Corie Lok
senior editor

Web revolution
News
Publications
Communication
Shopping/retailing
Entertainment
Job-hunting
Education
Marketing
Dating
Networking

The evolution of online networking

“Traditional” networking
 Meetings, seminars, poster sessions, other events
 Associations, societies, clubs
 Email listservs
 Journals/publications/online searches
 Email, phone calls
 Business cards, electronic address book, Rolodex
 Grapevine
Limits:
Travel budget
Time
Number of opportunities
Number of contacts

Online networking:
Expand your circle of contacts
 Keep in touch (or get back in touch) with colleagues,
friends, collaborators,class/labmates, bosses in a
professional way
 Make new contacts (potential collaborators, colleagues,
competitors)
 Discover new information, get advice, answers to your
questions from your network of contacts
Trust in peers
 Form new collaborations—publications?

Nature Network: Introduction

Examples from Nature Network
 Ask the Nature Editor link
 Good Paper Journal Club link
 Nature Protocols forum link
 Fluorescence imaging for life sciences link
 Gene mapping – linkage and association, Genetics,
Nanotech, Bioinformatics, India, Brazil, Italy, Science &
art, Systems biology, Evolution, NMR spectroscopy,
Energy, Postdocs, PhD students
 Boston, London, NYC, San Diego, Toronto…
 Boston Postdocs

Examples from Nature Network

Examples from Nature Network

Examples from Nature Network

Examples from Friendfeed

Examples from Friendfeed

Examples from Friendfeed

Testimonials
 “There are an unbelievable number of resources to help you
fine-tune your resume or CV, but very few that offer the first-hand
experiences of people. The act of putting myself out there to
start a dialogue actually helped me hone my own questions
and evaluate my personal direction for a career.” -- Craig
Rowell, former postdoctoral fellow, Duke University, now working
for Bio-Rad in California
 Sometimes a brief outing to the forums takes your mind
away from the proposals and paper writing. When you stroll
back, you may be a little inspired and refreshed with new
ideas. The Network offers such opportunities for us to
know what our peers are thinking and how excited or
puzzled they feel about their research projects. -- Pu-
Chun Ke, Assistant Professor of Biophysics, Clemson
University

Testimonials
“Since I started blogging, experimenting with Facebook,
Twitter, Google (docs, apps, sites, reader… and
maybe ?wave?, what WILL they think of next) etc…. I’ve
realized the enormous power of the online community,
online tools, online conversation for gathering
information, for discussion, and for frequent
communication between isolated small groups – and
how much more powerful it could be if more of the
scientific community participated in it.”
“Kicking and Screaming into the Online Age…”
~ drdrA
(http://bluelabcoats.wordpress.com)

Online networking:
Benefits
 Complements face-to-face networking
Low barrier to entry
Breaks the ice
Easier to keep in touch
 Expand your own network
 Get answers to your questions
 Find relevant information, stay on top of new
developments
 Discuss and develop new ideas
Increase your visibility

How to do online networking?
 Set up a profile, keep it up-to-date (don’t be anonymous!)
 Build your network of contacts
“Friend” people after you meet them
Look up and “friend” old contacts
Explore friends of friends and mutual contacts
 Share your bookmarks, publications, etc. with your
network and encourage your colleagues to do the
same

How to do online networking?
 Post comments on papers and science blogs
 Post comments in forums; ask and answer questions; give
advice/recommendations
 Become familiar with other people commenting
 Create a new forum and be a leader
 Post a manuscript, poster, slide deck, video online
 Blog/Microblog
 Attend virtual events (Second Life)

Barriers
 Cultural
 Lack of incentive
 Short track record
 Too many websites

The evolution of online networking

Questions? Feedback?
Corie Lok
c.lok@boston.nature.com
http//:network.nature.com
http://network.nature.com/hubs/boston