Raising your research profileSteve McIndoeUniversity of Manchester Library

Developed from materials by Matt Lingard and Jane Secker, LSE Centre for Learning Technology

Aims of session

•Understanding your web presence•Considering institutional, personal and

social presence on the web•Using social media to develop your

research profile

Why develop your research profile?•Showcase your work•Showcase yourself!•Build professional networks•Reach a wider audience•Becoming an ‘expected’ academic

activity..?

Your digital footprint

Google activity

•In groups of 2-3, try Googling each other and write down what you find

•15 minutes

http://www.flickr.com/photos/go-local/6234724527/

Institutional web presence

•Institutional repository ▫Manchester eScholar

•Faculty/ School▫Researcher profile pages?

•University website▫http://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/▫Patrycja Strycharczuk

Professional activities

•Do you appear on relevant websites?▫Membership of professional groups▫Committees▫Editorial boards▫Conference papers▫Discussion lists and forums in your

research field? JISCmail

Blogs

Wordpress

Blogger

Posterous

Personal research blogs

•Keep a research journal•Practice writing for a specific audience

▫Researchers in your field▫Interested academics▫General public

•Reach a wider audience•Create a ‘hub’ for your activities •Control content , design and updates

Researchers’ blogs

•Eljee Javier▫http://eljeejavier.com/

•Social Software, libraries and e-learning▫http://elearning.lse.ac.uk/blogs/socialsoftwa

re/

•The Thesis Whisperer▫http://thethesiswhisperer.wordpress.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/267060150/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Blogging about your research

•Think about your audience▫Academic or general readers?▫Inter-disciplinary?

•Offer something new or different▫What makes your blog worth reading?▫What do you want readers to learn?

•Use examples▫Relate research to specific examples▫Demonstrate relevance and impact

Writing tips

•Keep it up-to-date, post regularly•Be conversational and engaging•Keep it focused, remove redundant words

and avoid jargon•Use headings, short paragraphs and lists•Use links, images and tags (wordclouds

etc)

F-shaped reading pattern

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html

Use connections

RSS feeds

Twitter

LinkedIn

Social bookmarks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pictureperfectpose/76138988/

Social networking

•Facebook•Twitter•LinkedIn•Academia.edu

Social sharing

•Slideshare (presentations)

•YouTube (videos)•Flickr (photos and

videos)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ethanhein/

Twitter

•Disseminate news about your research•Keep up-to-date with others in your field•Build networks of researchers •Follow conferences and get reactions to

events as they happen •Use Bitly to create short URLs

Social bookmarking

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eco2oh/3062380890/in/set-72157608802983058/

Social citations

Networking, collaboration, find out who is reading the same things as you, and what else they’re reading!

Action plan• Where am I?

▫Do I have an online profile?

▫Is it up-to-date?▫Is it connected?

• Where do I want to be?

▫Actions

Any questions?

steve.mcindoe@manchester.ac.uk

jrulresearchers.wordpress.com

@jrulresearchers