Social networking can help academics teach and conduct research overseas more cheaply by connecting them with international contacts, resources, and support networks. Academics can use sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to find housing contacts, collaborate with others in their field, and learn about opportunities. By utilizing their university's international offices and building an online presence, academics can reduce expenses while abroad and gain professional exposure through social media.

1. How can social networking help you cheaply teach and research overseas?
Delete me & place your
Delete me & place your
in this area.
Janelle E. Mayer
LOGO in this area.
University of Minnesota
Summary
Academic networking
Social Networking
Social Networking Overview
In financially-challenging times, it is important Make contacts Access People According to Comscore (2011), “As tablets and
to think strategically about getting the most out The cold call: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter other connected devices gain even more
of overseas academic positions and research.
• “Let me demonstrate why you should hire me” • Use your friends as travel contacts popularity, bringing portability into our lives, we
One of the best ways to accomplish this is to cut
• Easy to find overseas contacts on the web • Facebook’s Where I’ve Been Feature can expect them to further push the boundaries
down expenses for overseas travel and living by
• http://otherguysdime.wordpress.com • Follow others with similar interests on Twitter on the way we interact with each other socially in
utilizing academic and social networks.
the digital environment” (24).
By learning concrete ways to take advantage Tips for online communities & networking sites:
Professional contacts:
of international connections and resources, • Bring something to the discussion to share
• Conferences Just how popular is social networking?
academics in all disciplines can spend less • Offer assistance to those who help you
• Professional journals or external societies • Most popular online activity
money on research, establish international • Follow-up and maintain relationships (e.g. follow
• Affiliated international university as support and • Accounts for nearly 1 of every 5 minutes spent
contacts, and potentially grow their own career tweets, create tweets)
for help with housing, visas, research equipment, online in October 2011 (Comscore, 2011)
through social and academic networking. • Connect others to the community
connection to the university network • Reaches 82% of the world’s Internet population
Access resources (Comscore, 2011)
Find the best advice:
Overseas teaching & research
• Google Blog Search Why might ACADEMICS use it?
• Links from other blogs • Use social networks and local news sources to
Overseas teaching and research requires:
• http://www.stumbleupon.com find out who is keyed into your topic
• Access (to resources, people, information) • Find cultural informants for access and support
• Support (financial, academic, emotional) • https://www.tumblr.com
• Use commands like quotation marks to better your • Extend your resources and pitch your work
Practical matters: information and use hashtags on https://twitter.com
Professors Christopher Barrett and Jeffrey Cason
Access information
(1997) note that “most novice researchers'
Housing help:
missteps and obstacles are due not to poor
formal training, but to a lack of field-tested advice • http://www.couchsurfing.org
on practical matters.’’ Get your home university to help • http://www.airbnb.com
• Research support services at your university • Local online message boards
Your budget: (Student Union cultural societies, International Understand infrastructure and transportation:
• Flight, insurance, and possibly a visa Office, your academic department, etc.)
• Accommodation • http://metro.nanika.net – Mobile Transport Guide
• Major grants
• Travel within the country • Read local blogs
• Small grants for early career researchers
• Library access/overseas university registration • Cultural informants
• Books and photocopying Working vacations Financial support
• General living expenses • Get paid to work at an overseas university Financial tracking and savings:
• Vaccinations and medication • Negotiate how much you work on your contract • http://www.tweetwhatyouspend.com – Keep track
• Accommodation and bills in home country • Travel beyond your host country with flight of your spending from your mobile phone
stopovers: host university will often help with the • http://www.smartypig.com – Online bank to save
minor stopover flight expense for your trip and ask others for contributions
The Best of the Web
• Facebook fan – Score deals on hotels, stores, http://apt46.net/2012/02/07/social-media-sites-explained-with-donuts/
http://www.wanderingeducators.com/ Networking and Reciprocity restaurants, etc.
http://otherguysdime.wordpress.com/ • Network during your time overseas to build Professional Exposure
http://www.escapeartist.com/ connections for future travel, teaching, & research
• Share your research and teaching experiences • Use Twitter to get others to “follow you” for
http://b2b.meetplango.com/
with local communities (including online) more exposure to your work
http://www.unanchor.com/
• Publish and present at conferences
• Meetups and Tweetups: Meet locals and
http://www.theprofessionalhobo.com/
• Support host university and faculty by supporting academics who might be helpful
http://www.teachingtraveling.com/
their “online presence” • http://www.paywithatweet.com: Sell exposure
http://www.livfund.org/
• Keep in touch with cultural informants to your writing using social networking
http://www.stumbleupon.com/
• Comment on blogs • Create an online presence for your own work
http://www.mendeley.com
• Use social networking • https://www.tumblr.com/
http://www.smartypig.com
• Refer others to their services
• http://pinterest.com/
http://www.paywithatweet.com
• http://www.mendeley.com