1.
Academics Online: Alternative reputations
Presented by
Frances VC Ryan
Academics Online: Building your research profile in the digital age
Edinburgh Napier University
2 May 2017
@cleverfrances
f.ryan@napier.ac.uk
www.justaphd.com

2.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
A bit about me: Frances Ryan
►Academic Frances
► BA in Public Relations/Communications
► MLitt in Media and Culture
► PhD in Information Science (in progress)
►Professional Frances
► PR/Marketing/Communications
►Blurred Frances
► Quirky runner, writer, thinker, drinker,
researcher

3.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
A bit about my research
How online information contributes to the
building, maintenance, and evaluation of
personal reputations
►Personal reputation: Private individuals,
rather than corporate identity and brand
►Considers both “private” and
“professional” reputation – and how the
two merge or blur together
►Research is anchored in academic
citations – which plays a role in academic
reputations

4.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
Two broad research themes
The means by which people evaluate or assess the
personal reputations of others from the online
evidence available to them
How people manage their own personal reputations
through their use of online information, and to
what extent those behaviours are intentional

5.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
What is reputation?
►How do we define reputation?
►The personal opinions and character judgements one
individual has for another
►Some things to think about:
► Who decides what your reputation is or what it should be?
► Who controls it?
► Who really owns it?

6.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
How is academic reputation measured?
►Bibliometrics
► Citation counts, measuring academic impact
► Quantity of publications
► Quantity of citations to those publications
► Codified in citation databases
► Think Web of Science
►H-index
► Measures productivity levels of academics
► Values vary across disciplines (greatly!)
► Don’t compare turnips to pumpkins
►Altmetrics

7.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
A bit more on altmetrics
►Alternative metrics
►Impact! Impact! Impact!
► And more impact!
►Is it viewed? Is it downloaded?
►Is it cited? Is it quoted?
►It is referenced on Wikipedia?
►Is it included in syllabi? Recommended by others?
►Is it talked about on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn?
►Visibility is key!

8.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
A tale of two academics
►Traditional Girl
► Researches
► Writes
► Publishes
► Presents findings at conferences
► Repeats

9.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
A tale of two academics
►Alternative Girl
► Blogs about research
► Researches
► Tweets about research
► Writes
► Does a bit of public engagement
► Publishes
► Blogs and tweets about
publications and conferences
► Shares presentation slides online
► Tweets, blogs, shares everything
online
► Repeats

10.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
►Impact
►Awareness
Disclaimer:
No tigers were
harmed in the
process of creating
this presentation or
in the mock research
example provided.

11.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
http://hazelhall.org/2013/07/14/altmetrics-achieving-and-measuring-success-in-communicating-research-in-the-digital-age/
An alternative archive
►Create your own archive
►Maintain one source for
everything
►Direct others to that
source
►Be boldly visible

12.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
How is academic reputation built?
►Journal articles, publications
► Bibliometrics
►Public engagement activities
►Altmetrics
►Networking
► Online and offline!
►Others?

13.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
But what about you and your reputation?
►Where do you “live” online?
► Take 3 minutes and make a list!
►It’s your reputation, but …
► Who decides what it is or what it should be?
► Who controls it?
► Who really owns it?

14.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
Online options abound!
►Local profiles (Napier)
►CV services (LinkedIn)
►Resource sharing platforms (Flickr, Pinterest, SlideShare, Vimeo,
YouTube)
►ID services (Orcid, ResearcherID)
►Profile services (Academia.edu, Google Scholar, ResearchGate)
►Blogging and microblogging platforms (Medium, Quora, The
Conversation, Tumblr, Twitter, WordPress)
►Impact measurement tools (ImpactStory, Klout)
►Collaboration sites (Citeulike, Mendeley)
►Social networking sites (Facebook, Google+, Lanyrd)

15.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
The bare minimums
►University profile
► Keep it current (Worktribe)
►LinkedIn for your CV
► Keep it current (and/or link to most up-to-date profile)
►ID registration services (Orcid, ResearcherID)
►Academic publishing sites (Academia.edu, Google Scholar,
ResearchGate)
►Consider About.me

16.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
Added value!
The bare minimums are great, but with a bit more effort you can
increase your impact!
►Active LinkedIn profile
►Twitter
►Blogs
►Blog alternatives

17.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
LinkedIn: More than a CV
►Build your network
►Share ideas / opinions
►Seek advice / feedback
►Promote your research
►Promote your blog
►Promote yourself!

18.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
To tweet or not to tweet
►What will you tweet?
► Professional? Personal? Both?
►How often will you tweet?
►Who will you follow?
►Promote your research
►Promote your blog
►Promote yourself!

19.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
Blogging
►Do you want or need blog?
►Are there alternatives?
►Do you enjoy writing?
►Do you have the time?
► Blogging is often done in “free” time
►What will you blog about?
►How often will blog?
►How will you encourage readership?
►How will you disseminate your blog?
► Twitter? LinkedIn? Happenstance?

20.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
How do you blog?

21.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
Benefits of blogging
►Promote your research
►Promote your extracurricular research activities
►Build a network
►Share your opinions
►Find your voice
►Writing can be cathartic!

22.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
Blog alternatives
►Sharing on LinkedIn
►Medium
►In-house news feeds
►The Conversation

23.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
Academics online: Why does it matter?
►Promote your research; promote yourself
►Build and maintain networks
►Increase your visibility; increase your impact
►Get discovered; get invited
►Get promoted; get hired
►Others?

24.
Frances Ryan | @cleverfrances | www.JustAPhD.com
Thank you!
f.ryan@napier.ac.uk
napier.ac.uk/people/frances-ryan
@cleverfrances
www.justaphd.com