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Academic social networking sites

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Academic social networking sites Katy Jordan [email protected] .uk @katy_jordan
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Page 1: Academic social networking sites

Academic social networking sites

Katy [email protected]@katy_jordan

Page 2: Academic social networking sites

Background• Based in IET

• PhD focusing on academic social networking sites (SNS)

• Mixed methods social network analysis approach

• Here, drawing on my online survey and a large-scale survey by Nature (NPG, 2014; van Noorden, 2014) as a data source

Page 3: Academic social networking sites

Nature survey• Open from May to July 2014

• Online survey, circulated via publishers’ email networks

• Summary published in Nature (van Noorden, 2014), and dataset published online (NPG, 2014)

• Purposes:• Assess level of use of different academic SNS• Likert scale items asked about different uses of sites

in general• Ways of using particular sites• Free text comments

Page 4: Academic social networking sites

PhD survey• Open from November 2014 to January 2015

• Online survey, mainly circulated by social networks

• 527 responses

• Purposes:• Assess level of use of different academic SNS• Likert scale items asked about different uses of sites

in general• Recruitment for network analyses

Page 5: Academic social networking sites

Outline• Defining academic social networking sites

• Benefits

• Concerns

• Implications

Page 6: Academic social networking sites

Defining academic social networking sites

Page 7: Academic social networking sites

Social networking sites“A social network site is a networked communication platform in which participants 1) have uniquely identifiable profiles that consist of user-

supplied content, content provided by other users, and/or system-provided data;

2) can publicly articulate connections that can be viewed and traversed by others; and

3) can consume, produce, and/or interact with streams of user-generated content provided by their connections on the site.” (Ellison & boyd, 2013)

Page 8: Academic social networking sites

Social networking sites

Adapted from Cann, Dimitriou

& Hooley (2011)

Page 9: Academic social networking sites

Key Generic SNS Academic SNS Modified academic tools Discontinued sites

1997

1997 SixDegree

s

1999 LiveJourna

l

1999 2002

2002 Friendster

20052003 2004

2003 LinkedIn, MySpace,

XING

2005 Academici

2004 Facebook

2006

2006 Twitter

2006 Diigo,

Slideshare, Zotero

2007

2007 2collab

2008

2008 Academia.edu, Epernicus, Labroots,

Lalisio, MyNetResearch, ResearchGate, Scholarz.net

2008 Mendeley, plus SNS

2009

2009 Diigo added SNS

2010

2010 Zotero added SNS

2011

2011 iamResearche

r, Piirus

2011 2collab

2012 2013

2013 Academici

, Lalisio

2002 HASTAC

2010 MyScienc

eWork

2012 Scholarz.ne

t

2011 Google+

Page 10: Academic social networking sites

Types of academic SNS: Specifically academic SNS platforms

Academia.edu- www.academia.edu- Founded 2008- Based in San

Francisco

ResearchGate- www.researchgate.net- Also founded 2008- Based in Berlin

- CEO Ijad Madisch- >7 million members

- CEO Richard Price- >25 million members

Page 11: Academic social networking sites

Types of academic SNS: Specifically academic SNS

Page 12: Academic social networking sites

Types of academic SNS: Specifically academic SNS

Page 13: Academic social networking sites

Types of academic SNS: Specifically academic SNS platforms

Page 14: Academic social networking sites

Types of academic SNS: Specifically academic SNS platforms

Page 15: Academic social networking sites

Types of academic SNS: Specifically academic SNS platforms

Do not use professionallyCuriosity onlyIn case contacted

Track metrics

Discover jobs

Discover peersDiscover recommended papersContact peers

Post (work) content

Share links to authored content

Actively discuss research

Comment on researchFollow discussions

020406080

ResearchGate

Redrawn from NPG, 2014

Do not use professionallyCuriosity onlyIn case contacted

Track metrics

Discover jobs

Discover peersDiscover recommended papersContact peers

Post (work) content

Share links to authored content

Actively discuss research

Comment on researchFollow discussions

020406080

Academia.edu

Page 16: Academic social networking sites

Types of academic SNS: Specifically academic SNS platforms

Academia.edu ResearchGate.net

More popular with Arts & Humanities

More popular with Natural & Physical Sciences

More open to independent researchers

Can pose questions

Better search analytics ResearchGate score‘Sessions’ feature for open peer review

Issues DOIs

More flexible document upload types

Google Scholar indexed

Less ‘spam’ Greater web traffic at present

Page 17: Academic social networking sites

Types of academic SNS: Modified academic toolsSlideshare- For sharing

presentations- Metrics- Integrates with LinkedIn

Figshare- Share figures and

datasets- Issues DOIs and CC

licenses- Link accounts with ORCID

Social bookmarking tools (Mendeley, Zotero)- Shares collections and bibliographies- Can create groups - Export to Endnote- Statistics (Mendeley) – Browser plugin (Zotero)

Page 18: Academic social networking sites

Types of academic SNS: Generic SNS

Site Nature survey - % Aware of site

PhD survey - % Ever used site

Facebook 92 88

LinkedIn 92 81

Twitter 85 99

Page 19: Academic social networking sites

Types of academic SNS: Generic SNS

Do not use professionallyCuriosity onlyIn case contacted

Track metrics

Discover jobs

Discover peersDiscover recommended papersContact peers

Post (work) content

Share links to authored content

Actively discuss research

Comment on researchFollow discussions

020406080

LinkedIn

Twitter

Redrawn from NPG, 2014

Do not use professionallyCuriosity only

In case contacted

Track metrics

Discover jobs

Discover peers

Discover recommended papersContact peers

Post (work) content

Share links to authored content

Actively discuss research

Comment on research

Follow discussions

020406080

Page 20: Academic social networking sites

Benefits

Page 21: Academic social networking sites

BenefitsItem Theme

% agree or strongly agree

I use social networking sites to discover peers working in my field of research Collaboration 87.3Social networking sites are a good way of finding out about new publications of interest

Gaining information 87.4

Developing my online identity is important to me as an academic Role of SNS 85.3Social networking sites allow me to draw upon a wider community of expertise when I need help

Gaining information 81.4

I actively interact with other academics via social networking sites Collaboration81.4

Being able to ask questions of the online community is important Gaining information 77.9

Social networking sites are a good way of promoting my own academic publications Dissemination 78.7I see my profile as an online business card Role of SNS

76.6I use social networking sites to discover individuals outside my field of research Collaboration 72.3Social networking sites are a useful way to support working in collaboration with other researchers Collaboration 72.1

Page 22: Academic social networking sites

BenefitsItem Theme

% agree or strongly agree

I follow people who I would like to work with in the future Network formation 67.6

I follow people as a way of staying in touch with people I used to work with

Network formation 69.1

Social networking sites are useful to discover job opportunities Careers 68.1Having a profile will enhance my future career prospects Careers 58.5Viewing other researchers professional profiles on online networks is a useful way of determining what research I should be reading

Gaining information 56.5

I present my identity in different ways on different sites Role of SNS 61.7I use social networking sites to support my teaching activities Role of SNS 53.6My online academic and personal identities are separated Role of SNS 47.0I use social networking sites to track metrics relating to interest in my work Dissemination 42.7If someone follows me I follow them back Network

formation 31.7I use my profile as a research journal Role of SNS 13.4I only follow people who I know personally Network

formation 6.8I don't think having a professional profile on an online network is very important Role of SNS 5.9

Page 23: Academic social networking sites

Benefits• Items relating to career development show consistent

differences according to job position, being of greater importance to more junior academics and students.

• Also, a greater willingness by more junior academics to make connections based on who they would like to work with in the future.

• ‘I use social networking sites to supporting my teaching activities’ shows significantly higher agreement levels for professors and lecturers.

• Dissemination is of particular importance to researchers (significantly higher value of ‘sharing authored content’).

Page 24: Academic social networking sites

Concerns

Page 25: Academic social networking sites

Implications

Page 26: Academic social networking sites

Tensions- Fear of needing too much time or wasting time – but

conversely, can save time by providing a way of keeping up-to-date.

- Blurring boundaries of personal and professional causes concern – but different accounts on different sites provides a way of setting distinctions.

- Social aversion – versus providing a mechanism for discovering and connecting with peers and potential collaborators beyond the day to day.

Page 27: Academic social networking sites

Tensions- Seen as being most beneficial to doctoral students and

early career academics yet activities not valued by more senior colleagues – but different affordances valued at different career stages.

- Unreliable information online – versus seizing your ‘brand’ and online identity.

Page 28: Academic social networking sites

ORO as host

Academic SNS as

‘portable’ business

card

Twitter for network

building & discussion

Page 29: Academic social networking sites

ReferencesCann, A.J., Dimitriou, K. and Hooley, T. (2011) Social media: A guide for researchers. Research Information Network. Retrieved from: http://www.rin.ac.uk/our-work/communicating-and-disseminating-research/social-media-guide-researchers

Ellison,  N.  B.  &  boyd,  d.  (2013).  Sociality  through  Social  Network  Sites.  In  Dutton,  W.  H.  (Ed.),  The  Oxford  Handbook  of  Internet  Studies.  Oxford:  Oxford  University  Press,  pp. 151‐172.

(NPG), Nature Publishing Group (2014): NPG 2014 Social Networks survey. figshare. http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.1132584Retrieved 11:41, Oct 17, 2015 (GMT)

Van Noorden, R. (2014) Online collaboration: Scientists and the social network. Nature 12(7513), http://www.nature.com/news/onlinecollaboration-scientists-and-the-social-network-1.15711 Retrieved 16th October 2015


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