Managing your researcher online presence

This presentation contains content from Dr Helen Webster ‘s The Researcher Online:Building an Online Identity. The slides are available here:

http://dh23things.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/the-researcher-online-building-your-online-identity/.

This is not a social media demonstratio

n...

a broader understanding of why you should consider

using social media

a basic understanding of good practice, impact, and potential

pitfalls

an insight into unconventional publishing methods

What do people know about me

already?

Google!

Purge?

Reputation…

Settings

Alias

Who is looking at you online?

http://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/google-online-searches

77% 77% of recruiters used search engines to

find background data on candidates

35%35% admitted eliminating candidates

because of the information that they found online

82% of candidates expect recruiters to search

for their details on a search engine

& only

33% bothered to search for themselves to see

what prospective employers may find

What has this got do with my

academic career?

© https://www.jasondavies.com/wordcloud/#

Blogging as a publishing

tool

Easy to createResearch / work diaryPublicity Express your thoughtsInformal tone Follow and be followedBlog collaboratively

https://bloggingforhistorians.wordpress.com/

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/

How do I link my identity to my research

and institution?

Open Researcher and Contributor iD

For further information on how to sign up and what the service offers, have a look at the University’s Research Information pages

http://www.research-information.admin.cam.ac.uk/what-information-available

How will people find what I want

them to find?

Develop and protect your brand Be consistent with:

Your name and title (ORCiD)

Your biog / research description

Your linking sites (personal website, departmental/research group blog, twitter, academia.edu etc.)

How do you communicate & connect?

cc licensed flickr photo shared by ☺ Lee J Haywood

What might you get out of networking?

• Advice

• Information

• Opportunities

• Support

• Help

Benefits of online networking

• Access at any time

• Contacts beyond the institution

• Lighter touch

• Ongoing discussions

Tips for enhancing your visibility• Google ranking • Sites with authority• How are people searching for you –

embed likely keywords in your metadata/tags

• For social media update at peak times 9am, 3 pm and 6 pm

• Search for yourself and images

How do you maintain a presence?

• Collate your own presence• Have the same username across

platforms e.g. Namechk https://namechk.com/

• Consistent and recognisable profile picture e.g. Gravatar

• Can create profiles to bring social media together e.g. About.me and Flavours.me

What do you want from your profile

• What aspect of work or self are you promoting

• Who is your audience • What purpose do you want to achieve• What can you offer: Collate news,

commentary on what reading, updates on activities e.g. conferences, research methods, peer mentoring

Networking tools• Social Bookmarking

–Share links relevant to your subject (blogs, papers), subscribe and create online bookmarks, e.g. Delicious or Pinterest

• Microblogging – Twitter–Follow academics, researchers, groups and societies in your

subject areas, livetweeting at conferences• Blogging as a scholarly activity

–Create a blog for colleagues or students• Comment

–Start and join in discussions on sites e.g. Mendeley, Academia.edu, LinkedIn

• Digital file-sharing platforms–E.g. slideshare, Youtube

Build your online networks: Twitter

Create and subscribe to Twitter lists

Add people or institutions to your

list

Tips for TwitterCheck who other people follow

Search via #hashtags e.g. conferences

Managing networks on TwitterHootsuite or Tweetdeck – various columns: stream different usernames, favourites, hashtags, individuals.

Build your online networks: FacebookJoin/create groups in your subject

Create page for academic promotion

Like pages from societies/groups/institutions and see what they are liking

Build your online networks: LinkedIn

Remember be social!

• Interact    • Ask questions• Respond to queries• Update regularly• Share ideas/information with others in your

network• Collate and pass on responses

cc licensed flickr photo by  Miss Vio

Any questions?

Contact DetailsLyn BaileyLibrarianFaculty of ClassicsEmail: lkb24@cam.ac.ukTwitter: @lettylib Tel: 01223 335154

Jenni SkinnerLibrarianCentre of African Studies LibraryEmail: js454@cam.ac.ukTwitter: @afrstudieslib Tel: 01223 334398