Joseph Yap (Senior Lecturer, SLIS, University of the Philippines) recently published his article, "Experiences of Foreign Doctoral Students in Librarianship: Navigating Professional Identities and Self Presentation," co-authored with Prof. Ragnar Audunson of Oslo Metropolitan University. The paper was accepted in the Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, published quarterly by the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE).
In their work, Yap and Audunson (2026) examined the professional and student identities of foreign PhD LIS students in Central Europe. The article explores how doctoral students navigate professional identities through social interactions and self-presentation to peers. The research investigates how advanced degrees shape a librarian’s professional identity. It also introduces Goffman’s concept of self-presentation, which involves projecting an image of credibility, authority, and trustworthiness. This observation is reflected in LIS students’ professional interactions before and during their PhD program.
The paper highlights that librarians continue to prioritize maintaining their professional identity and self-presentation despite holding advanced degrees, with a strong focus on delivering high-quality service.