Maintaining Our Sense of Belonging in Writing and Research

Belonging is a fundamental human need (Baumeister & Leary, 1995), and while our need to belong might vary for different contexts and situations, generally speaking, it is considered an essential component of mental health, well-being, and satisfaction with work.

Yet, as the Knowledge Retreat explores, the writing and research process can involve challenges and obstacles that might lead academics to question, does my work belong in this space? Or, worse, do I belong in this workplace? These challenges can lead to a low sense of belonging and feelings of imposter syndrome. It may lead some writers and researchers to be stifled in their process or abandon writing and research altogether.

There are known facilitators of belonging that could be applied to the writing and research process as outlined in the integrative framework on belonging (Allen et al., 2021b). These strategies and approaches fall under four domains: perceptions, motivations, opportunities, and competencies. They will be discussed as they relate to writing and research.

Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome refers to a pattern of behaviour wherein individuals doubt their skills and achievements, despite their record of success (Mullangi & Jagsi, 2019). Individuals with imposter syndrome tend to attribute their achievements to external factors, such as luck. They experience a constant fear of being exposed as a fraud (Mullangi & Jagsi, 2019).

While imposter syndrome is not unique to academia, it is something that many academics will experience at one point or another. There is an abundance of highly accomplished, more productive, better-cited colleagues to compare yourself to. Bothello and Roulet (2019) urge scholars to remember that their perceptions of success are skewed. Well-published colleagues do not represent the norm. They are simply more visible than others.

Barriers to Belonging

Rejection

The success of an academic is based largely on their publishing record. Although rejection rates for articles submitted for publication are consistently high (Allen et al., 2020) – ranging between 50 to 90 percent – the experience of rejection still feels discouraging. This “culture of rejection” (Allen et al., 2020, p. 1) adversely affects academics' mental health and productivity and may lead some to question their belonging.

Peer-Review Criticisms

A growing number of academics have pointed to the flaws in the peer-review system (Allen et al., 2022a). One perceived flaw is the occasional harsh criticism and deficit-oriented feedback that academics receive on rejected papers. Reviewers are encouraged to identify what is wrong with a paper, meaning that in most cases, researchers receive only negative feedback (Allen et al., 2022b).

Sometimes reviews are just toxic or abusive. Considering the immense time and effort that goes into research and writing, negative feedback can be crushing. The experience of rejection coupled with negative criticisms can significantly impact the feeling of belonging and contribute to imposter syndrome, particularly for junior academics.

Barriers to Diversity in the Publication Process

The publication process does not benefit all academics equally. Women in academia face inequities concerned with publishing and citations (Allen et al., 2021a). Publishers tend to favour a particular academic voice while presenting challenges for historically marginalised groups.

Although lower-ranking journals are more likely to publish papers from diverse voices, the number of reviewers willing to review for these journals is small (Allen et al., 2022). Some academics feel they will receive less recognition for reviewing lower-ranked journals.

This lack of diversity in published work may lead marginalised groups to question their belonging in the academy. Imposter syndrome has been found to be more present in women and under-represented racial, ethnic, and religious minorities (Chrousos & Mentis, 2020).

Imposter Syndrome Essential Reads

What People Get Wrong About Imposter Syndrome

How Writers Are a Perfect Target for Imposter Syndrome

Facilitators of Belonging

Perceptions

Senior academics have a role to play in normalising the challenges of the research and writing process. For example, some academics on Twitter and in published literature have advocated to “normalise rejection” (Kelly et al., 2020).

Academics can also share the intricacies of their research and writing process. Writing isn’t always clean and productive – ideas can strike in any form at any time. Hearing about the “realities” of writing may help junior academics overcome perfectionism or imposter syndrome thoughts.

Motivations

Being interested in and passionate about your research is essential. However, motivation can come in many other forms, including the potential impact of your work, incentives from institutions and publishers, awards for writing and research, or meeting personal goals. No matter the source, strong motivation can facilitate a sense of belonging.

Opportunities

Seeking out opportunities to connect with peers, share knowledge, and expand your social groups can combat feelings of impostorism or not belonging. Writing groups, research groups, and mentorship or buddy programs provide opportunities for academics to support each other through research and writing challenges.

Competencies

Building or strengthening competencies can help academics ensure that their behaviour is consistent with their peers’. For example, improving research, writing, or editing skills through further learning from webinars, conferences, personal development, or courses may reinforce the feeling that you have the necessary competencies to belong in academia.

Final Thoughts

This post addressed common barriers to belonging in academia and provided strategies to combat them. Ultimately, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and questions of belonging are entirely normal for academics, especially during the stressful research, writing, and publication process, but remember – you do belong here. Further resources can be found at The Knowledge Retreat.