Using Twitter for research

Georgina Cronin

Research Support Librarian

@senorcthulhu

#MooreMethods

Today’s session

Understanding Twitter

Using Twitter effectively

Hands-on activities

Exploring best practice

Making it all work

Research gathering ∞ Research communication

Who was already on Twitter?

Why is Twitter so important for communicating?

https://youtu.be/15u2G-L07x8

Stand out from the crowd…

Don’t just broadcast…

Be part of the conversation

Twitter facts

Twitter community has…

…established social practices

Global reach with

almost 30 languages

covered

Public and accessible

space to

share ideas

Over 500 million tweets

are sent daily

More and more researchers are

collaborating and

networking on Twitter

Everyone has their own thoughts about Twitter

Discussion – one good thing, one bad thing about Twitter

Exercise – reaching out

Follow @MooreLib

Follow @Cambridge_Uni

Follow your neighbours

Reply to a tweet

Write a tweet…

Reply to tweet

Retweet tweet

Favourite tweet

Favourite = Like

Favourite ≠ Like

Use hashtags

#Hashtags

Popular part of Twitter language

Can be a one-off or established like #FF Used to emphasise the subject of a tweet

Facilitates discovery

#Easy Easy to get wrong #nowthatchersdead

#to #overuse

#Hashtags

Popular part of Twitter language

Can be a one-off or established like #FF Used to emphasise the subject of a tweet

Facilitates discovery

#Easy Easy to get wrong #nowthatchersdead

#to #overuse

Should be short and snappy

Check for existing use of your hashtag

Exercise – adding content

Write a tweet that includes #MooreMethods

Tweet a link to your favourite blog or website

Tweet an image

Retweet a tweet

Like a tweet

Relevant hashtags

#academiclife

#phdchat

#phdproblems

#STEM

#askacurator

#scicomm

Follow @AcademicPain for some hilarity

Top tips for great tweets

Have fun and be informal

Include pictures, gifs, links…all of the media! Use #hashtags strategically Think about what you want to say

Bring other people into the conversation What do you want your reader to do next? Tap in to trending topics and get involved

Live Tweeting

How did you get

on?

Using Twitter for

research

Collecting

Follow researchers in similar fields

Use hashtags to pull together themes

Take advantage of live tweeting of

conferences or events

Use additional tools such as Hootsuite

Get inspiration and resources posted by other

researchers

Collaborating

Start talking to researchers in similar fields

Use hashtags to comment on discussions

Provide input during live tweeting

Use additional tools to find networking

opportunities

Share resources and ideas from researchers

with your network

Communicating

Share your research through your tweets

Use hashtags to start and add to

discussions in your field

Live tweet discussions and events

Use additional tools to curate content that you

are developing

Share your own resources and ideas

with your network

Best practice

Final tips

Use tools

Search and

follow

Curate…

…and create

Generate value

Engage in conversations

Think about timing

Be human…

…and have fun!