Building a strong online researcher presence can be quite a daunting task so here are some tips to help you take on the challenge.
Firstly it is important to know why it’s important to develop your presence online and there are a few reasons to highlight:
- Being more visible online helps you to build strong connections with people in your field anywhere in the world. It helps you to stay in touch with what they are working on and can in turn, create future research opportunities.
- If your platform is consistent, insightful and professional, your research is more likely to be found, read, discussed and shared with others across the internet.
- Personal websites such as blogs and social media profiles give us the opportunity to be ourselves online. In today’s climate it is more important than ever that we are being authentic online as it offers others in the field a chance to know who you really are which in turn, can influence others to reach out to you for collaboration.
Now let’s move onto tips to build up your presence:
- Blogging is a great way to share your thoughts on different topics happening in your area of research without having to be too formal. Keeping a blog up to date and relevant can become challenging but if you enjoy writing and want to publish your ideas much quicker then this is a great option for you.
- Social Media is an extremely useful tool to get your research interests and work to reach others. Twitter is more of an academic platform whereas Instagram is particularly helpful for early career researchers and PGRs. The community on Instagram is one where people share problems and gain advice to help them through the challenging times of doctoral studies and beyond.
- Researcher profiles such as ORCID are useful in helping to distinguish your work from that of others who may have the same name. They also provide a persistent link back to your work and require minimal effort to upkeep as they automatically update when you publish new research.
- Your LinkedIn profile can often be the first item that appears in a web search so ensure you keep the information up to date and engaging. Make sure you add a photograph and share your important conference presentations, publications and any other important work with your connections.
- Research Gate is a well known academic networking site in which researchers can build their profile with information about their institution, projects and publications. It is a widely used platform and a useful way to connect with people in your field and the wider research community.
Questions? Contact us here or leave a comment to start a discussion!