Building professional networks on the web

The web is becoming an increasingly valuable tool for researchers to make contacts, share research interests and build professional networks. Blogging, tweeting and professional networking via social networking tools such as LinkedIn and even Facebook are becoming increasingly common within the research field.

In March 2011, Giuliana Tiripelli and Yue Li (Daniel), organised a professional networking workshop for postgraduate research students in the College of Social Sciences aimed at strengthening a network of professionals interested in supporting young researchers spreading their knowledge and contacts in order to promote their work and quality public debate on the web.

The employability officer in the college, Dickon Copsey, discussed online professional development portfolios and illustrated the Mahara system. Laura Tyler, Research and Enterprise & Corporate Communication marketing manager, demonstrated practical issues in relation to online social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Sarah Armstrong addressed the ethic issues related to her work and experiences in the Ethic Committee. Muhammad Idrees Ahmad, University of Strathclyde, gave an overview of his website Pulse and explained how to create a personal website to engage in the public debate. Kenneth McLaughlin, university teacher in computing science, talked about how to manage an academic identity with ICTs (information and communication technologies). Matthew Waites, senior lecturer in Sociology, applied social theory from Foucault and Habermas to present the differences between public, professional and personal identities.

If you are interested in finding out more about professional networking and discussing some of the issues raised by this workshop please join our discussion group: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/I-NTERNET

You can write to the group via: I-nternet@jiscmail.ac.uk

For more information contact:

Giuliana Tiripelli (g.tiripelli.1@research.gla.ac.uk)
Yue Li (Daniel) (y.li.2@research.gla.ac.uk)

Workshop Programme: 25th Macrh 2011

1:05 pm:

- "Marketing yourself through online Professional Development Portfolios"

Dickon Copsey, College Employability Officer College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow

- "Experiences of engaging online"

Claire Lightowler, Knowledge Exchange Coordinator Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research

- "Doing a Charlie Sheen - over 2 million followers in 8 days!"

Laura Tyler, Marketing Manager, Research and Enterprise, University of Glasgow

- "Engaging with Web 2.0 to promote an Academic Identity"

Kenneth McLaughlin, University Teacher (Computing & ICT), School of Education, University of Glasgow

2:05 - 2:15: Q/A - Discussion

2:15 pm:

- "Web 2.0 and Changing the Politics of Expertise"

Muhammad Idrees Ahmad, PhD candidate Department of Geography and Sociology, University of Strathclyde and co-founder of Pulsemedia.org

- "Ethical considerations of doing and presenting research online"

Sarah Armstrong, Senior Research Fellow, Structures and Processes, Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow

- "Managing public, professional and personal identities"

Matthew Waites, Director of Postgraduate Research, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow

3:00 - 3:10: Q/A - Discussion

3:10 – 4 pm (room 903): Refreshments

Organized by Giuliana Tiripelli and Daniel Yue Li GUMG with the support of the Roberts fund.