Www.abdn.ac.uk/engage Are Doctoral Candidates Switched on to the Impact of Social Media? Dr Heather Doran Winston Churchill Fellow 2015 (Social Media)

www.abdn.ac.uk/engage

Are Doctoral Candidates Switched onto the Impact of Social Media?


Dr Heather DoranWinston Churchill Fellow 2015 (Social Media) and Public Engagement Project Officer, University of Aberdeen

Welcome

Dr Ken SkeldonHead of Public Engagement, University of Aberdeen



Are Doctoral Candidates Switched onto the Impact of Social Media?RCUK Catalyst University

3 year project to produce institutional culture change towards attitudes to personal development and engagement with external publics and partners



Are Doctoral Candidates Switched onto the Impact of Social Media?Engagement via Social Media

• What do we know about social media use by post graduate researchers?

• How can we support development of skills in the use of social media?

• What does the future look like?




Reported Benefits

• Enhanced exposure for research work / Profile raising

• Potential for collaborations

• Skills development

• Enhanced future employment potential

• Access to funding and resources (e.g. crowdfunding)

Image credit: Subhashish Panigrahi




What do we mean?

Image credit @EvertVerhagen




What do we really know?

Image credit: Jason Howie

?




What do we really know?

• AAAS survey (2014)

• Nature survey 3,500 (2014)

• Lupton report (2014)

• Teaching surveys

• Aberdeen

Are Doctoral Candidates Switched onto Social Media?




Aberdeen

Simple survey issued to our academic community via google docs (Jan 2015)

114 responses from post-graduate to senior academic staff

Gathered information sheds light on how academics are using social media and attitudes towards social media




General OverviewDo you currently use social media to discuss your work in any context?

What networks do you actively use in a work/research context?




• 50% of PhD’s in the survey currently using any social media network to discuss research findings

• Networks they are using the most

PhD level







Why they are switched on

‘Started just by bragging really and then got followed by people actually interested in my work’

‘went on LinkedIn/researchgate after publishing a paper so other researchers knew who I was’




‘To get the most up to date info’

‘mainly to follow conferences and journals’

‘as a way of engaging with a conference I couldn't attend’




‘it just came naturally and is a good way to get to know people’

‘To reach a wider network’




‘To get expert advice.’




What are they sharing?

What information do you share regularly?

Information about research work

Links to other resources

Your C.V.

Your research publications

News stories

Links to your own content blog/websites

Event information

What you have for lunch/personal information




Experiences

Positive ‘a posting on linkedin in the Horizon 2020 group led to an application by our group together with a consortium. Also I received feedback from othre researchers and got in contact with people working in my area. I also look for events online’

‘hosting a national journal club and publishing a letter to editor as a result’

‘connections have helped me resolve research related scientific problems.’




Experiences

Negative

As I always carefully choose my post, I have not found any problems up until this very moment.

I do not post pictures from me drinking too much at a conference




Jargon bustingTraining needs

‘I would like to learn more about blogging, I would really like to have my own blogg’

‘I would like to extend my knowledge about using LinkedIn and ResearchGate and create the fullest advantages of those website’




‘I'd like to attend a forward thinking training session that explores how the use of social media can really be actively harnessed to make an impact on career prospects (as opposed to generic 'how to use' training.’

‘about how to effectively and safely promote my work online in the most effective and cautious way possible.’

Training needs




Jargon bustingTraining needs

‘I don't think it would be necessary’

‘It would be nice but I don't think its the most important thing that people should be trained. If training was offered it should be offered on a voluntary basis’

‘Maybe, not sure what I'd be interested in, so would depend on what was on offer.’‘It might be useful for students at the beginning of their PhD’

‘.. do not know what exactly my need would be. how to create with your on-line presence’




Why they aren’t

Is there a reason you do not use social media as a tool to discuss your research work?

Haven’t thought of using networks in a professional context

Using social media is too risky

Lack of training – not sure how to go about it

I don’t see why I should use social media

Not enough time

‘I'm a bit shy about doing it!’




Current training in Aberdeen

• Regular training sessions on ‘Social Media Impact’

• Bespoke training sessions

• Linked in with institutional priorities (and communications teams)

• Encouragement to think about why social media might be relevant

Created by Meredith Atwater for opensource.com

http://twitter.com/meredithatwater




Encouragement and Case Studies

• Vitae - UK Higher Education Researcher Development Guiding Body

• Vitae’s Social Media handbook • www.vitae.ac.uk/vitae-publications/report

s/innovate-open-university-social-media-handbook-vitae-2012.pdf

http://www.vitae.ac.uk/vitae-publications/reports/innovate-open-university-social-media-handbook-vitae-2012.pdf






Challenges

• Institutional support and buy-in to enhance profiles and support researchers

• Risk to individuals and institutions

• Time consuming




Researchers with Responsibility

• Academic freedom

• Support and Confidence

• Guidance (HE Excellence in Research)




Heather [email protected]@abdn.ac.uk

Ken [email protected]@abdn.ac.uk


Thank you

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/engage

Documents

Www.abdn.ac.uk/engage Are Doctoral Candidates Switched on to the Impact of Social Media? Dr Heather Doran Winston Churchill Fellow 2015 (Social Media)