RESEARCH BLOGGING

Beyond the Ivory Tower

Åsa M Larsson, PhDSocietas Archaeologica Upsaliensis

www.sau.se

• Why blog?

• Battleground or meeting place?

• Researchers vs the Public

• Researchers vs the Media

• The future?

Research blogging

COLLECTIVE NON-PROFIT

PROFESSIONAL

INDIVIDUAL

OFFICIAL

ANONYMOUS

Why blog?

• Communication

• Response

• Relevance

• Fun!

First post: 23 May 2007

Problem: What researchers learn to do…

Research blogging – 7 golden rules

1. Be passionate - not emotional

2. Write short, write regularly

3. Process, not just results

4. Ask your readers’ opinion

5. Answer comments

6. Be generous – Link!

7. Stand by your convictions, but admit your

mistakes

• Read other blogs, comment

• Take part in current debates

• Review published research

• LINK!

Research blogging – How to get started

What are we afraid of…?

A threat to science journalism?

Apprehension:

• Marginalising science journalists

• Publishing results online independently

• Using blogs to attack articles, programmes, journalists

Lost in translation

Why blogs are vital to researchers and

journalists

• Practice communicationo The publico Mediao Peers

• Direct response – fast and visible!

• Continuous conversation – relationship building

Your blog – your garden

• Platform: digital real estate

• Training area in communication

• Digital archive: categories, keywords, search engines

From tiny seeds to a bountiful harvest