Presentation for talk at Doctoral School, Univ Pub Navarra, 15/1/2016

1. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
This is me and my digital circumstances
Miquel DURAN
Institute of Computational Chemistry and Catalysis
Càtedra de Cultura Científica i Comunicació Digital
Universitat de Girona
miquel.duran@udg.edu @miquelduran
Doctoral School, UNavarra – 15/1/2016
This presentation is available at http://slideshare.net/quelgir

2. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Key photo yesterday at @cienciabar

3. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
This is me
• MicroCV at twitter: University professor. Research in Quantum Chemistry.
Digital Science Communication, Magic and Science, MOOCs, TEDx events,
Open Knowledge
• Full Professor of Physical Chemistry at Universitat de Girona. Research in
quantum Chemistry - Nonlinear optical properties of molecules, two-
electron densities, and weak molecular interactions.
This is me too
• I like magic, railways, lateral thinking, food markets,
humour, mountain biking, languages, …
• Best friend: our cat Auri
https://twitter.com/arnauduran/status/441597227241177088/photo/1/large
And this is even me

4. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Did you know that today…
• Wikipedia turns 15!
• http://15.wikipedia.org

5. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Many keys and ways for digital
communication of knowledge

6. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
#Selfie: it’s all about reputation
(Not a CC image)

7. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Little Quantum Red Riding Hood
Is she taking the rational lane or the emotional one?
Is the wolf eating her grandma?
Answers: Both and both (quantum wolf too!)

8. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
What has changed recently in (y)our
neighborhood?
• Almost everyone has now a smartphone
(mobility)
• High bandwidth (video consumption)
• Ease of video production and streaming
• And the Internet of things

9. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
This is me…
• And my archive…
• And my laptop
• And my tablet
• And my smartphone
• [And my smartwatch]
• i.e., …

10. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
This is me and my digital circumstances
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikebabcock/3600077025/

11. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
But…
This is also me
my battery
my plugs
my WiFi
and my 3G
Is it sustainable?

12. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
On Social Networking and Academics
• We would like scientists to
– understand wholly that communicating their
research and taking care of new knowledge
(content curation) is a key feature towards their
future,
– because of its intrinsic interest and social service,
– but also as a requisite to new project calls places
by the different research agencies

13. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
@LSEImpactBlog
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/

14. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Warwick Knowledge Centre
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/knowledge/

15. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
There are two kinds of rankings:
(1) bad, and (2) very bad
• Metrics unknown
• Metrics perhaps useless
• What about Klout, Kred, PeerIndex, …?
• What about simpler outcomes?
• New: Altmetrics (open publishing)

16. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Disruptive change at universities? Maybe not
(yet)
• The web 2.0 must transform the university, rather
that be added to its routine activity
• Strategic attitude – changing University via
conversations, via social networking
– Professor-researcher 2.0
– Professor-researcher: director, actor or secondary person?

17. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Indeed, ther is a quadruple level in branding
and reputation
• Institutional / university level
• Departmental / Research Institute level
• Research Group level
• Personal level
• Different brands
• Reputation hindered by current economic downturn

18. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Science Communication 2.0
• Communicating Research – 4 levels at least
– Refereed Papers
– Communications in General Science Journals
– Dissemination of Science and Research
– Talking to young people
• Different formats:
– Classical article
– Video (YouTube Generation)
– Website / mobile / Social (the newest generation)
• Socialization through facebook, twitter, flickr, instagram, youtube,
tumblr, pinterest and any other system that may appear right today

19. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
But we also have facebook, youtube, flickr,
etc etc
• Our blog/website shoud be our main asset
• Facebook and other social networks are used to
amplify our website, to engage in conversations and
to share content
• The Web 2.0 Culture spreads fast amont students, but
not so much among researchers (I don’t have time for
that)
• Days should be longer than the current 25 hour limit!

20. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Do research groups communicate?
• The 3 worlds (individual, group and
isntitution) communicate differently!
• Everythink depends too much on
individual attitudes.
• The Web 2.0 Culture is an attitude!
• The current economic difficulties prevent
enthousiastic involvement in
communication, e.g. in Science Outreach
activities

21. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
What about academic units (departaments
and institutes)
• Departments, even though they gather most
part of research force, are too focused on
teaching. Communication of research is scarce
• Research Institutes communicate slightly
better, but few of them use English as their
primary language
• Use of English and amount of communication
is related to Internationalitzation

22. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
What about researchers?
• Almost no one communicates his/her current
research
• Some communicate key aspects of their
academic/research life
• Much easier if related to Social Science
• Hard Science is difficult to communicate
• Struggle in Humanities: yet thinking in a move
toward Digital Humanities

23. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Responsible Research and Innovation: How
do we receive feedback?
• RRI: Key element of Horizon 2020
• Meetings with Research and Innovation stockholders (i.e.,
companies, private sector)
• Meeting parents and families at outreach activities
• By means of online activities
• Bringing young students to the University/Research Center,
practical activities
• Formal interaction with other Public Institutions,
government officials, elected citzens
• Above all: be active!

24. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
So let’s try 8+ ways
to communicate in the Net!

25. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Blogging
• My blog Edunomia http://edunomia.net
• My mesoblog edunoming http://edunoming.wordpress.com
• My microblog (twitter) @miquelduran
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/267060150/

26. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Perhaps blogs (short texts+images) are
currently losing appeal

27. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Social networking
• General and specific (scientific)

28. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Science dissemination

29. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Magic (->personal skill)
The Magic of the Periodic Table of the Elements, G4G11 Atlanta 3/14
Magic, Science and Confessable Secrets, new MOOC at #MiriadaX

30. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Open Science
• Sharing, Collaboration, Cooperating
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100477638@N03/10204741904/

31. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
TEDx-style talks
Marcel Swart (ICREA): “I’m a chemist – and proud to be so”

32. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Video as a new basic personal skill

33. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
MOOC
• Another way of Science Communication
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathplourde/8620174342/

34. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
(1/2 way!) make others communicate
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisperriman/9276563408/

35. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
• Communicating, disseminating, promoting
Science and Research should be one of the
keys taks of a Senior Researcher
• Junior Researchers should acquire those skills
and attitudes during their Ph.D. period
• And do not forget: Content is king! Without
content, there is nothing to share

36. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
And now what?

37. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
In Search of Lost Time
(Why do academics work so much?)
• Inside Higher Education 3 March 2014http
://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2014/03/03/essay-why-faculty-members-work-so-
much
• As I am writing this article, I should be writing
something else: an email to an editor, an email
to an author, a letter of recommendation,
notes for tomorrow’s classes, comments on
students’ papers, comments on manuscripts,
an abstract for an upcoming conference, notes
for one of the books I’m working on. I cannot
remember the last time I ended a day having
crossed everything off my to-do list.

38. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Matt Cutts’ TEDTalk: Try
something new for 30 days
• Is there something you've always meant to do, wanted to do, but just ...
haven't? Matt Cutts suggests: Try it for 30 days. This short, lighthearted
talk offers a neat way to think about setting and achieving goals.
http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days

39. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Why don’t you … ?
• Why don’t you blog once a week? You’ll be surprised about its value
after some time!
• Why don’t you shoot a #selfie every now and then?
• Why don’t you start a Scientifc Insragram, Tumblr, Flickr… or
Youtube. Your Science city. Your trips.
• Why don’t you tweet about an article or idea on your field of
knowledge found in the Internet?
• Why don’t you tweet about your Group? Group meeting, congresses,
conferences, talks, papers…
• Why don’t you attend “Ciencia en Redes”, Madrid, 8 May 2014?

40. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
ISCiCo
• Scientific Communication Course (master level), in English. Wiki
http://iscico.wordpress.com
• Hey… We got 30K views of the 5 PPT files in Slideshare! Our most-
viewed file: >9.000 times, cf. my most-cited paper >900 times.
• Content:
– This is me and my digital circumstances
– Let's communicate!
– Let's collaborate!
– Metrics and outreach
– Good practices

41. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Investigación Científica 2.0.1:
Claves para una sociedad digital
• MOOC to start its second edition in the forthcoming weeks at #MiriadaX. In Spanish
• 2500 registrants one year ago, 400 completed
• https://www.miriadax.net/web/sociedad_digital
• Promotional video:
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up_LcDkBzSY
• Módulo 0: Presentación.
• Módulo 1: Elementos del proceso investigador.
• Módulo 2: Reputación en el ámbito investigador.
• Módulo 3: Nuevos espacios de publicación digital.
• Módulo 4: Eficiencia y eficacia del proceso colaborativo y comunicador. Impacto académico y
en la red
• Módulo 5: Divulgación y diseminación del conocimiento.
• Módulo 6: Ejemplos de buenas prácticas en el uso de Internet.

42. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Small personal plan
• Personal communication environment (PCE)
• Communication plan
• Task list
• Easy goals
• Simple metrics
• Share with the public

43. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Cards as an analogy for science communication
• So many games and tricks!
• So many ways to
communicate science!

44. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Stephen Macknik and Susana Martínez-Conde in “Sleights of Mind”
• Clarke’s 3rd law: Any sufficiently advanced technology
is indistinguishable from magic
• Agatha Heterodyne paraphrase: Any sufficiently
analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science
• Girona’s corolary: “any sufficiently complex social
network is indinguishable from magic”
Stephen Macknik and Susana Martínez-Conde, “Sleights of Mind. What the
neuroscience of magic reveals about our brains”. Profile Books, London 2011

45. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
I’d love to talk about, but did not have time
to…
• Storytelling
• Branding
• Leadership
• Common goal
• Social networks clone Social classes at the
University!
• One must fight against the digital divide!

46. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
OK - and now what?
• Let’s movilize
• Let¡s change
• Let’s move
• Let’s do thinkgs well
• Let’s concentrate
• Let’s keep freedom
• Let’s catalyze a positive attidude
• Let’s (place here your favourite call to action)

47. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Some ideas to take away
• Web 2.0, Social Networking, Communicating Research – is just an attitude
• There is a paramount task yet in involving and motivating (good) researchers, research
groups and academic units in communicating (well!) Research and Science.
• Dissemination of Research and Public Outreach is hindered by current issues.
• There is a high pressure (Publish of Perish, Transfer or Die, etc.) that does not free time
enough to get involved in Public Outreach and Dissemination activities
• A proper system of Rewards could be established to catalyze and promote Science and
Research communication.

48. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Key ideas to (tweet and to)
take away
• Key idea: Education is not a
preparation for life. Education is life
itself
• Let me introduce you to my favourite
chemist – Panoramix
• Thank you!
• This presentation is available at
http://slideshare.net/quelgir

49. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
MORE ON …

50. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Tweetable quote 
Social networks are…
Twitter: good text (danger: >140!?) with bad
images
Instagram: good images with bad text

51. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Let’s do thinkgs simple and sustainable, slowly
Primary sources: twitter and instagram
Aggregators: Facebook, linkedin
Portal: an attractive landing page, blog with relevant content,
mostly useful for oneself
Repository: slidesahre, google docs, dropbox... Future utilities
Edit wikipedia (today 15yo)
Be open, or separate open accounts from closed ones. Use
Creative Commons licenses

52. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Note:
There is not something like digital communication. There
is just communication
You may find other presentations on this subject in my
slideshare account, also in my blog

53. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
And now, some advice:
Write posts for yourselves
Tag, tag, tag, hashtag… SHARE!
Make things be relevant, interesting and attractive
Do not be monothematic. Do combine social networks
Be singular
Be efficient. Work faster and more intensively, but do not work
more time! (e.g., google docs)

54. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
So you may be singular...
Follow blogs and websites via RSS with Feedly, as a source of DIFFERENT ideas
Exit you CONFORT ZONE… or BOREDOM zone
Do little CHANGES, and do them often
Get a unique available identifier which make you confortable
And very important: state a MID-TERM goal and path the way to reach it
Ah! And most important of all: go to the STREET, get to MARKET, rike your BIKE,
WALK, involve in CONVERSATIONS, DISCUSS, ENJOY your meals…

55. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
So here are 5 reasons not to communicate
Science... especially in the Net

56. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
I don’t have any good idea
Why don’t you consider
Science dissemination as
an opportunity for
expanding your research
activity into teaching and
leaving your usual
expertise field, while
adventuring into new
areas?

57. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
I don’t have any money
Why don’t you consider
Science dissemination as
an opportunity to get
some funding through
calls, international
collaboration,
transdisciplinar work?

58. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
I don’t have time nor energy left
Why don’t you consider
Science Communication
as an opportunity for
task cleanup and lean
time management?

59. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
I don’t have enough digital skills
Why don’t you consider
Science Dissemination as
an opportunity to enter
the amazing world of the
Internet, online learning,
open knowledge, social
networking, …?

60. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
I get no recognition
Why don’t you consider
Science Disseminaton as an
opportunity to recharge your
personal batteries?
(personal note: the number of
cycles is limited – like actual
chemical batteries)

61. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
I don’t/I am not …
I’m alone
I’m shy
I don’t know how to start with video
I don’t have technical support
I’m not fluent in English
I hate computers and/or computers hate me
I’m underpaid/nonpermanent/part-time
I’m tired
I’m not young anymore

62. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Now some commercials
What is a quantum chemist like me doing in a
the Science & Internet battlefield?
MOOC on Magic &
Science
http://magcimooc.net
MetaMOOC “How to
build a MOOC on a
budget”

63. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Science does not need digital skills
Scientists only communicate research or disseminate
plain knowledge
Science makes sense with no public communication
Really everyone must have scientifc background and
intellectual basis
Everyone must know what an atom is, and what the
Periodic Table of the Elements is
Further unlikely clues

64. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Citizens must be aware of the importance
of Science views in all political
discussions. Science helps with policies,
yet it is not politics.
Scienticic citizenship brings about an
informed public, i.e., a more democratic
society
Further likely clues

65. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
But I have got a special question
• Do social networks hinder rational discussion
– and hence hinder Scientific Citizenship?

66. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
and I have got another clue
• Every day we wake up with a new digital
application of mobile app – or new
functionality
• Is this contributing to a sustainable science?

67. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
SO
There are many reasons to communicate science in the Net, they are
APPEALING
Communicating Science means having the right attitude, rather than having the
suitable resources.
WHY DON’T YOU
Start a blog, open a twitter account or set up instragram photostream
AND
Tackle an idea, talk about an event, deal with a moment in history, criticize
science in newspapers and media, curate content
AND PLEASE COMMENT
my blog post at http://edunomia.net

68. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Caution
Your attitude is a choice!
Continued, strong and
stressful involvement in
Science Communication
may cause adiction.
Do Clicks & bricks
Do MOOCs, books & cooks
This presentation and others at http://slideshare.net/quelgir
Text licensed CC-BY-SA

69. Miquel Duran @miquelduran http://miquelduran.net miquel.duran@udg.edu
Key ideas to (tweet and to) take away
• The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one
that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I found
it!) but 'That's funny ...‘ (Isaasc Asimov) (also “Oh My
God!, as noted by Nobel Prize S Glashow)
• Education is not a preparation for life. Education is life
itself
• Thank you!!!!!