This is a modified version of a presentation delivered by Dr Siobhan O'Dwyer at Griffith University on 13th November, 2013. Dr O'Dwyer is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Health Practice Innovation & the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention. Her research focuses on suicide risk in family carers of people with dementia. She also contributes to research on quality of life for people with dementia living in residential aged care, and suicide risk in older adults. Dr O'Dwyer's Twitter account is @Siobhan_ODwyer and she tweets on topics related to dementia, carers, suicide, resilience, research, and higher education. She also hosts the account @SUWTues which leads a virtual Shut Up & Write session for academics and postgraduate students every Tuesday morning. For more information about this presentation, or Dr O'Dwyer's research, please contact her via Twitter or s.odwyer@griffith.edu.au

1. Using Twitter to enhance your research and teaching:
A brief introduction for academics & postgraduate students
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer
Research Fellow
Centre for Health Practice Innovation &
Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention
Griffith University
E: s.odwyer@griffith.edu.au
November 2013
@Siobhan_ODwyer

2. So what is Twitter?
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

3. Twitter is a “real-time information network
that connects you to stories, ideas, opinions,
and news”
Individuals or groups have Twitter accounts from which they send tweets
A tweet is a small burst of information restricted to 140 characters
Tweets can be accessed by signing up for a free Twitter account at www.twitter.com
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

4. When I log in to my account, this is what I see…
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

5. Link to a list of my interactions
with other people on Twitter
Search for people or
topics
Link to modify
account
settings
Tweets from people I
follow, in real time
Links to lists of my tweets,
my followers & the people
I’m following
Suggestions for who
to follow
Topics that are
trending (i.e. lots of
people are talking
about) on Twitter right
now
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

6. If I click on the ‘Connect’ tab, this is what I see…
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

7. A real-time list of people
who have
• Re-tweeted one of
my tweets
• Responded to one of
my tweets
• Marked one of my
tweets as a Favourite
• Followed me
• Mentioned me in one
of their tweets
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

8. If I click on the ‘Me’ tab, this is what I see…
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

9. Links to lists of
• My tweets
• The people I’m
following
• My followers
• Tweets I’ve marked
as ‘Favourites’
• Lists of of people I’ve
grouped together by
topic
Link to options for
editing my profile
Recent photos and
videos I’ve tweeted
All of my tweets and my
responses to other
people’s tweets, in real
time
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

10. When you first sign up for Twitter, you’ll need to
create a Profile
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

11. Tips for a Great Profile
Name / Handle
Should be factual, easy to remember, & easy to
spot in a list of search results
Photo
Should be high quality, reasonably attractive, &
consistent with your professional persona
Description (max. 160 Characters)
Should describe your credentials & reflect the
content of your tweets. Consider the pros & cons
of naming your employer
Location
Should be factual, but general. Safety & privacy
are a priority
Website
Should link readers to a site with more
information about you or your work. I link to my
latest paper
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

12. Once you have a profile, you can start tweeting
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

13. Tips for Tweets
140 Characters
The length of a tweet is strictly limited to 140
characters
Links
You can include links to websites.
Shorten links with bitly.com
Photos
You can attach a photo or video to your tweet, but the
link is included as part of your 140 characters
Hashtags
You can use hashtags to make a point or highlight the
topic of your tweet. Use sparingly
Contacts
You can include someone else’s twitter handle in the
tweet in order to connect with them or introduce your
followers to them. Be kind
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

14. Then you’ll be wanting people to read your
tweets…
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

15. Tips for Getting Followers
Follow people
Reciprocity is the key to a successful Twitter
experience
Respond to other people’s tweets
Starting a conversation with someone is the fastest
way to get them to notice you
Mention other people in your tweets
This lets them know: (a) that you exist and (b) that
their work is of interest
Be consistent and reliable in what and how you Tweet
This is the ‘if you build it, they will come’ rule of
Twitter. Get a reputation as a consistent & reliable
source of information, and the followers will flock
Tweet regularly
But not too regularly! I have ‘unfollowed’ people
because they are too prolific
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

16. Some other stuff you might find handy…
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

17. Retweets (RT)
To RT is to send someone else’s tweet out to your followers
without modifying it. You can do this by copying the person’s
handle and their text into your own tweet and putting RT before it,
or by simply clicking on the ‘Retweet’ link underneath their tweet.
Modified Tweets (MT)
An MT is when you send a modified version of someone else’s
tweet out to your followers. You can do by this by putting the
person’s handle and the modified text into your own tweet and
putting MT before it.
Favourites (★)
There are two main reasons to mark a tweet as ‘Favourite’. (1) To
let the person who sent it know that you like it . (2) As a way of
archiving tweets for later perusal. Tweets marked as ‘Favourite’
are kept in a list in your account.
Direct Messages (DM)
If you want to correspond with someone on Twitter, but don’t
want that correspondence to be public, use the DM function.
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

18. So who is on Twitter?
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

19. Well, unfortunately…
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

20. Kanye West , Kim Kardashian and a ridiculous
number of cats are all on Twitter
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

21. But, fortunately….
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

22. Lots of intelligent, interesting, kind-hearted
people & organisations are there too!
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

23. Okay, but what about research?
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

24. Twitter is useful at every stage of the
research process....
Findings jobs
Generating ideas and questions
Identifying funding opportunities
Recruiting participants
Collecting data
Disseminating findings
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

25. Twitter also....
Supports professional development
*See Spotlight
Enhances community engagement
Share your research with the people who are the most
likely to benefit from it and the least likely to read an
academic journal article
Enhances media engagement
If a journalist can’t find you on Twitter, they can’t find
you!
Improves writing
Particularly for grant applications which often have
strict character limits
Enhances the conference experience
*See Spotlight
Department name (edit in View > Header and Footer...)
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

26. Professional Development
Twitter Communities of Practice
allow you to engage with like-minded
professionals from across the world
and share information & experiences.
They also facilitate professional
development & evidence-based
practice
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

27. ECRChat – A Twitter Community of Practice
Started by two early career researchers
@snarkyphd @KL_Wheat
Fortnightly Twitter discussions on topics related
to the post-PhD experience
Hashtag #ecrchat allows tweets to be collated
(via Storify)
Hashtag also used to alert ECRs to articles of
interest between discussions
Accompanying website provides more information
http://ecrchat.wordpress.com/
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

28. Hello My Name Is – A Twitter Community of
Practice
Started by Elderly Medicine Registrar & cancer
patient @GrangerKate
Designed to improve the quality of care
provided by medical staff, by encouraging
them to introduce themselves to patients
Hashtag #hellomynameis allows staff and
patients to share their experiences and
facilitates improvements in practice
Accompanying website provides more
information
http://drkategranger.wordpress.com/

29. Conference Hashtags
Share information with followers who can’t attend
Engage with delegates you might not otherwise have met
Provide immediate feedback to speakers & conference organisers

30. And what about teaching?
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

31. Twitter….
Is useful for sourcing up-to-the-minute, real world
examples for use in teaching
Including international events in the news, politics,
movies, music, and memes, just to name a few
Can be used to boost engagement during lectures
*See Spotlight
Improves student writing
Brevity and clarity are essential writing skills, and
Twitter fosters the development of both
Is useful for linking students with reliable online
sources of information and communities of practice
Most of your students are on Twitter anyway, why
not help them maximise its potential?
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

32. Using Twitter in Lectures – The Pros
Students & staff can ask and respond to questions
Students & staff can give and receive feedback
Staff can use Twitter polls to assess student understanding in real time
Less confident students can offer opinions without having to speak in front
of a large group
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

33. Using Twitter in Lectures – The Cons
It isn’t suited to all teaching styles
If you can’t do it well, don’t do it at all
Discussions can be unruly or get off topic
Too much information too fast can be hard to curate
Affordable access to technology is an equity issue
Not all students have access & data download costs on smartphones can be prohibitive
Twitter is a gateway drug
Students who are online for Twitter can be easily distracted by other shiny things online
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

34. An example of Twitter in the Lecture Theatre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WPVWDkF7U8
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

35. So you’re ready to embrace Twitter, but before
you do, here are a few tips for young players…
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

36. Stay Classy
Your tweets should be 90% Professional,
10% Personal
Reveal enough about yourself so that your
followers can you see are human and
approachable, but not so much that they know
what brand of shaving cream you use
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

37. Stay ‘On Message’
Your tweets should be 90% on-message,
10% general interest
Your ‘on-message’ tweets should stick to the
topics outlined in your Profile
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

38. Don’t Bogart the Spliff
90% of your tweets should be
in your own words,
10% should be RTs
Your Twitter account is your brand and people
follow you because they are interested in what
you have to say…
But hogging the limelight is just not cool!
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

39. Aim for 90/10 and you’ll achieve 70/30
Aim for 70/30 and you’ll end up an
honorary Kardashian
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

40. A few quick Dos and Don’ts
Do engage with people
It’s called ‘social’ media for a reason
Do support other people’s causes
Help promote their conferences, events, & information and they
will promote yours
Do read websites, links, & documents before tweeting or RTing
You’re an academic, act like one. Put your evaluation skills to
good use
Don’t say anything you aren’t prepared to defend in a job
interview
Anything you say on Twitter is on the public record
Don’t feed the trolls
Engaging in intellectual debates is fine, vitriol is not. If you are
the subject of vicious or personal attacks via Twitter, report
them, block them, and do NOT respond
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

41. Twitter is Addictive!
To ensure family and friends don’t have to stage an
intervention…
Use hashtag searches to locate relevant content
Use Lists to group like people together & identify
relevant content
Set times for checking/updating Twitter
(and stick to them!)
Use platforms like Instapaper.com to archive
websites of interest for reading later
ACCEPT THAT YOU CANNOT READ OR TWEET
EVERYTHING
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

42. Think it’s too hard or you’re too old?
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

43. Bollocks!
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013

44. Thank-you
For a list of interesting articles about
using Twitter in research & teaching
please contact me …
Email: s.odwyer@griffith.edu.au
Twitter: @Siobhan_ODwyer
And don’t forget to check out my
new account @SUWTues
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013