Developing your academic digital footprint
We live in a knowledge economy that is increasingly digitised, but are researchers equipped to communicate their research and engage professionally and credibly in this space?
This guidance is aimed at research students and staff, and the materials on this page will help you begin to think strategically about your online identity—to present a visible, consistent, credible online presence and message, and engaging professionally with social media.
Tweet Find or share the full resource page address: http://www.gla.ac.uk/digitalfootprint
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University resources
- University social media guidelines for researchers– Information on research integrity and professional standards with respect to digital communications. Includes links to good practice guidance, relevant University policies and social media guidance issued by professional bodies.
- University guide to social media
– General guidance on setting up institutional social media accounts, including detailed guidance on setting up a research blog. - SBOHVM PGR profile session slides (Credit: Laura Tyler)
Access your staff or student University profile
Information on how to find and access your staff or student profile, and what to do with it.
Recommended external resources
The following resources are a worthwhile investment in time. Each will add layers to your understanding of profiles, strategies to use and develop them. The articles showcase useful examples of best practice in self-promotion and communications. While much of this advice is from the scientific research sector, it is broadly applicable across academia.
- Profile: Good Prezi by Melonie Fullick about cultivating an online profile
- Social media strategy: how to create a winning strategy that delivers impact
- Profile: Traffic cones, Nazi graves and LEGO: how research can go viral, Dr Donna Yates on academic engagement
- Profile: The 30 day impact challenge – Stacy Konkiel's guide to supercharging your digital presence and connections both within and beyond academia
- General reading: A compendium of the best articles about academic and science communication—a fantastic resource curated by Kirk Englehardt on 'The Leap' blog
- Listening: The Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine podcasts:
- Episode 14: linking science and policy
- Episode 17: guide to social media & science communication
- Social media: Oregon State University Superfund Research Program has a comprehensive set of links of social media for scientists
- Dissemination: Nature AuthorTips: tips for promoting your research
- Dissemination: How to reach a wider audience for your research: Another compendium of great resources, curated by SciDev.net
- Twitter: British Ecological Society's 'Why you should be on Twitter' [PDF]
- Twitter: Great article in Nature that effuses the value of Twitter, and how scientists can use it to expand their social contacts and find jobs
- Twitter: Exercise: writing a good Twitter bio
- Twitter: How to use Twitter in a conference setting, journal article by David Shiffman [PDF]
- Media: A guide for scientists giving comments to journalists, by Ed Yong
- Writing: For those with a broader interest in science writing, here is a great selection of articles at Guardian Science: secrets of good science writing