Escritura e identidad en contextos de investigación

The purpose of this article is threefold. First, to share some theoretical advances regarding the notions of research writing and identity that allow us to analyze the relationships between them. Second, to discuss some recent empirical evidence that endorses these advances; and, finally, to explore the implications that emerge from said evidence for research and for training new researchers. Theoretical advances establish, on the one hand, the dialogic and hybrid collaborative nature of research writing. On the other hand, recent conceptual developments also discussed the dialogical and situated nature of identity as it corresponds to positions of the self in the different situations in which an individual participates. Positioning as an author when writing investigative genres is crucial to becoming a researcher. Empirical evidence about the relationships between research identity and research writing development comes from recent studies with shared methodological foundations regarding mixed longitudinal designs with multimodal instruments. Such evidence indicates the existence of different writers’ profiles that mediate their development as researchers. In turn, the writers exhibit differential trajectories and forms of participation in their community based on their profiles. In other words, their position in their research community relates to their conceptions of writing and of themselves as writers. The final section outlines the conceptual, research, and pedagogical implications that those who teach research writing should bear in mind if our aim is not only for students to increase their knowledge but also to develop as authors and, ultimately, become researchers.