academic social networking sites
TRANSCRIPT
Academic social networking sites
Katy [email protected]@katy_jordan
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
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
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
Outline• Defining academic social networking sites
• Benefits
• Concerns
• Implications
Defining 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)
Social networking sites
Adapted from Cann, Dimitriou
& Hooley (2011)
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,
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+
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
Types of academic SNS: Specifically academic SNS
Types of academic SNS: Specifically academic SNS
Types of academic SNS: Specifically academic SNS platforms
Types of academic SNS: Specifically academic SNS platforms
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
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
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)
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
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
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
Benefits
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
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
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’).
Concerns
Implications
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.
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.
ORO as host
Academic SNS as
‘portable’ business
card
Twitter for network
building & discussion
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