This document discusses several professional and academic social networks, including LinkedIn, ResearchGate, Academia.edu, and Google+. It provides facts about each network's number of users, core applications and functions, and suitability for different professional audiences and purposes. The document concludes by reflecting on the author's personal experiences using different networks and their ratings of how useful each has been.

1. * © The University of Sheffield
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ScHARR Bite Size - LinkedIn and other Networks
@andy_tattersall
a.tattersall@sheffield.ac.uk
Image used under a Creative Commons Licence Some rights reserved Some rights
reserved by hanspoldoja

2. Social Networks are:
It’s not what you know, but who you know
+
It’s what they know as well
= Social Capital
2

3. * © The University of Sheffield
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What’s different about
professional social networks?

4. Online collaboration: Scientists and the social network
4
Van Noorden, R, (2014) Nature 512,126–129 doi:10.1038/512126a {Last Accessed 5/3/2015]

5. LinkedIn
5
Facts
200,000,000 users
Leading professional social network
Active job market
IOS/Android/Windows/Blackberry mobile
versions
Applications
Groups - share information. Ask a question.
Post your updates - automatically via Twitter etc
Connect with professionals - healthcare,
pharmaceutical, technology companies.
Embed your Slideshare presentations
Stay in touch with colleagues when they change
jobs
Advertise and find a job

6. * © The University of Sheffield
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Who Needs Business Cards Anymore?
Business
Development
Manager for
Healthcare
Innovations at The
University of
Sheffield
Geospatial
Technology
Visionary
Dept &
Business
Manager at
University of
Sheffield
Finding
business
solutions at
University of
Derby
Technology
Transfer
Manager at
Sheffield
Hallam
University
Health Technologies
Network Co-
ordinator at Medilink
Yorkshire and
Humber

7. LinkedIn
7
Facts
9,000,000 users
Platform for scientists and researchers to
network
Growing job market
No known mobile versions to date
Applications
Q&A function - Ask a question.
Post your updates and publications
Connect with academics in your field of
research
Stay in touch with colleagues when they change
jobs
Advertise and find a job
Journal finder function

8. 8

9. 9

10. 10
http://www.researchgate.net/publicliterature.PublicLiteratureSearch.html

11. 11
#CanIHazpdf
and other considerations

12. LinkedIn
12
Facts
18,500,000 users
Academic social network
Applications
Allows researchers to upload and share their
own publications
Limited job market
Social media newsfeed
Bookmark and download functions

13. 13

14. LinkedIn
14
Facts
300,000,000 users*
Part professional/personal social network -
alternative to Facebook
IOS/Android mobile versions
Google counted 540 million active users who used at least
one Google+ service, of which 300 million users it
deemed active
Applications
Circles - professional and personal connections.
Events - host events in sync with GCal
Communities -useful way to create private
groups.
Embeddable content - videos, presentations
Host Hangouts and chat via G+

15. 15

16. 16

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19. * © The University of Sheffield
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In conclusion (Horses for Courses)
Professional tool for a mostly non-academic audience. Useful
for connecting with those aligned to your research outside of
the academy. Crowdsources your talents.
Alternative metric and useful way to share research outputs to
an academic audience. Discover research in your field and what
journal is best for you
Social network for researchers for sharing papers and follow
research in your field of work
Superb icebreaker, social network and discovery engine.
Social network of like-minded researchers. Huge database of
papers and references. Reference management and alternative
metric tool
Social network that connects to your LinkedIn and
Academia.edu accounts. Discovers researchers with similar
interests
Useful alternative to Facebook. Works very similarly with circles
and communities. Useful for teaching staff and those running
events

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My personal view - yours will be different
5/10 Useful for certain contacts and for promoting content
(MOOCs)
2010
4/10 The metrics do not mean much outside of the platform - I
don’t publish enough for it to be worthwhile
2009
2/10 Interaction seems limited but is a potentially useful place
for showcasing papers
2009
10/10 Has led to invites to deliver talks, write articles and make
contacts pre and post conference. ScHARR MOOCs happened
because of this. 2009
10/10 as a database and reference management tool
5/10 as a network
2009
N/A
2015
7/10 as an inhouse social network for updates. Events and
Communities work well. Future of Google+ remains uncertain
2012

21. Don’t be afraid…..to say no
* © The University of Sheffield
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Or at least point them to the right social network