The document outlines effective strategies for knowledge mobilization using social media, emphasizing the reciprocal flow of research knowledge among researchers, brokers, and users both within and beyond academia. It details the importance of creating a digital identity and integrating social media throughout the research cycle, along with providing tools and techniques to enhance communication and engagement. Additionally, it discusses the need for evaluating the impact of social media efforts in knowledge mobilization initiatives.

1. 2015 Knowledge Mobilization Summer Institute
Shawna Reibling, MA
Mobilizing.research@gmail.com
Effective Use of Social
Media for Knowledge
Mobilization

2. UBC: Research
Coordination
University of Guelph:
kmb in a college
UBC: Communication
Wilfrid Laurier
University: kmb
centrally
My Education
BA: Communications, minor: education.
MA: Communications – role of web in biotech. sector.
Years doing knowledge mobilization: Seven.
University of British
Columbia: kmb in a
faculty
My Background

3. Social Media
Audience
Digital Identity
Tips
Assumptions:
Sharing research knowledge with knowledge users.
Not here to learn how the technology (buttons) work.
No dancing or physical improvisation required.
Communications
Agenda

4. Social Media
Illustration by W. B. Jones
• Relationship
• A cycle of knowledge
exchange
• Searching, sharing
• Possibilities
Blogs
Twitter
Podcasting
Video
Vine
LinkedIn
YouTube
Facebook
Digital Identity
• Who you are online
• What are your ideas
• Possibilities

5. Knowledge mobilization
• Knowledge mobilization: The reciprocal and complementary flow and uptake
of research knowledge between researchers, knowledge brokers and
knowledge users—both within and beyond academia — in such a way that
may benefit users and create positive impacts within Canada and/or
internationally, and, ultimately, has the potential to enhance the profile, reach
and impact of social sciences and humanities research. Knowledge
mobilization initiatives must address at least one of the following, as
appropriate, depending on research area and project objectives, context, and
target audience:
• Within academia: informs, advances and/or improves research agendas,
theory and/or methods;
• Beyond academia: Informs public debate, policies; and/or practice;
• enhances/improves services; and/or
• informs the decisions and/or processes of people in business, government, the
media, practitioner communities and civil society.
• http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/programs-
programmes/definitions-eng.aspx#km-mc (sshrc)

6. Social Media

8. Knowledge mobilization
• Knowledge mobilization: The reciprocal and complementary flow and
uptake of research knowledge between researchers, knowledge brokers and
knowledge users—both within and beyond academia—in such a way that
may benefit users and create positive impacts within Canada and/or
internationally, and, ultimately, has the potential to enhance the profile, reach
and impact of social sciences and humanities research. Knowledge
mobilization initiatives must address at least one of the following, depending
on target audience:
• Informs, advances and/or improves research agendas, theory and/or methods;
• Informs public debate, policies; and/or practice;
• Enhances/improves services; and/or
• Informs the decisions and/or processes of people in business, government, the
media, practitioner communities and civil society.
• http://bit.ly/1fkDA84 (sshrc)

9. Integrate social media
throughout the research cycle
Blog/webpage
University
webpage
slideshare
flickr
Twitter
Grey literature
Scholarly
publications
facebook
Course page
Other social media
Conference website

10. Social Media
Digital Identity

11. Questions to consider to be effective
• Do I need a online presence?
• Am I ready to be digitally social?
• Is social media part of my role?
• Do I have time to sustain social media account(s)?
• Precautions & opportunities …
• What is my online presence?
• Am I starting from scratch?
Google
Pipl
Spezify

12. Your Social Identity
• What does your email address say about you?
• What does your online name say about you?
• What do you want your online identity to be?
@MrsKutcher

13. Social media identity

14. Creating an Identity Checklist
• What name do you currently use? Be consistent across
platforms
• For Twitter: choose something short
• Do you use mobile devices? Is it easy to type?
• Is this for professional or personal use?
• Are you content agnostic in your role?

15. How to create a social media identity
• Step 1. Figure out what you want to share
• Step 2. Who do you want to share it with
• Step 3. Start finding out more about those networks
• Step 4. Create yourself in the network
• Step 5. Start a conversation with stakeholders
• Step 6. Make it easy for people to find you and your ‘stuff’

16. • How do you describe what you do at work:
– At a cocktail party
– When you meet a colleague
– To your referees
Your Digital Identity

17. Examples
• A writer/editor, knowledge mobilization #KMb, translation &
exchange specialist #KTE, & social media enthusiast who
loves to indulge in knitterly obsessions.
• The KW Awesome Foundation is a
small group of investors dedicated to
bringing awesome projects and ideas to
life. Have an awesome idea? Apply for
a $1000 grant!
• SSHRC President / Président du
CRSH sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

18. Practice
• Take 10 minutes to describe your social identity in 100
words.

19. Social Media
Digital IdentityCommunications

20. Communications Strategy
1. Identify your goal
• What do you want to happen based on your
findings?
2. Identify your audience
• Be specific
3. What is your current situation?
1. SWOT, literature review, awareness
2. How does your issue affect your audience?

21. Communications Strategy
4. Identify your key message
• More than a goal, what are the steps/words to
achieve that change?
• Is it clear language? Is it actionable?
5. Formulate communication plan
• Which tool to reach which audience? (tactics)
6. Implement and Evaluate
What is your current situation?

23. Example of
Sharing

24. Audience
Social Media
Digital IdentityCommunications

25. Who? Why them?

26. Why are ‘they’ on social media?
• Feedback on ideas
• What are others in the field working on today?
• Real-time conversation and network exchange
• Resource sharing
• Immediate awareness of when information is shared
• Conferences? Contacts? Partnerships?
• Promote an upcoming conference?
• New research?
• Finding partnerships?
• Promotion of clear language or open access publications?

27. Tools
• Blogs: share your writing, thoughts, ideas
– Blogger, Wordpress
• Social Networks: have conversations
– Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace
• Social Networks: search and share
– YouTube, Vimeo (video) Flickr (pictures)
– Slideshare/scribd: (powerpoints); Dropbox
• Work together: create content together
– Dropbox, google docs
• Website: curate your identity
– Wordpress, Drupalgardens, etc.

28. • Face-to-Face Meetings
• Reports
• Focus groups
• Toolkits
• Models
• Procedures
• Website content
• Online tool
• Policy brief
• Meeting
• Video
• Audio lecture
• Community work
• Advisory committee
• Networking event
• Tweets, blog
• Dinner
• Presentation
• Panel presentation
• Opinion piece
• Interview (tv, radio, written)
• One pager
• Clear language summary
• Journal publication, book, chapter
• Open access publication
• Conference presentation, keynote
• Professional organization publication
• Textbook
• Testifying as an expert
• Lay presentation
• Webinar
• Etc.
Knowledge Mobilization Products

29. Chemistry Student Turns her
Thesis into a Comic Book
• NOT social media, but picked
up by social media.
• Products can be tailored for
social media
• http://mentalfloss.com/article/
63280/chemistry-phd-student-
turned-her-thesis-comic-book

30. CAMH ‘App’ to help problem drinking
• ’Saying When’ - mobile version of a
self-monitoring program pioneered
by Dr. Martha Sanchez-Craig.
• Previously a paper-based manual,
the program is clinically sound and
has helped people cut back or quit
drinking successfully for over 25
years.
• “We’ve been waiting for the
technology to catch up to this
program,” said Wayne Skinner,
Deputy Clinical Director at CAMH.
• http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/about_camh/
newsroom/news_releases_media_advisories
_and_backgrounders/current_year/Pages/CA
MH-launches-mobile-app-to-help-people-
reduce-or-quit-drinking.aspx

31. Tips
Social Media
Audience
Digital IdentityCommunications

32. An Example “Tweet”

33. Listen before
starting a
conversation

34. Limited to
140
Characters!

35. Twitter
• Twitter Terms: tweet, re-tweet, follow, direct
message, @, #, hastag.
• Tools: Tweetdeck; twitter.com; twitpic.com
• Definitions: http://support.twitter.com/articles/166337-the-
twitter-glossary
• Further reading: http://podjam.tv/2011/11/15/9-
strange-things-about-tweets-retweets-and-dms-every-twitter-
user-must-know/
• http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/files/2011/11/Publis
hed-Twitter_Guide_Sept_2011.pdf

36. Advanced Tips:
• Integrate social media throughout a research
project – not just at the end.
• Integrate social media in your research
program: esp. useful if you plan a conference
down the road
• Buy your own domain name & have your
own website

37. Evaluation
• Evaluate and track social media statistics
throughout a research project – not just at
the end.
• Qualitative and quantitative measures
• Integrate social media statistics with all
project measures.

38. Contact me
mobilizing.research@gmail.com
Twitter:@LaurierResearch or
@MobilizeShawna