Impact is coming - research impact and social media

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Esther De Smet - workshop #PhDIntroday -

February 2016

*** Line-up of recruits for the Wall ***

Rank yourself according to the impact of your research on the realms of men

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You have all heard of ‘publish or perish’ but nowadays it is more a case of ‘be visible or

vanish’.

And although that might sound no better and even a little scary, you can turn this to

your advantage.

Especially when you consider that doing things out in the open should be a part of

science.

So your first lesson is to take pride in what you do as a scientist

You have the power to change the world – even if it doesn’t seem that obvious to other

or even to you.

But with power comes great responsibility. So in your work try to be as open as possible.

Share your ideas, results and data with the scientific community – and convince others

to do so as well.

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Join me in spreading this new war cry!

*** discussion on how the participants are already encouraged to be open or what

actions they might take ***

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But it is not just about making a mark on science. Remember that there are other realms

out there that need exploring.

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Being the warden of Castle Knowledge is an honourable duty but what exactly is this

treasure you are sitting on or defending?

Knowledge is ideally ‘socially robust’ which means it does not solely serves your small

scientific family but also all the other families outside the gates of your keep.

So get on your horse and explore other kingdoms, talking and listening to people on the

way, staying at strange inns, getting lost –

Always considering where you’re going and who you can help along the way.

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Why care about the impact of your research? Because there’s more to the world than

your research.

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Open science is also about allowing society into your world and venturing into society

yourself.

Think about what you might do to make your research easily discoverable and accessible

to other audiences besides your peers.

Look at how other people outside the scientific and academic realm might influence

your work and your attitude.

What are the ways in which you can interact with them? How approachable are you?

How can you be at the service of society?

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Storytelling is all about using the trick of engaging narratives when communicating

about your research.

It is something you should really invest in.

It is our lesson 3.

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May and Watts (2012) describe an eight-art story structure:

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/how-to-structure-a-story-the-eight-point-arc/

You must accept that science might not interest everyone. It even scares some people.

Also remember that details important to you may not resonate with other people – even

other researchers.

Is there anything in your research which may though?

When considering this question, be honest with yourself, and try to embody someone

else who hasn’t spent years toiling over your niche subject area.

Resist the temptation of covering too much of your research. Don’t get bogged down

in the details. Try to avoid unnecessary nuance.

Maybe the 8-point arc is too heavy-handed for you?

Start with at least finding that central image that people can connect with.

Link: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2014/08/27/academic-

storytelling-risk-reduction/

Rigorous researching and attention-grabbing storytelling are very different trades but

that does not mean that they are mutually exclusive.

By finding that point of connection in your research you’ll go a long way.

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Storytelling is essentially about touching the hearts and heads of your audience (in that

order!): making them laugh or cry, inviting them to join you on your journey, challenging

them to think.

It’s about making them care so be authentic.

It’s about making a lasting impression and letting your passion inspire them.

It’s about bringing in visuals to add strength and imagination to your tale.

In short: it’s about making an impact.

*** Exercise: what is your central image? What is your story? ***

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https://youtu.be/2xCLCB51fBw

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In Lesson number Four we come to terms with the fact that everyone needs help and

should surround themselves with worthy allies who bring added value to your science

engagement through their expertise. You are not in this alone.

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In engagement and communication as in research it is important to build up a sturdy

network.

You only have so much time and energy so investing it wisely is key.

Look for meaningful encounters – and not just the usual suspects.

As a PhD student it is important to have role models. Think who this might be for you.

Identify partners in your quest starting within your own university: *** show of hands –

who knows about these? ***

- Communication Office

- Unit for Science Communication

- Research Communication (incl. scholarly communication)

- Faculty Communication

- Dedicated person with research group

Also identify who else might benefit from your science engagement:

- from your research: general public and specific target groups

- from your communication about your research: (specific) media

Interesting exercise: identify the stakeholders of your research (both positive and

negative)

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https://www.vitae.ac.uk/doing-research/leadership-development-for-principal-investigators-pis/leading-a-research-project/applying-for-research-funding/research-project-stakeholders


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But it is not enough to know the go-to people, the intermediaries.

It also helps to know where the essential information is and what small actions can

make a big difference. Some things you need to do yourself.

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We are halfway through our quest to attain the Iron Throne. We have learnt a lot about

our own attitude and skills but it is now time to delve deeper into the tools that are at

our deposal.

Lesson 5 reminds us of the fact that when it comes to those tools it pays off to evolve

and step into the future.

So get with the times and don’t become a White Walker. Start with discovering your

online identity and then caring about it and aim at becoming a ‘networked scholar’.

Interesting resource: Goodier and Czerniewicz, http://openuct.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/Online%20Visibility%20Guidelines.pdf

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Writing for Research (March 2014) https://medium.com/advice-and-help-in-

authoring-a-phd-or-non-fiction/are-you-an-academic-hermit-6d7ae5a0f16a

*** Quiz about digital behaviour ***

- How many people looking for info online? 70%

- How many scholars without online contact details: 35%

- How many researchers think they should probably do more to promote their research

online? 78%

- If researchers do use online media to make professional info publicly available, how

many put data sets online? 15% (pulished) 7% (unpublished)

(Both online survey Piirus September 2014)

- How much of Ghent Uni Biblio is open access? 30%

- What is the world’s largest non-scholarly referrer of DOIs? Wikipedia

- How many new Wikipedia articles per minute? 6

- Most tweeted PLOS article 2014: Survey of Academic Field Experiences (SAFE):

Trainees Report Harassment and Assault

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*** Quiz: academic social media networks and digital tools ***

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Okay, now you seem ready to really unleash the dragons of social media

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There are many online tools available for disseminating your research and/or for

interacting about science. The important thing is choosing the right tool for your specific

goal. And then making it your own and giving it a natural place in your work and life so it

does not feel like a chore.

http://www.andymiah.net/2012/12/30/the-a-to-z-of-social-media-for-academics/

(starting in left-hand corner below)

Website: not just profile page but also group pages with news items, dedicated project

websites etc.

LinkedIn: profile that helps you to connect outside academia

Visual platforms: Flickr, Instagram (second largest socmed platform!)

Pinterest (big in US!) - http://www.researchtoaction.org/2012/07/whats-all-the-interest-

in-pinterest-how-can-it-be-used-for-academic-research-communication/

examples: https://www.pinterest.com/smithsonianscie/ and

http://readwrite.com/2013/09/25/best-instagram-accounts-for-science-geeks

In between visual and blog: Tumblr (bijv. http://medresearch.tumblr.com/ and

http://oupacademic.tumblr.com/ but also http://wheninacademia.tumblr.com/ and

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http://wheninacademicresearch.tumblr.com/ and http://allmalepanels.tumblr.com/)

Reddit Science and Quora

Online Commenting

Opinion pieces for all kinds of media

SlideShare

Wikipedia: huge audience, use your expertise to improve the world’s largest source of

knowledge

as a means to open up science: https://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/2014/10/using-wikipedia-

to-open-up-science/

Data visualisation

Infographics: http://blogs.biomedcentral.com/bmcblog/2014/08/11/the-power-of-

pictures-how-we-can-use-images-to-promote-and-communicate-science/ > the

importance of visuals (academic poster becomes infographic)

Bijv. http://www.studiolakmoes.nl/projecten-database/zo-deelt-de-ambulancezorg-een-

jaarverslag-vol-cijfers

Twitter

Facebook: http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/facebook-science-pages/

Online book reviews including popular books based on science:

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/category/disciplines/media-studies/

Blog: separate, group, guest

Ted talk (maybe start locally with TedX) – Scientists Popularizing Science: characteristics

and impact of TED Talk Presenters (PLOSONE April 2013): “Presenters are predominantly

male and non-academics. Although TED popularizes research it may not promote the

work of scientists within the academic community.”

Podcasts

Youtube - Vimeo

https://www.youtube.com/user/jmccorma1234/videos

Explanimation: e.g. Crash Course Biology

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3EED4C1D684D3ADF > Choose your audience /

Deliver in style / Stay focused / Get to the point / Be part of the community / Give the

audience an anchor / Be a person not a company


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk2izv-c_ts

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Twitter is an easy but worthwhile tool to start engaging about your research.

These are some of the benefits:

- Connect with peers and building a scholarly network. Quote: “It’s allowed me to

open up new communities for discussions and increase the interdisciplinarity of my

research.” (A network boost by M. Baker. Nature, 12 Feb 2015)

- Sharing and finding resources (think ‘open science’)

- Generating and refining ideas

- Honing writing skills: try building up a lucid argument in 140 characters!

- Reputation management (part of larger strategy in managing your digital

footprint/shadow)

- Dissemination of your research. Don’t just tweet your new scientific articles but try to

capture the attention of more people by making the content accessible.

- Public engagement and creating involvement: why not look for participants this way?

- And remember, there’s a lot of journalists and media outlets on there too…

Jobs & prof. development:

- “Following institutions, companies and individuals on Twitter can offer clues about

workplace culture and ongoing projects in a way that static website do not.”

- “Junior researchers are creating identities that don’t have to be routed through the

principal investigator.” (A network boost by M. Baker. Nature, 12 Feb 2015)

It is a great tool for conferences:

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- Back-channel: capture content & provide feedback, share questions and resources

- Connecting and networking

- Virtual participation

There is of course a big social element to it (especially for ECRs):

- Break isolation

- Look over the fence

- Find fellow victims

- Real-life scholar

- Sheer fun of it


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*** Exercise ***

#sharemythesis: competition by British Library

LOL my thesis: tumblr

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Status anxiety: should academics be using social media? D. Lupton

Reaching out. Nature blog by Soapbox Science (7 June 2012)

It is a nuanced story.

Not everyone is a fan or naturally gifted or even at ease when participating in science

engagement and/or social media.

There might even be criticism of peers or mentors.

Institutional rewards and incentives are lacking.

Not everyone’s research is applied or sexy.

There is also a worry that we might be evolving towards more of the same: Academic

attention economy (cf. Kardashian Index)

*** Why are not doing it? Why are you doing it? ***

Although it is a big investment and there are some definite challenges, there are great

benefits to integrating social media into your research – not just as a way to

communicate but also as a means to become a better scholar. Social media offers you

the means to interact directly with a broader audience – often without ‘corporate

interference’.

Although it can be great fun and many of the social media look flighty (eg. half-life of a

tweet is 18 minutes) it should not be taken lightly but approached in a strategic and

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professional manner.

It’s all about finding the right balance:

- Not overthinking it but using it to your advantage

- Getting into the spirit of sharing and interacting while keeping focus in your own

research and not losing yourself in procrastination

- Giving it a natural place in your time management and approaching it so you feel

comfortable with it


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http://markcarrigan.net/2015/10/26/my-tips-on-social-media-for-academics-in-the-times-higher/

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If you have been paying attention to all the previous lessons and are willing to put them

to work, you’re ready finally claim your prize.

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ACADEMIC PRESTIGE

Better understanding the impact of your research and describing it leads to more

succesful grant proposals.

Promoting your publications and work, increases the chance of people seeing them and

citing them.

Or connecting their research with yours.

NETWORKING

Reaching out might offer professional perspectives outside academia.

Broadly communicating about your research creates opportunities for partnerships (and

thus funding) to might have remained hidden.

REAL IMPACT

Sharing your research leads to more multidisciplinarity and more efficient innovation.

Collaboration and coproduction brings real solutions to small and grand challenges.

Putting your scientific passion on stage increases your standing as a public intellectual

and establishes you as an academic expert.

From my idealistic view, it simplies makes you a better researcher but it also makes sure

that the general public and the powers that be keep supporting science and providing

funding.

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Impact is coming - research impact and social media

Science

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