1. Top Tech Tips #1:
Academic Social Networks
Adam Moore
14th November 2012

2. What?
• “Facebook for academics”
• Social networks focusing on
connecting researchers
• Growing niche

3. Why?
• Discover people working in similar
fields
• Find related research
• Look for collaborators
• Share publications and data

4. Academia.edu
• http://www.academia.edu/
• “Share Research - a platform for academics to share
research papers”
• Oldest in market – most established
• Analytics for search terms
• Features Questions prominently on front page
• USP: Usually amongst top search returns on your
name

5. ResearchGate
• https://www.researchgate.net
• “built for scientists, by scientists, with the idea that
science can do more when it's driven by
collaboration”
• Relatively new
• Focus is on research, rather than researcher
• Has a feed – most similar to Facebook
• USP: Discovery of related researchers

6. iamResearcher
• http://www.iamresearcher.com/
• “an intelligent networking platform that connect researchers
from around the world using the cutting edge technologies”
• Currently in Beta
• From e-Science group
• Allows publication of data and other related outputs from
research
• Allows creation of project groups
• USP: Data sharing / OER

7. PushPin
• http://pushpin.cs.upb.de/
• “Supporting Scholarly Awareness in Publications
and Social Networks”
• Currently in Alpha
• Focus on publications
• Recommends relevant publications based on your
own
• USP: Direct link to Mendeley

8. Others with Academic/Social Aspects
• LinkedIn
• Mendeley
• Connotea
• Digg
• Tumblr
• Del.icio.us

9. Summary
• Growing communities of practice
• Particular features for academic life
• Useful for career
• More you use, more you benefit