introduction to twitter for academics
DESCRIPTION
Accompanies a workshop delivered at the University of York. Workshop includes a full text guide and individual guidance through a practical session.TRANSCRIPT
Introducing Twitter
Matt CornockUniversity of York
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What is Twitter?
Website and free service
Post short messages
Form a network
Following
TWEETS
What are Tweets?
Up to 140 characters longReally not that long
Current activity, questions, links, opinions
Public (by default)
Transient
Task
• Create your Twitter account! [Task A]– Think carefully about your username
• Post your first Tweet [Task B]
How does Following work?
Find a Twitter user you like
Their Tweets appear on your Home page
Task [C]
• Log into Twitter (if you haven’t already)• Go to: search for spsw (people search)• Follow this account.
How is the network created?
Followers of you You People you follow
How is the network created?
You
Followers of you
People you follow
One of your followers
One of your follower’s followers
#hashtagsShort ‘tags’ (words, acronyms, phrases)
prefixed with a hash #
Creates a connection between Tweets on the same topic
Not fixed – may change their meaning
A good way to find
people to follow
Task [D]
• Post a Tweet with the hashtag #wrsocmed at the end if you haven’t already done so
• Do a Twitter search for #wrsocmed• Select the ‘All’ option at the top• Click on the user’s name• Click the ‘Follow’ button
Twitter for Academia
News from organisations
Research updates from
individuals
Links to new publications
Testing opinion or finding answers
Forming your own online
identity
Who to Follow?
@spsw @wrssdtc @mattcornock
@jrf_uk @IPPRNorth @spapostgrads
Find people by searching for names, organisationsor topics
Then clickthe FollowButton on their profile
@userA Twitter username prefixed with @
Used at the start of a Tweet indicates a reply
Used elsewhere as a reference
ReTweetsRe-posting someone else’s Tweet from your
own Twitter profile
Indicates appreciation of the original Tweet
Shares original Tweet with new audiences
Is encouraged!
Link sharingUse a web address shortening service
http://bit.ly
More room in your Tweet for your words
You view tracked clicks by appending + to the bit.ly link
e.g. https://bitly.com/Mf3wgN+
@user and link sharing
Targetted tweeting = maximum impact
Identify key players in your field
Make them aware of your research
Leads to re-tweets
Increased ‘click-thru’
Matt CornockUniversity of York
Measuring impact
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• Retweets• Mentions• Favorites• Bit.ly + stats
Blogs
• Hits• Commenting• Linking
• Allow time
Tweets and citations
‘Highly tweeted articles were 11 times more likely to be highly cited than less-tweeted articles’
Eysenbach, G. (2011) ‘Can Tweets Predict Citations?’, Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(4). http://www.jmir.org/2011/4/e123/
High impact blogs
• Make authors aware of your work• Guest post
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2011/11/15/world-bank-dissemination/
Tools
• Impactstory.org• http://technorati.com/• http://www.bing.com/toolbox/submit-site-url• https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/
submit-url?continue=/addurl• Academia.edu
General promotion
• Email signatures• Department profiles• Cross-linking between services
References• Ashton, M. (2011) The benefits of academic blogging, Dr Matthew Ashton’s Politics blog. http
://drmatthewashton.com/2011/05/08/the-benefits-of-academic-blogging/ (Accessed on 10 July 2012). • Evans, J. and Day, A. (2014) Twitter for Researchers [Prezi]. http://prezi.com/f9ivxz4pkloj/twitter-for-researchers/ (Accessed on 11
February 2014). • Golash-Boza, T. (2011) So, You Want to Start an Academic Blog? Four Tips to Know Before You Start, Get A Life, PhD. http://
getalifephd.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/so-you-want-to-start-academic-blog-four.html (Accessed on 10 July 2012). • Heathfield, S. M. (N.D.) Blogging and Social Media Policy Sample, Human Resources, About.com. http://
humanresources.about.com/od/policysamplesb/a/blogging_policy.htm (Accessed on 16 February 2012). • Johnson, K. A. (2011) ‘The effect of Twitter posts on students' perceptions of instructor credibility’, Learning, Media and Technology,
36(1), 21-38. • Might, M. (N.D.) 6 blog tips for busy academics. http://matt.might.net/articles/how-to-blog-as-an-academic/ (Accessed 18 February
2014).• Mollet, A., Moran, D. and Dunleavy, P. (2011) Using Twitter in university research, teaching and impact activities: a guide for academics
and researchers. LSE Public Policy Group. http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/files/2011/11/Published-Twitter_Guide_Sept_2011.pdf (Accessed on 11 February 2014).
• Patel, N. (2011) Neil Patel’s Guide to Blogging, Quicksprout. http://www.quicksprout.com/2011/11/14/neil-patels-guide-to-blogging/ (Accessed on 16 February 2012).
• Patel, S. (2011) 10 Ways Researchers Can Use Twitter. Networked Researcher. http://www.networkedresearcher.co.uk/2011/08/03/10-ways-researchers-can-use-twitter/ (Accessed on 11 February 2014).
• Potter, N. (2013) Blogging in academia [Prezi]. http://prezi.com/56puh4lelpgw/blogging-in-academia/ (accessed on 18 February 2014). • Potter, N. (2013) Twitter for Researchers [SlideShare]. http://www.slideshare.net/thewikiman/twitter-for-researchers-22968557
(Accessed on 11 February 2014). • Rowse, D. (2005) Ten Tips for writing a blog post, Problogger. http
://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/12/30/tens-tips-for-writing-a-blog-post/ (Accessed on 16 February 2012).