Researcher developers traversing the borderlands: credibility and pedagogy in the third space

Researcher developers conduct their work in the borderlands between academic disciplines and university administration. Navigating this third space [Berman, J. E., and T. Pitman. 2010. “Occupying a ‘Third Space’: Research Trained Professional Staff in Australian Universities.” Higher Education 60 (2): 157–169. doi:10.1007/s10734-009-9292-z] presents both challenges and opportunities for researcher developers as they mark out their responsibilities to doctoral candidates. Drawing on the work of [Evans, L. 2011. “The Scholarship of Researcher Development: Mapping the Terrain and Pushing Back Boundaries.” International Journal for Researcher Development 2 (2): 75–98. doi:10.1108/17597511111212691] and [Little, D., and D. A. Green. 2021. “Credibility in Educational Development: Trustworthiness, Expertise, and Identification.” Higher Education Research & Development: 1–16. doi:10.1080/07294360.2020.1871325], this provocation reflects on the role of the researcher developer working with PhD candidates and suggests a pedagogy that enhances credibility in this borderland work.