ABSTRACT
The author offers a creative interpretation of her experiences and interests to explore how doctoral research has impacted on her and how her past has shaped her understanding of research and research impact. She invites the reader to join in a playful exploration, through her allegorical relationship with wolves, of what it means to become an academic. For the author, the wolf has come to symbolise the development of her academic identity, counter-balanced by her wider identity as embodied within her relational roles of wife, parent and child. In folklore and mythology, the wolf is symbolic, taken to represent keen intelligence; deep connection with and expression of instincts; appetite for freedom; and a feeling of being threatened, lack of trust in oneself or others. Using a storied, transdisciplinary approach has also enabled her to present her research findings in accessible formats and to reach both academic and non-academic audiences.
