Anyone Can Blog: Psychology as seen through the blogosphere Anyone Can Blog: Psychology As Seen...
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Anyone Can Blog: Psychology as seen through the blogosphere Anyone Can Blog: Psychology As Seen Through the Blogosphere Wray Herbert John Grohol Greta and Dave Munger Laura Freberg
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Transcript of Anyone Can Blog: Psychology as seen through the blogosphere Anyone Can Blog: Psychology As Seen...
Anyone Can Blog:
Psychology as seen through
the blogosphere
Anyone Can Blog: Psychology As Seen Through the Blogosphere
Wray Herbert
John Grohol
Greta and Dave Munger
Laura Freberg
© 2008 - 3
Nine Years of Psychology
BloggingOverview of Psych CentralOverview of Psych Central
Founded in 1995The Internet’s leading independent mental health network: • Original editorial content • Daily news and research briefs• 150 community forums• 55,000+ members• 120,000+ newsletter subscribers• World of Psychology blog
© 2008 - 4
Nine Years of Psychology
BloggingWorld of Psychology BlogWorld of Psychology Blog
Making mental health accessible
Actionable information
Focus on “Abnormal” psychology
Entries are relatively brief (800+ words)
© 2008 - 5
Nine Years of Psychology
BloggingWorld of Psychology BlogWorld of Psychology Blog
Started in October 1999
3,000+ entries
A half-dozen different contributors over the years
Wrote own blogging software(OpenJournal)
Now use WordPress
Approx. 35,000 readers/month
© 2008 - 6
Nine Years of Psychology
BloggingMost Popular EntriesMost Popular Entries
1. Celebrities with Eating Disorders2. Generic Lexapro Coming to Stores Near You!3. Why Would You Lie to Your Therapist? 4. Top Ten Bipolar Blogs5. Withdrawal from Antidepressants6. 237 Reasons to Have Sex7. Why Does eHarmony Reject People?8. Top Ten Depression Blogs9. The Story Behind the Increase in Teen Suicide Rates10. TV & ADHD
© 2008 - 7
Nine Years of Psychology
BloggingMost Commented On…Most Commented On…
Trichotillomania Treatment
Why Would You Lie to Your Therapist?
Light and Dark
The UK's Lisa Blakemore-Brown Case
Asthma + Singulair = Suicide?
© 2008 - 8
Nine Years of Psychology
BloggingLessons LearnedLessons Learned
Pick a focused topic and commit to it
Takes a lot of patience
Is a commitment
Quality is paramount
Write in your reader’s language
© 2008 - 9
Nine Years of Psychology
BloggingMore Lessons LearnedMore Lessons Learned
Market your blog
Invite guest entries
KISS – Use Blogger or Wordpress.com
Burn-out is common
© 2008 - 10
Nine Years of Psychology
BloggingTips to Reduce Burn-OutTips to Reduce Burn-Out
Write what you know
Blog for internal motivations, not external ones
Incorporate blogging into yourdaily or weekly routine
Don’t force entries
Keep your expectations realistic
© 2008 - 11
Nine Years of Psychology
BloggingWhy We Do ItWhy We Do It
“I wish I could say that ECT saved my mother, but instead it destroyed her and replaced her with somebody that I don’t know.” – A
“I felt so isolated because where I grew up I was the only person with this condition (trichotillomania).” – Nina
“This site kept me from killing myself.” – Hannah
Helping the Public Understand Basic Psychology Research and See it in Action
Greta Munger, Davidson College
Dave Munger, ResearchBlogging.org
How the blog works• Lecture from specific research reports
– Provides examples not from text book– Keeps me engaged and excited
• Dave summarizes them for blog– Often with cool demo!
In my classes• Standard assignment: summary paper
• Choose article in area; write critical summary
• Use blog as example for posts• Highlights the intended audience
• Quality has definitely improved• Audience clear and good examples
• Top writers are invited to submit to blog• Additional editorial work by Dave
Additional class use• Supplement lectures
– Particularly the demos!
• Student readings– Wide range of examples– No prepared discussion questions
New feature• Blog categories
– Fairly casual, hard to use for teaching?• “memory” covers a lot of ground!
Teaching index…
Blogging for research• CogDaily for general public
• Researchers can use blogs too
• Other blogs have a different mission from CogDaily
Research Blogging uses• To recruit participants
• To keep an open lab notebook
• To follow the literature
• Easy to create at sites like blogger.com or wordpress.com
http://philosophyofbrains.com
http://scienceblogs.com/developingintelligence
http://paul-baxter.blogspot.com
ResearchBlogging.org• Find other serious blog posts
• Share your posts
• Build a community of like-minded scientists
How it works• Bloggers register with our site• They enter reference information in a
form -- usually just a single identifier• They copy code from our site into their
posts• Our site finds the posts and publishes
them for the world to see
Sneak preview!• New version of site to be launched soon
• Non-profit supported by Seed Media Group
• Professional programming and design
Thank you!• scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily
• Researchblogging.org
The Blogging Professor: Using Blogs to Interact With
Students
Laura FrebergCalifornia Polytechnic State University,
San Luis Obispohttp://www.laurafreberg.com/blog/
Increasing Communication With Students
• Discussion Boards (Blackboard, etc.)
• Advantages of Blogs– Familiar medium for today’s student– Graphics, links increase interest– Discover which topics are interesting to
students
Questions for Blogging Professors
• Am I representing my university? Or just myself?• What will my colleagues think?• Can I hit the right notes of professionalism and
personality?• Is writing using new media an example of
professional development?• Do I have time to do this?
Thank You!
This Presentation Will Be Available Later Today at
http://www.laurafreberg.com/blog
