I continue to consider creating a twitter profile but have not yet made a decision. The popularity of Twitter within academia means that a lot of people have written about how and why they do (or don't) participate. There are now whole books on the subject, including Mark Carrigan's Social Media for Academics and Jojo Scobie's Twitter for Academics (an outgrowth of her blogging project, The Online Academic, which includes a helpful guide to Twitter jargon). There are even businesses which help academics engage in online communication, such as Jennifer van Alstyne's The Academic Designer, which blends free content with paid training and consultation.
Here are some of the reflections I have found helpful and thought-provoking.
Reasons to use Twitter |
Reasons not to use Twitter |
(A risk management strategy can be helpful for researchers who work on tricky topics)
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Can get caught up in Twitter’s culture
of criticism and in dealing with trolls Can simply be irritating
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Can join and contribute to multiple or overlapping communities (this reflection was helpful) |
Can be difficult
to discuss controversial issues, especially early in one’s career |
Can get more citations of a scholarly paper (though there are some interesting caveats)
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Can do without it as a researcher
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Can learn about publications, research, or events
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Can have negative effects on learning by taking time away from other forms of reading and writing
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Can network and interact with others in the field (there are many examples; here's one I liked)
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Can be used by employers in their screening processes; demonstration of social media reach and engagement needs to be carefully handled |
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