As creativity plays an essential role in conducting research, this study was an attempt to investigate how EFL researchers conceptualize creativity in their research. To this end, we adopted a descriptive narrative design, collecting, and analyzing the autobiographical narratives of 12 Iranian EFL researchers. The deductive thematic analysis revealed that EFL researchers utilized various components of Amabile's componential model of creativity (1996) to conceptualize creativity in their research. Consequently, we identified three primary themes that encompassed EFL researchers' conceptualization of creativity in EFL research. These themes included the combination of knowledge and expertise to encourage creativity in research, the ability to think fluently and act flexibly when faced with problems, and the synergistic effect of independence and risk taking in supporting creativity in research. Therefore, it can be concluded that several factors, including proficiency, expertise, knowledge, ability to generate novel ideas, employ innovative problem-solving approaches, take risks, work independently, synthesize information, and the social environment in which EFL researchers conduct their research are critical in enhancing the ability to be creative in their investigations. This study carries some implications for EFL practitioners to develop strategies for fostering creativity in research and promoting the growth of novice EFL researchers' creative competence.