Does social identity matter in software engineering? Assessing the case of research software engineers

TL;DR

This study investigates the role of social identity among Research Software Engineers, revealing its influence on professional wellbeing through analysis of social media, blogs, and surveys.

Contribution

It introduces an interdisciplinary approach combining social psychology and software engineering to understand RSE identity development.

Findings

Emergence of a collective RSE identity

Social identity influences professional wellbeing

Analysis of 28,000 social media posts and 1,700 blogs

Abstract

Social identity is a concept from psychology that refers to the part of an individual's identity that derives from their group membership(s). In this paper, we explore social identity in members of the professional community of Research Software Engineers (RSEs). Using a mixed-methods approach, our study combined computational linguistic analysis and inferential statistics to examine over 28,000 social media posts, 1,700 blogs, and survey responses from 381 professional RSEs. The findings highlight the emergence of a collective RSE identity and demonstrate its role in shaping professional wellbeing. This study contributes an interdisciplinary perspective by integrating social psychology and software engineering to show how a professional identity evolves and why it matters.