Can Science Blogging Enhance Your Research Life? Dr. Katherine J. Haxton 11th February 2009

What is a Blog? Website (software) Posts Room for comments Different to a forum Short for Web Log Used to be list of links (for computer nerds) Microblogging (140 characters or less) Twitter

Website (software)

Posts

Room for comments

Different to a forum

Short for Web Log

Used to be list of links (for computer nerds)

Microblogging (140 characters or less)

Twitter

What is a Blog? Technology Software Communication Community Web2.0 Publishing Information Outreach Online Popular Publicity Social Media Engagement Networking Sharing Writing Interactive Debating Discussing Blog – an online journal To Blog – to write in an online journal Blogger – one who blogs Blogosphere – wider community of bloggers

Publicity

What is Science Blogging? Blog posts written about science or about doing science Written by interested individuals Open for public comment (and debate) Science Communication using blogs Outreach, Engagement, Publicity Free science writing, reviewed by the readers if you're wrong, you'll know about it!

Blog posts written about science or about doing science

Written by interested individuals

Open for public comment (and debate)

Science Communication using blogs

Outreach, Engagement, Publicity

Free science writing, reviewed by the readers

if you're wrong, you'll know about it!

Who are Science Bloggers? Scientists, Students, Journalists, Teachers, Anyone with a specific interest Look at several science blogs RosieRedfieldResearch ResearchBlogging.org NatureNetwork Open Lab Notebook

Scientists, Students, Journalists, Teachers,

Anyone with a specific interest

Look at several science blogs

RosieRedfieldResearch

ResearchBlogging.org

NatureNetwork

Open Lab Notebook

RRResearch Scientist to scientist communication All group members have blog discuss general issues surrounding their research get support/keep the boss informed Not generally used for data Great insight into how a research group operates

Scientist to scientist communication

All group members have blog

discuss general issues surrounding their research

get support/keep the boss informed

Not generally used for data

Great insight into how a research group operates

RRResearch

RRResearch “ The best way to find out what we're working on right now is to read our research blogs. These are where we write about our day-to-day work. We describe the experiments and analyses we're doing, and what we think they might be telling us. We hope our blogs also give non-scientists some insight into what real research is like.” http://rrresearch.blogspot.com/

ResearchBlogging.Org Site for blog posts written about peer reviewed research (almost informal peer review process) Sorted by topic/date Registration required for authors, provides icon to use on blog posts Often written by science writers or scientists about 'cool' research they've noticed which hasn't made it to the mainstream media Less popular topics Good way to keep up with new developments outwith chemistry

Site for blog posts written about peer reviewed research (almost informal peer review process)

Sorted by topic/date

Registration required for authors, provides icon to use on blog posts

Often written by science writers or scientists about 'cool' research they've noticed which hasn't made it to the mainstream media

Less popular topics

Good way to keep up with new developments outwith chemistry

ResearchBlogging.Org

ResearchBlogging.Org http://researchblogging.org/ “ If you don't have a blog, you can still use our site to learn about fascinating developments in cutting-edge research from around the world.”

Open Lab Notebook Part of 'Open Science' initiative Jean-Claude Bradley (Drexel U. USA) Major online presence for research group Wiki (open laboratory notebook) Useful Chemistry & Molecules Blog General access to research data as experiments are in progress Fosters collaborations through non-traditional means

Part of 'Open Science' initiative

Jean-Claude Bradley (Drexel U. USA)

Major online presence for research group

Wiki (open laboratory notebook)

Useful Chemistry & Molecules Blog

General access to research data as experiments are in progress

Fosters collaborations through non-traditional means

Open Lab Notebook

Open Lab Notebook “ This blog chronicles the Research of the UsefulChem project in the Bradley lab at Drexel University. The main project currently involves the synthesis of novel anti-malarial compounds.” http://usefulchem.blogspot.com/

Nature Network Mainly scientist to scientist communication Scientists in geographical hubs Forums and Blogs Different levels of participation Must have account to participate Networking tool (like facebook) Good place to have an 'online identity'

Mainly scientist to scientist communication

Scientists in geographical hubs

Forums and Blogs

Different levels of participation

Must have account to participate

Networking tool (like facebook)

Good place to have an 'online identity'

Nature Network

Nature Network “ Nature Network is the professional networking website for scientists around the world. Think of it as the online meeting place where you and your fellow scientists can gather, share and discuss ideas, and keep in touch. ” http:// network.nature.com /

Positives Collaboration tool Community building between similar researchers/career stages Full access to data (open science) Read about new science in accessible way Breaks down barriers between the public and scientists Many ways to get involved read, comment, write articles private 'online' lab book, public 'online' lab book

Collaboration tool

Community building between similar researchers/career stages

Full access to data (open science)

Read about new science in accessible way

Breaks down barriers between the public and scientists

Many ways to get involved

read, comment, write articles

private 'online' lab book, public 'online' lab book

Negatives Not suitable for all Privacy Issues IP Sensitive Research Another thing to do! What goes on the internet, stays on the internet Still misunderstood!

Not suitable for all

Privacy Issues

IP

Sensitive Research

Another thing to do!

What goes on the internet, stays on the internet

Still misunderstood!

Interesting Blogs Royal Society of Chemistry Chemistry World http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/ RSC Blog http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/rsc/ The Sceptical Chymist (Nature Chemistry) http://blogs.nature.com/thescepticalchymist/ The Forensic News Blog http://forensicnews.blogspot.com/

Royal Society of Chemistry

Chemistry World

http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/

RSC Blog

http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/rsc/

The Sceptical Chymist (Nature Chemistry)

http://blogs.nature.com/thescepticalchymist/

The Forensic News Blog

http://forensicnews.blogspot.com/

Interesting Blogs Oxford University Science Blog http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/science_blog/ Natural History Museum (antarctic conservation project) http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/earth/antarctica/blog/ Stanford Blog Directory http://blog.stanford.edu/

Oxford University Science Blog

http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/science_blog/

Natural History Museum (antarctic conservation project)

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/earth/antarctica/blog/

Stanford Blog Directory

http://blog.stanford.edu/

Other References Scientists enter the blogosphere Bonetta L (2007) Cell 129:443–445 doi:10.1016/j.cell.2007.04.032 Advancing Science through Conversations: Bridging the Gap between Blogs and the Academy. Batts SA, Anthis NJ, Smith TC (2008) PLoS Biology 6:e240 doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060240 By the blog: academics tread carefully Times Higher Education, 9 th October 2008

Scientists enter the blogosphere

Bonetta L (2007)

Cell 129:443–445 doi:10.1016/j.cell.2007.04.032

Advancing Science through Conversations: Bridging the Gap between Blogs and the Academy.

Batts SA, Anthis NJ, Smith TC (2008)

PLoS Biology 6:e240 doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060240

By the blog: academics tread carefully

Times Higher Education, 9 th October 2008

Acknowledgements With thanks to Steffi Suhr, Bora Zivkovic, Richard Grant, Stephen Curry, Martin Fenner & other assorted NatureNetwork types for their suggestions.

With thanks to Steffi Suhr, Bora Zivkovic, Richard Grant, Stephen Curry, Martin Fenner & other assorted NatureNetwork types for their suggestions.