#SPHPM 3-Jun-14HughStephens

Social media for researchers

SPHPM seminar, 3 Jun 2014

#SPHPM

#SPHPM 3-Jun-14

• Introduction to social media

• Where are researchers?

• What are the opportunities?

• What are the risks?

• How people use it

2

Agenda

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Introduction to social

media1

3

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Social media is any tool that

uses the internet to facilitate

conversation.

It is the shift from a broadcast model of communication to a many-to-many

model of communication.

(adapted from Solis, 2010)

#SPHPM 3-Jun-14

Use Between

Researchers

Use with

media,

“the public”

Personal

Use

Blogs

Google+

Facebook

Flickr Tumblr

Facebook Profiles

Reddit

DeviantArt

Non-researc

h blo

gs

Pintere

st

Research outcome blogs

Facebook Pages

Closed Facebook

Groups

LinkedIn

Sector blogs

Twitter

YouTube

CEO blogs

Sector-specific

??

Internal networks

e.g. Yammer

Journal platforms

e.g. BMJ forums

Academia.edu

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0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

14-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-64 65+

% o

f U

sers

Age Bracket

Proportion who Access the Internetminor trend:

as age

Source: Yellow Social Media 2013

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Do not use social media

Frequency of SNS use

More than five times a day Everyday Most days

A few times a week Once a Week Less than weekly

Never

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0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%SNS platforms used

Source: Yellow Social Media Jun-13

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Audience and activity

9

Think not just of where they are, but where they engage

Audience

Activity

??

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2

10

Where are researchers

online?

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Researchers online

• General

– #phdchat on Twitter

• UK: 1930-2030 GMT Wed Nights

• AU: 1st Wednesday monthly, 1900-2000 AEST

– Blogs++++++

– Inger Mewburn (@thesiswhisperer) ANU academic

• Sector specific

– …anywhere and everywhere

– Look @ your key stakeholders/influencers

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#SPHPM 3-Jun-143. Opportunities

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• “Learn stuff” & access experts

• Motivation (e.g. getting the damn thesis written)

• Disseminate research findings

• Build collaborations locally/globally

• Become well-known in a sector (?future career)

• Social opportunities / meet people with similar interests

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Opportunities activity

Opportunities abound, but you need to choose your poison

#SPHPM 3-Jun-144. Risks

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Be careful when talking about results & data

• Publications – is it already in the “public domain”?

– Little evidence to date about publications vetoing papers as they have had bits Tweeted

• Data privacy/confidentiality breach (!)

• Citations / re-use by others

• Time sink / stuck in the rabbit hole

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Not everything is sunshine & roses

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5

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How is it used?

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• John Weiner

– AllergyNet Australia

http://www.allergynet.com.au/

– Consultant physician allergy/clinical immunology, current PhD

candidate studying clinical excellence in social media, AllergyNet

Australia blog since 1998 (@AllergyNet)

• Tilahun Haregu

– Publication 2 Application blog

http://publication2application.org

– @Pub_App

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Some examples

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Questions?