Negotiating identity in the age of ChatGPT: non-native English researchers’ experiences with AI-assisted academic writing

Abstract

In recent years, the academic community has witnessed a surge of research articles generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, particularly ChatGPT. This development introduces not only ethical and practical concerns but also new possibilities and tensions in identity negotiation for researchers—particularly those writing in English as an additional language—a topic that remains under-investigated. As such, this study examines how non-native English researchers navigate their identity construction and negotiation when using ChatGPT in their research writing. Employing a qualitative exploratory design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 non-native English researchers. Findings revealed five identity configurations: reluctant adoption (initial use marked by secrecy and moral tension), conditional alignment (critical acceptance of ChatGPT as a linguistic scaffold), strategic realignment (redefinition of the ideal self around performance and output), lingering dissonance (continued internal conflict despite academic success), and reflective congruence (integration of AI use as an ethically managed scholarly practice). These configurations illustrate varying degrees of (in)congruence between self-image, ideal self, and self-esteem, mediated through ChatGPT use in research writing, with potential disciplinary similarities and differences. These findings underscore the complex, evolving nature of researcher identity in AI-mediated environments and suggest that identity negotiation can be a matter of epistemic values, ethical engagement, and institutional expectations. Implications point to the need for researchers to critically reflect on how AI tools mediate their scholarly voice and professional identity, for academic institutions to foster reflective policies that support responsible AI use, and for publishers and the wider academic community to reassess authorship norms in light of emerging technological practices.