Using social media for impactWorkshop presented at ESRC Final Year Conference

Edinburgh, 25th April 2014

Professor Hazel Hall

http://hazelhall.org

http://slideshare.net/hazelhall

http://hazelhall.org/about

Why this session?

This one-hour interactive session covers

1. Consideration of the range of social media tools available to help increase research impact

2. Practical suggestions and recommendations for researchers keen to develop their presence on, and use of, social media for a number of work-related purposes, both at a personal and project level

Workshop format

Introductory slides (10 minutes) These ones!

Exercise (30 minutes) Team work

Round-up (20 minutes) Teams report back Suggestions and recommendations on where you should “be”

Established impact measures

Bibliometric indicators measure “academic” impact of individuals’ output

Quantity of publications Quantity of citations to those publications Codified in citation databases

Established impact measures

Bibliometric indicators measure “academic” impact

Quantity of publications Quantity of citations to those publications

http://webofknowledge.com

Alternative impact measures

Altmetrics assess the impact of individual output using various criteria across a range of platforms

recommended by others praised by opinion leaders mentioned in social media etc.

downloaded acknowledged included in syllabi quoted in the press cited in policy documents

Judgements of esteem rely on more than “mere” publication record. Visibility is becoming increasingly important for personal research impact and the reputational benefits that this brings, e.g. invitations to collaborate, speak at conferences, serve on committees etc.

http://cas-csid.cas.unt.edu/?p=4475

http://hazelhall.org/2013/07/14/altmetrics-achieving-and-measuring-success-in-communicating-research-in-the-digital-age/

But what about wider impact?Research reach policy action improvements

Take into account target audience(s) preferences for consuming research output

Present output in an way that is accessible to the target audience

Ensure project has high level support

Include target research audience(s) in the execution of the research

Activities to ensure that investment in research deliver social and economic benefit

http://lisresearchcoalition.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/rilies1_report.pdf

But what about wider impact?Research reach policy action improvements

Take into account target audience(s) preferences for consuming research output

Present output in an way that is accessible to the target audience

Ensure project has high level support

Include target research audience(s) in the execution of the research

Activities to ensure that investment in research deliver social and economic benefit

Much of this is about how the work is disseminated and, in particular, output format (content creation) and accessibility (sharing). This is where social media come in…

Exercise: part 1

Complete your coloured social media bingo card

Approach people who hold cards of a different colour from yours A person’s name can only appear once on your card Return to your table when

Your card is complete OR you are certain that you cannot complete it any further OR the hooter blows

Exercise: part 2

Using the information that you have recorded on your cards (and prior knowledge where appropriate) Discuss which social media tools appear best suited to increase:

“Academic” impact: tools that help ensure publications are accessed and cited “Personal impact”: tools that help enhance visibility and grow reputation “Research into practice” impact: tools that help support the delivery of social and economic

benefit from investment in research Group the social media tools according to their main function Record your findings on the flipchart

There are lots of places “to be”

(Local profiles)CV services

e.g. LinkedIn

Resource sharing sites e.g. Flickr, Pinterest,

SlideShare, SoundCloud, Vimeo, YouTube

ID services e.g. Orcid, ResearcherID

Profile services e.g. Academia.edu, Google Scholar,

ResearchGate

Blogging and microblogging platforms

e.g. CoverItLive, Medium, Quora, The Conversation, Tumblr, Twitter WordPress

Impact measurement tools e.g. ImpactStory, Klout

Collaboration sites e.g. Citeulike, Mendeley

Social networking sites e.g. Facebook, Google+, Lanyrd

So where should you (your projects) be?For wide dissemination of publications

ID services (e.g. Orcid, ResearcherID) and research profile services (e.g. Academia.edu, Google Scholar, ResearchGate)

For wide dissemination of presentations Resource sharing sites (e.g. SlideShare, SoundCloud, Vimeo, YouTube)

If you are interested in tracking your impact Impact measurement tools (e.g. ImpactStory, Klout)

If you want to keep up to date/others updated Twitter

And to provide a directory of it all About.me

Should you set up a personal blog?

1. Do you want/need a full “independent” online profile?

2. Do you enjoy writing?

3. Are you prepared to give up your free time to blog regularly?

4. What would a blog give you that you can’t get from use of other services? In-house news platform Update function on LinkedIn Ad hoc blogging on Medium, guest contributions to The Conversation

Resources

For further detail on individual services mentioned in this presentation see Using social media to promote your research by Hazel Hall.

The London School of Economics blog Maximising the impact of academic research is well worth following

Sharing the DREaM blueprint gives an account of how social media extended the reach of an AHRC project in 2011/12

Using social media for impactWorkshop presented at ESRC Final Year Conference

Edinburgh, 25th April 2014

Professor Hazel Hall

http://hazelhall.org

http://slideshare.net/hazelhall