This document summarizes Ian McCarthy's use of social media in his research. He started a Twitter account in 2009 and a blog in 2011 to share his research on social media and build relationships. He persists by following trends in his field and having conversations to develop as a scholar. While social media has helped his research and reputation, it also requires a strategy and caution, as it can have a dark side if not used carefully.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA
IN RESEARCH
Ian P. McCarthy
Beedie School of Business
Simon Fraser University
ian_mccarthy@sfu.ca
Access the related paper here:
http://www.slideshare.net/IanMcCarthy
/2011-social-mediabh
http://www.karenlancasterblog.co.za/

2. INTRODUCTION
• What, when and why I started.
• Why I persist and my approach.
• Concluding thoughts.
• Progress
• Lessons and some cautions

3. THE WHAT AND WHEN
• Opened a Twitter account - April 2009
• @toffeemen68
• First started Tweeting - November 2010
• Started a Blogger account - February 2011
• http://itdepends4.blogspot.com
• Opened a Slideshare account - August 2011
• http://www.slideshare.net/IanMcCarthy

4. WHY I STARTED
PRESENCE
• Kietzmann, J.H., Hermkens, K., McCarthy, The extent to
which users can
I.P., Silvestre, B.S., (2011) Social media? know if others
SHARING are accessible
Get serious! Understanding the RELATIONSHIPS
The extent to
functional building blocks of social media. which users
The extent to
which users can
Business Horizons 54, 241-251. exchange,
connect to each
distribute and
(download paper here) receive content IDENTITY other
The extent to
which users
reveal
REPUTATION
CONVERSATIONS themselves
The extent to
The extent to which users
which users know the
communicate standing of
with each other others
GROUPS
The extent to
which users form
communities.

5. WHY I STARTED
• To learn about social media
Presence
• Share my research with
Sharing Relationships
scholars, policy makers and the
public
Identity
• Help people to know me -
identity
Conversations Reputation
• Enhance my reputation
Groups
• I was experimenting

6. WHY I PERSIST AND MY APPROACH
• Scanning and following
information about events and Presence
trends that are central to my
research interests.
Relationships
Relationships
• Professional stalking
• Conversations with scholars, Identity
policy makers and practioners.
• Develop relationships with Conversations
Conversations
scholars, policy makers and
practioners.
Groups

7. WHY I PERSIST AND MY APPROACH
• Altmetrics: how we measure scholarship is
becoming more diverse
• Develop different writing and communication
skills
• Make me think about the “so what?” question
• Get feedback on existing research and ideas for
future research
• Being open - engagement with the public –
they fund me

8. PROGRESS
• Twitter (since Nov 2010)
• 2,311 tweets and 12,000 followers
• My “good” tweets will:
– reach between 5,000 - 40,000 tweeters
– 500 – 2,000 people will see it
– 20 – 300 will engage with it
• 71,000 visits to my Blog – It Depends! (since Feb 2011)
• 23,000 views and 2,300 downloads of my
presentations and papers posted on SlideShare

9. PROGRESS
• Several new research relationships
• Research grants, papers, special issues, and
invited talks.
• Appear on several “who to follow” lists
• Newspapers, magazines, radio and TV.
• Awards and impact

10. LESSONS
• Have a strategy.
– Why are you doing it?
– Limit the scope of who you follow and
what you broadcast.
– Select and balance the functional
building blocks of social media
– Interesting and experimental
– Have lists
“Do or do not… there is no try.”
Yoda
http://www.onetwobrick.net/

11. CAUTIONS
• Finally, social media is a force to be
reckoned with. It has a dark side.
• It takes a lot of time to get going
• Then it takes more time
http://gremlindog.com/tag/darth-vader/
• Consider if your direct peers really care
• Remember to be guided by goals
• Be careful what you Blog and Tweet – libel
laws apply!!
• Not a substitute for good scholarship

13. THE TOFFEE MEN