Social Media as a Research and Collaboration Tool

Reflections on Personal ExperienceRegan Forrest, PhD Candidate

University of Queensland School of Tourism

The Social Media LandscapeWhat social media

tools are out there?What do you

currently use?What tools are useful

for RHD students?

Source: http://www.acewebdesign.com.au/blog/2012/05/05/social-media-stats-infographic-april-2012/

Picking from the Social Media Smorgasbord . . . Social media for networking - purposes, pros

and cons of:FacebookLinkedInTwitterBlogging

Social media as a participant recruitment tool

Facebook

Friends

FamilyColleagues

Facebook: “closed” networkingConnect and

communicate with a defined group

Lots of people using it already

BUT - limited chance of serendipitous encounters with new people

Linked In

Colleagues

Groups

LinkedIn: “strategic” networkingKeep in touch with

current and former colleagues

Maintain professional connections – an ‘electronic business card’

Join groups for discussions, job postings, posting requests

BUT – be selective and manage settings to avoid email deluge

Multiple Interests Twitter

Twitter: “open” networkingFind new people with

shared interestsReal-time ‘#hashtag’

discussions – often with international reach

Follow and share conferences

BUT it can take time to build up a useful network

Web version is inferior to Twitter apps (free apps are available)

Finding Fellow-travellers on Twitter

“Museum”-based workers & researchers

PhD Students at Qld-based institutions

Adelaide Dwellers

Believe it or not I’m not the only one here!!!

Twitter to vent and share: #phdchatMonthly real-time

discussions (Australia)

Useful tips and links posted all the time

See who else is in the same boat or has some words of wisdom to share

Suggested follows@thesiswhisperer – owner of the very useful

blog by the same name@litreviewhq – tips and links to blog posts

about getting your literature review doneFellow students, academics and others

interested in topics related to your research: #tourism #environment #museums #whatever

PhD students in unrelated fields – moral support and a different perspective

Blogging: networking through sharing• Opportunity to “road test” new ideas •A place to discuss secondary concepts that won’t make your thesis•Helps in maintaining the writing habit• Establish a reputation by demonstrating your expertise•Tie in with other social media use – post links to your blog•Consider guest blogging or blog sharing

Blogging has helped me . . .Get more confidence in my ideasReach an international audienceHelp me organise my thoughts after

conferencesGain work!

Recruiting Research Participants through social media: what I didGoal: find ~20 people willing an able to spend about an

hour visiting the South Australian MuseumAim to find as varied a sample as possible across gender,

age, museum visit habits and knowledge of subject matterGenerate online survey – partly filter, partly to raise

interestPost link on Twitter, Adelaide-based LinkedIn groups,

Facebook, email to SAM staffAround 200 responses received, with about half willing to

participate in museum visit. Participants selected and 12 accompanied visits

conducted May 2012Anectodally, Twitter and LinkedIn were most fruitful

General tips based on my experienceIdeal for online surveys – people are just a

click awayTwitter retweets are the ultimate snowball

technique – you can reach potentially thousands of people this way

LinkedIn groups are a great way to reach targeted audiences

BUT – don’t leave it to just one postingBe aware that response rate is an unknown

quantity

Integrating social media into research lifeBe genuine, but tailor your persona to the platformBe a good social citizen – create, share, communicateBe strategic – what are you trying to achieve and

why?Learn by watching and by doingBe visible –post regularlyBut say no to automatic cross-posting!!!Take time to learn the different platforms, tools and

settings and change them to suit youThe line between useful research network building

and online procrastination is nebulous – engage in social media reflectively

Continue the Conversation!Facebook: facebook.com/regan.forrestLinkedIn: (search for Regan Forrest)Twitter: @interactivateBlog: reganforrest.com

This presentation will be uploaded to my Slideshare page: http://www.slideshare.net/ReganForrest