This document discusses using social media to build research networks and profiles. It outlines several principles for social media use, including balance, risk, openness and ethics. Participants will learn tools for developing social media networks and profiles. Examples of useful social media tools are given for knowledge sharing, professional development, conducting research ethically, and disseminating work. Considerations around time investment, risk tolerance, openness, publishing formats and maintaining separate identities across platforms are discussed. Ethical issues focus on respecting research participants and avoiding harm.

1. Using Social Media to Network and Build
Research Profile
DTP: Applied Social Sciences
Richard Hall | rhall1@dmu.ac.uk | @hallymk1

2. The session aims:
to discuss the principles underpinning the development of
online networks and profiles, including issues of balance, risk,
openness, community development, ethics and identity.
By the end of the session, participants will be able:
• to identify tools for developing their current or future social
media networks; and
• to identify networks for developing their current or future
social media profile.

3. Which social media tools do you use?
Why do you use them in your academic work?

6. • A1: Knowledge Base
• B3: Professional and career
development
• C1: Professional conduct
• D2: Communication and
dissemination
The Vitae Researcher Development Framework

7. • Access/chance/trust: Twitter
• Verification/trust: Subject blogs
• Verification/trust: Open libraries
• Resources/groups: Mendeley
• Resources/groups: ResearchGate
• Searching: Tagging
• Collecting: Evernote; Tumblr
Useful tools: A1 Knowledge Base

8. • Networking/reputation: Twitter
• Networking/reputation: LinkedIn
• CPD: Subject blogs
• Publication: Open libraries; DORA
• Publication: Academia.edu
• CPD/publication: Mendeley
• CPD/publication: ResearchGate
• Reputation
Useful tools: B3 Professional and career development

9. • Collaborative work
• Privacy settings
• Permissions, use, sharing and re-use [e.g. Creative Commons]
• Intellectual Property
• Open data [Manchester; .gov]
• DMU-specific rights
• How do you appear? Instagram
Useful tools:C1 Professional conduct

10. Useful tools:D2 Communication and dissemination
• File sharing: Dropbox, Google Drive, Zend
• Conferencing Skype
• Social presentation: Prezi, SlideShare, Wakelet
• Multimedia: YouTube
• Podcasting
Plus those in B3, above.

11. Are there tools or approaches that you need to
prioritise?

12. • #PhDChat: general PhD community.
• @Acwri and #Acrwri: Discussion and support
group for academic writing.
• @thesiswhisperer: Dr Inger Mewburn is the
managing editor of the Thesis Whisperer blog, a
highly useful collection of blog posts about
every conceivable PhD concern.
• @PhDForum: Discussion and support group for
PhD students.
• @PhD2Published: home of #Acwrimo.
• @ThomsonPat: Professor at University of
Nottingham, author of patter blog, a
PhD/academic guidance blog.

13. Some considerations
• Intensity of reading/research versus intensity of
networking [time]
• How risk averse do you *need* to be?
• How open do you *need* to be?
• What is the balance between soft and hard publishing?
• How do you use your networks to challenge your own
orthodoxies?

14. Some considerations
• What permissions do you need to use stuff?
• What permissions do you want to give your stuff?
• Think about your identity across disparate platforms
• Think about your/others e-safety [personal relationships,
the institution/funder, the State]

15. Are there any ethical issues in your use of
social media?

16. Lupton, D. (2021). Doing Fieldwork in a Pandemic. Available at:
https://tinyurl.com/kx2b55px
Association of Internet Researchers (2021). Ethics. Available at:
https://aior.org/ethics

18. In relation to the norms and cultures of social media.
• Unethical research: ask how your research portrays the researched?
• Demeans/disrespects participants, communities, vulnerable groups
• Feeds into a negative or stereotypical narrative
• Causes harm to stakeholders
• Asking the question that may waste valuable resources and time of
the participants
Place yourself in your participants’ shoes.

20. What are the ramifications of your work being
social?
With which (digital) networks do you
need/want to engage?

21. Social Media for Researchers by Professor Richard Hall is licensed
under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.