Presented as part of the University of Edinburgh PGCAP course 'Building a Research Profile'. Focusing on how academic researchers can use social media to build a public profile of their research, network with peers, find research collaborators and participants, and engage with a global audience.

1. Using Social Media to
support research
PGCAP Building a Research Profile
June 2016
Stephanie (Charlie) Farley
Social Media Officer / Open Education Resources Advisor
Education Design and Engagement, LTW
University of Edinburgh
Adapted with permission from Nicola Osborne’s, Making an Impact through Social Media, 2014

2. What is Social Media?
Social Media are any website that allow
you to contribute, to engage, and to
connect with others and are “Web 2.0”
tools. (O’Reilly, 2005)
Web 2.0 tools are web sites and apps that emphasise
user generated content, usability, and
interoperability.

3. Why use
Social Media?

4. Social Media are go-to places for
expertise and advice

5. Research Councils, Leading
Academics and Researchers, are
accessible.

6. Collaboration, employment, speaking,
and other opportunities.
Screenshot of ‘Networking: Navigating Grad School and Beyond: Skills for Academic Success’ by Dr Lauren Hall-Lew. Lecturer in
Sociolinguistics, Linguistics and English Language, School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh.
Permission to use granted by author.

7. Raise your profile, engage, reach
more participants

8. What tools should you use?
Blogs – a semi-formal space to share and reflect on your field and
research, to engage with an audience of your peers and a curious
public.
Networking platforms (LinkedIn, Academia.edu) – good for
connecting with known people in your field, keeping up to date with
opportunities, finding collaborators and projects.
Twitter – a ‘microblogging’ space, is effective in sharing thoughts and
great for conferences or groups with a #hashtag. Share links to
papers, key research updates, watch for news and events in your field.
Engage with others to build a network, find peer support, and advice.
Video or Audio (YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Vine) – communicate
difficult concepts quickly. Share an event or demonstration with a
global audience.
Instagram, Flickr, etc. – Research is about people, ideas, events,
collaboration, equipment - images bring your ideas, achievements,
and discoveries, to life in a more tangible way.

9. Dragan Gasevic’s home page, http://www.sfu.ca/~dgasevic/index.htm. Shown with permission of author.

11. Where to start?
Set out your goals. Why do you want to use these tools? What
do you want to achieve?
How are peers in your field using social media – how might you
be able to learn from them?
What story do you want to tell? This might help determine what
content or tools you use, and how you use them.
What content and skills do you already have? Slides? Videos?
Audio? Photographs? What social media tools will be suitable
for your media?

12. What should you share?
The story of what your research is about, how it came to be, and what it
aims to achieve.
Processes, updates, changes of approach – to the extent that such
transparency is appropriate and acceptable.
Quirky, playful and accessible content around your work and research
area.
Publications, presentations, press mentions and materials that reflect
research outputs and expertise.
CHECK ANY EXISTING PRIVACY, NON-DISCLOSURE OR SOCIAL MEDIA
POLICIES AND ENSURE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE OR ACTIVITY
COMPLIES.

13. What should not be shared
Commercially sensitive data or other material your employer/PI
would not want shared or that might breach guidelines.
Personal information about colleagues, participants, those at
partner organisation that might breach Data Protection law or
ethical guidance.
Material (images, discussion board posts, tweets, etc.) that might
impact on your own professional reputation or the credibility of
your research.
Anything you would not want a funder, professional peer,
project partner, or future employer to see or read.

14. OERs, Outreach, and Impact
Waves in a Flume, by Clive Greated of the University of Edinburgh. CC BY 3.0

15. OERs, Outreach, and Impact
http://4273pi.org/ project shares OERs under the CC BY 2.0 licence

16. OERs, Outreach, and Impact
http://open.ed.ac.uk provides guidance and showcases University of Edinburgh OERs.

17. UoE Social Media Guidelines
The social media guidelines provide guidance for those
using social media in a work context, while representing
the University.
http://www.ed.ac.uk/website-programme/training-support/guidelines/so

18. Digital Footprint & Privacy
The University of Edinburgh’s Managing Your Digital Footprint service
provides workshops, resources, and advice:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/institute-academic-development/about-us/projects/
Facebook Privacy Settings:
http://www.facebook.com/help/privacy
LinkedIn Privacy Settings:
http://learn.linkedin.com/settings/
Guide to Google+ Privacy Settings:
http://lifehacker.com/5827683/a-guide-to-google%252B-privacy-and-info

19. Useful Resources
LSE. 2013. Impact of Social Sciences blog, ‘How to’ guides
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/category/how-to/
LSE 2011. Twitter Guide for Academics and Researchers
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/files/2011/11/Published-
Twitter_Guide_Sept_2011.pdf
Guardian, Higher Education Network Blog, 2012. Social Media is more
than simply a marketing tool for academic research
http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-
network/blog/2012/jul/24/social-media-academic-research-tool
Emerald Group Publishing, Social media for scholarly authors
infographic
http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/promo/pdf/social_media_g
uide.pdf