paper does not represent any conflict of interests.
Notes on contributor
Carlos Adrian Cuevas-Garcia studied sociology in Mexico. Currently, he is completing a Ph.D. in science and technology studies at the University of Nottingham. Alongside interdisciplinarity, his research interests include science and society interaction, professions and construction of expertise in public domains.