This document discusses using social media to communicate research. It defines social media as websites that allow contribution and engagement. Examples include blogs, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn. The document outlines reasons to use social media such as reaching audiences, raising profiles, and generating opportunities. It provides tips on tools to use and content to share, such as updates, processes and publications. Examples of effective researcher social media profiles are also included. The document concludes with advice on planning social media use and content as well as what private information should not be shared.

1. Using Social Media to
Communicate Your Research
Nicola Osborne, Social Media Officer
http://edina.ac.uk/
Heriot-Watt Crucible V, Thursday 24th
January 2013, Edinburgh

2. Introduction

3. What is Social Media?
• Social Media are any websites that allow you to contribute, to
engage, to connect with others and are “Web 2.0” tools
(O’Reilly 2005).
• Examples include:
– Blogs (WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, etc.)
– Twitter
– YouTube and Vimeo
– Facebook
– Google+
– Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.
– LinkedIn, Academia.edu, etc.
– Mendeley, Delicious, Diigo, etc.
– FigShare

4. Why Use Social Media?
Social media tools…
• Are go-to spaces for expertise and advice.
• Offer new ways to tell stories, to engage in
dialogue, to reach out to your audience(s).
• Rank highly on Google, Bing, etc.
• Can enable direct access to key figures from
Principal Investigators to Research Councils to press
and potential research participants.
• May generate media interest in your work, new
collaborations and other unexpected opportunities.
• Offer inexpensive ways to raise your own profile and
that of your research.

5. What tools should you use?
• Blogs - make your work visible, enable semi-formal ways
to share working methods and progress, and provide a
way to find and engage in dialogue with your audience.
• Twitter - very effective way to share key research
updates, build a network around your work, find peer
support and advice, track news.
• Video or Audio - can bring clarity to complex concepts
quickly. Well-made short videos or animations can
convey complex concepts and research quickly,
accessibly and in very engaging sharable ways.
• Flickr, Pinterest, etc. – any images bring a project to
life – research is about people, ideas, events,
collaboration, equipment... Images make your ideas,
achievements and discoveries far more tangible.

6. What should you share?
• What your research is about 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.

7. Some examples…

8. Blogs: What’s on my Blackboard?
http://whatsonmyblackboard.wordpress.com/

9. Blogs: Mary Beard
http://timesonline.typepad.com/dons_life/

10. Facebook: Mr Blobby the Blobfish
https://www.facebook.com/mrblobby.blobfish

11. Good Examples: Inside Science
http://blogs.royalsociety.org/inside-science/

12. Twitter: Joe Hanson
https://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe

13. Planning Social Media Use
• Consider what goals you want to achieve, what you
want to share about your research. How can you
track progress?
• Think about your audience(s): where do they hang
out online? What will engage them in your work?
How can you make it relevant to them?
• Be creative – what social media tools could help you
to communicate in new ways?
• Be pragmatic - what best fits your project’s style,
expertise, and time availability?

14. Planning Social Media Content
• Brand your presences and ensure you complete
your profile information. Always link back to your
definitive research profiles and project websites.
• Regularly share interesting engaging content,
use images, listen to and engage with the audiences
you are reaching out to.
• Ensure you keep profiles and presences up to
date and relevant, review their effectiveness, and
ensure they represent your work as you want it to
be seen.

15. 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.

16. Q&A
Questions?

17. Useful Resources
• LSE. 2013. Impact of Social Sciences blog.
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/
• O’Reilly, T. 2005. What Is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models
for the Next Generation of Software. In O’Reilly, 30th September 2005.
Available from: http://oreilly.com/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html
• Patel, S. 2011. 10 ways researchers can use Twitter. In Networked
Researcher, 3rd August 2011. Available from:
http://www.networkedresearcher.co.uk/2011/08/03/10-ways-researchers-can
Privacy Settings Links:
• 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-informa

18. Managing Your Identity Online
Useful Search Engine
• Google: http://www.google.com and Google Blog Search:
http://www.google.co.uk/blogsearch/
• Bing: http://www.bing.com/ and Bing Social Search:
http://www.bing.com/social/
• Whos talkin: http://whostalkin.com/
• Social Mention: http://www.socialmention.com/
• IceRocket: http://www.icerocket.com/
• Twitter Search: https://twitter.com/#!/search-home
• Topsy: http://topsy.com/
Useful Tools for Automatic Checking and Task Management
• Google Alerts: http://www.google.com/alerts
• Tweetbeep: http://tweetbeep.com/
• IFTTT: https://ifttt.com/