This document provides guidance on using social media for scientists to communicate their research. It discusses that scientists have a duty to communicate their research and its implications to the public. It then outlines various traditional and social media options for communicating science, including blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. For each platform, it provides examples and tips for how scientists can create profiles and engage audiences. The document emphasizes that social media is fun, free, and allows researchers to find new audiences and opportunities. Overall, it encourages scientists to utilize social media to more broadly share their work.

1. Social media for scientists
Sarah Keenihan
PhD | B Med Sci | Grad Dip Sci Comms

2. Why should I communicate?
“Most researchers have highlighted that social and ethical
implications exist in their research, agree that the public
needs to know about them, and believe that researchers
themselves have a duty, as well as a primary responsibility,
for communicating their research and its implications to the
non-specialist public.”
Royal Society. Factors affecting science communication: a survey of
scientists and engineers, 2006.

3. Communicating science
Peer-reviewed publication
Thesis
Book chapter
Conference abstract & slides/poster
Grant/fellowship application
Industry presentation

4. Communicating science
Peer-reviewed publication
Thesis
Book chapter
Conference abstract & slides/poster
Grant/fellowship application
Industry presentation
Annual report
Long-form weekend article
Industry publication
News article
Press release
Newsletter
Popular science article

5. Communicating science

6. Social media: a definition
• Social media describes the online tools that people use to share
content, profiles, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives and
media itself, thus facilitating conversations and interaction online
- democratisation of content
- central role of people in
creating and sharing content
- shift from broadcast to
‘many-to-many model’
- conversational
Simon Divecha, Mal Chia, Petra Dzurovcinova, Sarah Thomas
http://www.briansolis.com

7. Why should I use social media?
• It’s fun!
• It’s free!
• Find new /engage existing audiences
• Develop communication skills
• Belong to communities
• Meet more scientists
• Find career opportunities
• Find funding & collaboration opportunities

8. Why should I use social media?
Academic paper downloads: Melissa Terras
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2012/04/19/blog-tweeting-papers-worth-it/

9. Blogs
• flexible
• relatively long-form
• ready to use platforms eg Wordpress
• create your own style, layout, ‘brand’
• conversations through comments facility
• http://www.ipscell.com (Paul)
• http://othersideofscience.com (Noby)
• http://scienceforlife365.wordpress.com (Sarah)

10. Facebook
• Everyone!
- individuals, groups, associations, communities,
brands, businesses
• Ready to go: updates, photos, blog posts, links
• http://www.facebook.com/scienceforlife365

11. Facebook: ScienceAlert
Chris Casella: “people love science, and people love Facebook”

12. Facebook: ScienceAlert

13. Facebook: Impact of Social Sciences
joint project between the LSE, Imperial College, and the University of Leeds

14. Facebook: Impact of Social Sciences

15. Facebook: you’re not really in control
http://dangerousminds.net/comments/facebook_i_want_my_friends_back

16. Twitter
• short, sharp, shiny
communication:
140 characters
• to know Twitter, you
must do Twitter
• make a profile with a
photo/image
• find people to follow
(can later ‘unfollow’)
• tweet!

17. Twitter
profiles
matter

18. Twitter: real-time science
START

19. Twitter: live event coverage
Hashtag
Attributing comments
Storify

20. Refining your twitter experience
• Create lists to manage
your stream
• Use hashtags to follow
specific conversations
• Participate in organised
chats
#onsci #phdchat
• Use tools
eg Hootsuite,
Tweetdeck
• Use Storify.com to
see/create archives

21. Useful places to go
• Social Media for Marketing Science, S. Keenihan & K. Alford
http://bridge8.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/b8_socmed_mar
ketingscience.pdf
• Twitter in university research, teaching and impact activities.
A guide for academics and researchers, A. Mollett, D. Moran,
P. Dunleavy
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/files/2011/11/P
ublished-Twitter_Guide_Sept_2011.pdf
• Scienceonline
http://scienceonlinenow.org
- Google hangouts

22. Social media has broader lessons
The algorithms at Facebook privilege photographs
because they are what people are most likely to interact
with. And users love a picture that’s worth a thousand
words, four thousand Facebook likes, 900 retweets, a
bunch of hearts, and some reblogs: everyone likes
being an important node. The whole system tilts
towards the consumption of visual content, of pictures
and infographics and image macros.
Alexis Madrigal at The Atlantic via
http://betterposters.blogspot.com.au

23. ASSCR social media activity
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/18242587846
5/
• @ASSCRStemCells #ASSCR2012

24. See you on twitter