1. Building your academic reputation online
Presented by
Frances VC Ryan
Centre for Social Informatics | Edinburgh Napier University
Presented at SGSSS
University of Edinburgh, Scotland
8 June 2017
@FrancesRyanPhD | f.ryan@napier.ac.uk | www.JustAPhD.com

2. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Introductions
Goals for the day
Defining reputation

3. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
A bit about me
►Academic Frances
► BA in Public Relations/Communications
► MLitt in Media and Culture
► PhD in Information Science (in progress)
►Professional Frances
► PR/Marketing/Communications
► “Media”: New, digital, emerging, social…
►Twitter Frances x 2
► It’s a bit blurry
► A little bit academic; a little bit quirky

4. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
A bit about my research
How online information contributes to the building,
maintenance, and evaluation of personal reputations
►Personal reputation: Private individuals, rather than
corporate identity and brand
►Considers both “private” and “professional” reputation –
and how the two merge or blur together
►Two broad research themes
►How people use online information to manage their reputations
►How people evaluate the reputations using online information

5. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
A bit about my research (The simplified version)

6. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
A bit about you
(Yes, it’s time for those embarrassing and awkward introductions!)
►What is your name?
►What university do you attend?
►What is the topic of your PhD?
►Where are you in the process?
► Feeling brave? Tell us a fun, silly, or interesting fact about yourself, too!
I have been afraid of skunks since I was 5 years old.
That’s when the “Skunk King” visited me in a dream
telling me to “never eat creamed corn”. Funnily, I still
eat creamed corn despite my skunk phobia!

7. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Sticky-note time!
On the sticky-notes provided, please share the following:
►What do you want to LEARN from today’s session?
►What are your big QUESTIONS about using social media?
►What are your biggest FEARS about using social media?
►What is your comfort LEVEL (or experience level) with social
media?
Task

8. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
What is reputation?
►How do we define reputation?
►The personal opinions and character judgements one
individual has for another
►Who decides what your reputation is?
(Or what it should be?)
►Who controls it?
►Who really owns it?
Discuss

9. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
How is academic reputation measured?

10. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
How is academic reputation measured?
►Bibliometrcis
►Citation counts, measuring
academic impact
►Statistical analysis
►Quantity of publications
►Quantity of citations to those
publications
►Codified in citation databases
►Think “Web of Science”
(Web of Knowledge)

11. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
How is academic reputation measured?
►H-index
►Alternative to standard citation
indexes
►Developed by Jorge E. Hirsch
►Estimates importance,
significance, and broad impact
of cumulative research
contributions
►Measures productivity
►Values vary across disciplines
(greatly!)

12. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
How is academic reputation measured?
►Altmetrics
►Qualitative data and metrics
►Compliment traditional metrics
►Web-based data sources
►Record of “attention”
►Measurement of dissemination
►Indicator for influence and impact

13. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
A closer look at altmetrics
►Alternative metrics
►Impact! Impact! Impact!
► And more impact! (And influence)
►Is it viewed? Is it downloaded?
►Is it cited? Is it quoted?
►It is referenced on Wikipedia?
►Is the news media talking about it?
►Is it included in syllabi? Recommended by others?
►Is it talked about on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn?
►Visibility is key!

14. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
The altmetric donut

15. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
The altmetric donut

16. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
The altmetric donut

17. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
How are academic reputations built?

18. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
►Journal articles, publications
► Bibliometrics, citation counts
►Public engagement activities
►Altmetrics
►Networking
► Online and offline!
►Others?
How are academic reputations built?Discuss

19. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
►Answers from group discussion:
► Publications; non-academic publications
► Other people talking about the research (verbal citations)
► Teaching (online and offline)
► Mainstream media
► Sharing links on social media; sharing recordings of presentations online
(YouTube, Vimeo)
► Non-academic presentations and events (TEDTalks); talking about research
in the community (public engagement)
► Sharing with people in “practise” (professionals)
How are academic reputations built?Discuss

20. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Please gather around in a circle.
►Methodology
►Software for writing or analysis
►Public engagement activities
►Plans for post-PhD
►Other academic information
Building your academic network!Activity

21. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Coffee break!Break

22. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
The day so far
►Desired outcomes and questions
►An overview of reputation
►Measurements for academic reputation
►Ways of building academic reputation
►Group networking

23. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Why should you build your
academic reputation online?

24. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Academics online: Why does it matter?
►Promote your research; promote yourself
► Through conversations as well as broadcasting!
►Generate interest in your work
►Build and maintain networks
►Sharing and seeking information
►Increase your visibility; increase your impact
►Get discovered; get invited
►Get promoted; get hired
►The next REF … ?
►Others?

25. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Make a list!
Make a list of where you “live” online.
►Take three (3) minutes to list your social media accounts
(Don’t worry: You don’t have to share your list!)
►Keep your list and add to it throughout the day.
Task

26. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Get searching!Homework
►Your name (and variants)
►Your name + details (school,
work, town, hobbies)
►Email addresses
►Different computers, browsers,
and terms
►Images and news
►Usernames

27. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
From altmetrics to an alternative archive
Why should you build or maintain an online presence?
►Create your own archive
► Controlled by you, wherever your career takes you!
►Maintain one source for everything
►Direct others to that source
►Be boldly visible

28. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
How do you build your
academic reputation online?

29. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
There are options. So many options…
►Local profiles (University or organisation website)
►CV services (LinkedIn)
►Resource sharing platforms (Flickr, Pinterest, SlideShare, Vimeo,
YouTube)
►ID services (Orcid, ResearcherID)
►Profile services (Academia.edu, Google Scholar, ResearchGate)
►Blogging and microblogging platforms (Medium, Quora, The
Conversation, Tumblr, Twitter, WordPress)
►Impact measurement tools (ImpactStory, Klout)
►Collaboration sites (Citeulike, Mendeley)
►Social networking sites (Facebook, Google+, Lanyrd)

30. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
The bare minimums
►University or organisation profile
► Keep it current
►LinkedIn for your CV
► Keep it current
(or link to up-to-date profile)
►ID registration services
► Orcid, ResearcherID
►Academic publishing sites
► Academia.edu, Google Scholar,
ResearchGate

31. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Added value!
The bare minimums are great, but with a bit more effort you can
increase your impact!
►An active LinkedIn profile
►Twitter
►Blogs
►Blog alternatives
►About.me (or similar)

32. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
LinkedIn: More than a CV
►Build your network
►Share ideas / opinions
►Seek advice / feedback
►Promote:
► Your research
► Your blog
► Yourself!
►Promotion through conversation!

33. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
To tweet or not to tweet
►What will you tweet?
► Professional? Personal? Both?
►How often will you tweet?
►Who will you follow?
►Promote:
► Your research
► Your blog
► Yourself
►Promotion through conversation!

34. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Blogging
►Do you want or need blog?
►Are there alternatives?
►Do you enjoy writing?
►Do you have the time?
► Blogging is often done in “free” time

35. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Blogging
►What will you blog about?
►How often will blog?
►How will you encourage
readership?
►How will you disseminate
your blog?
► Twitter? LinkedIn? Happenstance?

36. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Benefits of blogging
►Promote your research
►Promote your extracurricular research activities
►Build a network
►Share your opinions
►Find your voice
►Writing can be cathartic!

37. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
How do you get started?
►Read other academic blogs
► www.justaphd.com
► https://hazelhall.org
► https://thesiswhisperer.com
► https://patthomson.net
►Read blogs about writing blogs
► http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/tag/academic-blogging
► http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2017/05/25/so-youve-decided-to-blog
► https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2013/dec/13/how-
to-academic-blogging-tips
►Think about the writing style and content that works for you

38. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
How do you blog?
►Pick a platform
►Google “how to write an academic blog”
►Start writing …

39. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Blog alternatives: Sharing on LinkedIn

40. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Blog alternatives: Medium

41. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Blog alternatives: In-house news feeds

42. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Blog alternatives: The Conversation

43. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Wrapping up
Questions
Homework

44. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com

45. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
►Google yourself!
►Update your “main” profile
►Link back to others where needed
►Review and update your social media profiles
►Don’t forget your privacy settings and contact lists
►Delete un-used or un-wanted profiles
►Update passwords and email addresses
►Register for identity services (Orcid)
Homework

46. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Copyright attributions
Slide 10: Web of Science
Slide 11: Wikipedia Commons
Slides 12-16: Altmetrics.com
Slides 32-33: Celeste Mills
Social networking icons: Iconfinder (iconfinder.com)
Screenshots (slides 28, 34-35, and 40-44) and SGSSS logo used under Fair Use
concepts
All other images: Frances Ryan

47. Frances Ryan | @FrancesRyanPhD | www.JustAPhD.com
Stay in touch!
f.ryan@napier.ac.uk
napier.ac.uk/people/frances-ryan
@FrancesRyanPhD
www.justaphd.com