Slides from the Introduction to Social Media for Researchers course produced by Dr Helen Dixon for Postgraduate Research Students at Queen's University Belfast.

1. Introduction to
Social Media for
Researchers
Dr Helen Dixon
Information Services
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/drhelendixon
http://go.qub.ac.uk/socialmedia
Facebook.com/SocialMediaQUB
@SocialMediaQUB

2. Aims
To show how social media tools can be
integrated into research and researcher
development strategies
To critically evaluate the role of social media
in the research process and the ethical
issues that may arise
To illustrate how social networking can
facilitate career development and
collaboration
To reflect on the importance of establishing
and managing an online profile
@SocialMediaQUB

3. How can you
use social
media as a
researcher?
@SocialMediaQUB
http://padlet.com/HelenDixon/SMResearch

4. The name of the
game is to present
oneself, via one’s
tweets, posts, likes,
comments, and
shares, in the light
in which one
aspires to be
viewed.
http://philosophyforchange.wordpress
.com/2012/07/26/foucault-and-social-
media-the-call-of-the-crowd/
@SocialMediaQUB

5. Reasons for using social media
To communicate more effectively and
efficiently
To facilitate knowledge transfer and
exchange
To work collaboratively
To increase inter-disciplinary exchange
To foster creativity
To explore new methodologies
To promote your research and its impact
@SocialMediaQUB

6. Social media has the potential
to
reach those the research was intended to help
create debate and influence academic peers
spark public interest and raise the profile of
research
increase the chances of securing research funding
or sponsorship for new projects
build long term relationships with leading industry
players
open the door to potential commercial partnerships
and consultancy work.
 Northern Lights PR
@SocialMediaQUB

7. Disadvantages
Time management difficulties/distraction
Information overload/white noise
Intellectual property, privacy and security
issues
Loss of control
Misinformation and premature publication
Blurring of personal/professional
boundaries
Risk of bullying/abuse
Lack of recognition for online efforts
@SocialMediaQUB

8. Social media tools
Interact/
Communicate
• Facebook
• Google+
• Wiki
• Blog
• Twitter
• Storify
• Audacity
Share
resources
• Scoop.it
• Instagram
• SlideShare
• YouTube
• Pinterest
• Delicious
• Prezi
Network
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Yammer
• Academia
• ResearchGate
• Cloudworks
• Mendeley
@SocialMediaQUB

9. WIIFM?
As an academic you have information and
expertise to share
@SocialMediaQUB

10. What do you want social media to
do for you?
Online
profile
Expert status
Personal
brand
Network
Community
Collaboration
Research
Data
collection
Publication
Professional
development
Personal
learning
network
Career
opportunities

11. Introducing the Researcher 3.0
Profiles on website, blog, social media
Up-to-date online presence
Explores new methodologies
Innovative technology user
Promotes open access and sharing
Collaborates & creates
@SocialMediaQUB

12. Social media as
an aid to research
@SocialMediaQUB

13. Social media and the academic
research process
Collaboration
Identification
of
knowledge
Creation of
knowledge
Quality
assurance of
knowledge
Dissemination
of knowledge
Social Media: A
guide for
Researchers |
Research
Information Network
rin.ac.uk
@SocialMediaQUB

14. Social media and research
Identification of
knowledge
• Keep informed
of research
developments
• Explore new
methodologies
• Social
bookmarking
• Networking
• Conferences
Creation of
knowledge
• Collaboration
• Solicit expertise
• Participate in
discussions
• Social research
• Crowd-sourcing
• Big data
Quality
assurance
• Idea
development
and reflection
• Peer review
and feedback
Dissemination
of knowledge
• Communicate
expertise
• Publish
research
findings
• Promote
publications

15. Social media as a research tool
Real-time data
• Analyse events as they
happen
Insights into attitudes
• Evidence of beliefs
Crowdsourcing
• Help to gather/analyse data
@SocialMediaQUB

16. “With 225 million users issuing half a billion tweets per
day, Twitter represents the richest dataset to hit
academia….well, maybe ever—a virtual Petri dish of real-
time data, attractive to scholars of all disciplines, for
studies of all sorts.”
Erika Fry
http://fortune.com/2014/08/22/contagion-justin-bieber-data-scientists-twitter/
@SocialMediaQUB

17. “Social media data is
not quantitative data,
rather qualitative data
on a quantitative scale.”
Francesco D'Orazio
The Future of Social Media in:
Social Research: Blogs on Blurring the Boundaries by SAGE
@SocialMediaQUB

18. Social media data
• Comments, blogs, profiles, wikis
• Mentions, hashtagsText
• Sounds
• Podcasts, interviewsAudio
• Photographs, cartoons, memes, screenshots
• Charts, maps, mind maps, diagramsVisual
• Videos, webinars, hangouts
• Animations, gamesVideo
• Follows, likes, shares, retweets
• Link/image clicks, downloadsAction
@SocialMediaQUB

19. Dimensions of social data
• What do they share?Content
• Who are they?Demographics
• How do they act?Behaviours
• Who do they interact with?Networks
• What other interests do they
have?Interests
@SocialMediaQUB

20. Analysing social media data
• Connections, links, hashtags,
mentions
Network
analysis
• Structure of communications
Discourse
analysis
• Categorising content
Content
analysis
• Positive, negative, neutral
Sentiment
analysis
• Word frequencies, social media
metrics
Summary
statistics
@SocialMediaQUB

21. Social media research –
ethical issues
Informed consent
Researcher identity
Research relationship
Anonymity & confidentiality
Data security
Risk to participants
@SocialMediaQUB

22. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/02/facebook-sorry-secret-
psychological-experiment-users
@SocialMediaQUB

23. Social media research –
quality issues
Sampling & recruitment
Inaccurate profiles
Impulsive comments
Exaggerated views
Polar opinions
Analysis techniques
@SocialMediaQUB

24. Do you like curly fries?
http://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_golbeck_the_curly_fry_conundrum_why_soc
ial_media_likes_say_more_than_you_might_think/transcript
@SocialMediaQUB

25. Consider how you will:
Collect
data
Analyse
data
Validate
findings
@SocialMediaQUB

26. Things to consider
Need to understand how people use
different platforms differently
Summarise T&Cs for participants before
research begins
For longitudinal studies, important to
document how interfaces like Facebook
change
@SocialMediaQUB

27. Social networking
@SocialMediaQUB

28. Putting yourself online
Create a
professional
image
Develop a
personal
brand
Establish
yourself as
an expert
@SocialMediaQUB

29. Social media and networking
Communicate and
collaborate with people
outside your personal
circle
Manage connections
efficiently
Tools will recommend
connections
Networks easily identified
Can become complex
Information overload
Harder to avoid people
Spam/sales people
Blurring of professional
and personal activities
@SocialMediaQUB

30. Tips for social networking
Create and maintain a professional and
consistent online profile
Include qualifications, skills, research interests
Don’t forget an appropriate image!
Don’t spread yourself too thin!
Update regularly but don’t overload
Always remain courteous and professional
Exchange online profiles at conferences or
events
Don’t rule out connections outside your
research area
@SocialMediaQUB

31. Blogging as a researcher
Breakdown ideas into smaller, more
accessible blocks
Develop ideas and solicit feedback from
other academics
Publish research findings – check with
supervisor!
Share your expertise with a new audience
Develop your writing style
Practice for writing-up
@SocialMediaQUB
https://socialmediaqub.wordpress.com/2016/01/20/5-questions-to-ask-
yourself-before-starting-a-blog/

32. Blogging tips!
Have a clear purpose
Plan in advance
Be careful about your tone
How will others react?
@SocialMediaQUB

33. Use Twitter to
Network with other researchers/academics
Disseminate research findings/promote
articles
Drive traffic to a blog/website
Host or take part in online chats
E.g. #phdchat
Gain insights into opinions and behaviour
Interact or provide feedback at a
conference
Promote conferences, events, etc.
@SocialMediaQUB

34. What Twitter can reveal
University of Rochester in New York used Twitter
to follow the spread of flu virus in New York City
and predict when users would fall ill
Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta tracked
the evolution of words – where they originated and
how they spread geographically
A sentiment analysis run by Northeastern
University in Boston measured public tweets using
a psychological word-rating system to identify
happy or sad tweets.
 Happiness peaks each Sunday morning, then dives to an
all-week low on Thursday evening
 http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24544-five-fascinating-things-
revealed-by-twitter-data.html#.Uoo2YtLwlBl
 http://digimind.com/blog/best-practices/innovative-uses-of-social-media-data/
@SocialMediaQUB

35. Use Facebook/Google+ to
Get to know other students/researchers
Interact with industry professionals or
research bodies
Find out about events/conferences
Obtain feedback from peers
Collaborate with other researchers
 Google Hangouts?

36. Google Hangouts
Have a video conversation via webcam with up to
10 people over the Internet
Need a Google+ profile and some
friends/contacts
A Hangout on Air is broadcast live to your YouTube
channel
Up to 10 people can contribute on video
Millions more can participate by text or just listen
in
Afterwards, you can edit the video and it
available online
 http://youtu.be/qhvd_LTM_yQ?t=56m30s
@SocialMediaQUB

37. Use Second Life to
Network with other researchers and
obtain feedback
Recruit research participants and
conduct pilot interviews
Conduct focus groups or interviews
with remote participants
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Second
_Life_Education
@SocialMediaQUB

38. https://www.box.com/s/90b4481d6d218ed1de87
@SocialMediaQUB

39. Use LinkedIn to
Develop a professional profile online
Network with other researchers
Maintain relationships with past colleagues
Join groups to discuss specific topics
Publicise research activities and gain
feedback
Get information about funding or
employment opportunities
Identify potential research partners or
participants
@SocialMediaQUB
https://socialmediaqub.wordpress.com/2015/12/02/linkedin-or-left-out/

40. Developing a social media strategy
Clarify
your
objectives
Identify
your
audience
Develop
content
strategy
Track
your
progress
Adjust
your
strategy
@SocialMediaQUB

41. Which tool would you use?
To collaborate on a research project
To interact with other research
students
To maintain contact with research
subjects in a different country
To promote your own
research
@SocialMediaQUB

42. Impact of your activities What you have gained
Social media metrics
 Number of updates
 Number of followers/friends
gained
 Number of
comments/replies
 Number of retweets/shares
 Number of articles
downloaded or click-
throughs
 Number of new connections
you have identified
 Number of useful resources
you have found
 Number of funding
opportunities identified
 Number of invitations
received
 Number of research
participants identified
@SocialMediaQUB

43. Altmetrics“…the creation and study of new metrics based on
the Social Web for analyzing, and informing
scholarship.”
www.altmetrics.org
Publications
Products of
research
@SocialMediaQUB
Altmetrics

44. Impact or attention?
Things to
consider
• What metrics
are available for
your articles?
• What about your
other ‘products
of research’?
How to get
started
• Find out about
use of metrics in
your area
• Set up a profile
and lurk for a
while
Check out http://figshare.com/
@SocialMediaQUB

45. Managing your online profile
@SocialMediaQUB

46. What does your online profile say
about you?
In the future your
“digital footprint”
will carry far more
weight than
anything you may
put on a resume.
Chris Betcher
@SocialMediaQUB

47. Try it out!
Go to socialmention.com and search for
“Queen’s University Belfast”
Try your own name too!
Now go to tagboard.com and search for
phdchat
Try QUBImpact or another hashtag you are
interested in
@SocialMediaQUB

48. Digital professionalism
• about the impact on you, the University,
funding bodies and othersTHINK
• sharing, make sure that the information
is correct and that you have permissionBEFORE
• are responsible for anything you
publish onlineYOU
• content that will add value and
enhance your reputationPOST
@SocialMediaQUB

49. How to lose followers and alienate people
Too much
Controversy
Formality
Self-
promotion
Not
enough
Useful
content
Original
content
Interaction
@SocialMediaQUB

50. Getting started
Start simple – create a personal Facebook,
Twitter or LinkedIn account
Follow academics, research groups,
institutions, etc. relevant to your field
Lurk for a while and take note of how other
academics are using social media
Search for and comment on educational
content
@SocialMediaQUB

51. When you are ready…
Use Twitter to provide feedback at a conference or
event
Ask questions and initiate discussions relevant to
the use of social media or your field of interest
Join a group on LinkedIn to network with other
academics in your research area
Participate in a webinar or live chat
Create a Facebook/Google+ page for a project you
are involved with
Create and share a video of an interesting aspect
of your research
Start a blog about your area of expertise
@SocialMediaQUB

52. Discuss your ideas with your supervisor
Read the University’s Social Media Policy
Respect copyright and link to or cite sources
Moderate all comments
Respond to comments and Tweets
Remain professional at all times!
Doing it right!
@SocialMediaQUB

53. The rules of the game
are simple:
[1] share only what
you love or what
resonates with you;
[2] pay attention to the
feedback you receive
from the crowd and
modify your posts
accordingly;
[3] don’t stray too far
from the truth. Be
creative but don’t be
phoney.
http://philosophyforchange.wordpre
ss.com/2012/07/26/foucault-and-
social-media-the-call-of-the-crowd/
@SocialMediaQUB

54. Questions
@SocialMediaQUB
Stay in touch!
facebook.com/SocialMediaQUB
twitter.com/SocialMediaQUB

55. Further reading
 5 questions to ask yourself before starting a blog
 How to disseminate your research via social media
 LinkedIn or left out? Networking in education
 Researchers – it’s time to start talking about social media
and altmetrics
 Social media for researchers
 Using Twitter in university research, teaching and impact
activities