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This presentation was part of a workshop delivered to University of Leicester postgraduate students and staff on 23 November 2011 at University of Leicester. With great thanks to Emma Kimberley for her prior work on this workshop and presentation.
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Blogging for Researchers
Terese BirdLearning Technologist
Graduate School Media Zoo23 November 2011
With thanks to Emma Kimberley for prior work
What’ll we talk about?
•Digital Profile: why?•Blogging•Case study: Museum Studies•Scoop.it•Slideshare•Twitter
Digital Profile: why bother?
• You already have one• You need to be in control• You need to promote yourself and your workHow to maximise the following:• Facebook – friends and family plus…• Twitter – professional development• LinkedIn – professional• Academia.edu – academic• Blogging – online researcher’s diary
• A web log• Regular entries• Maintained by an individual or a team• Can contain links, graphics or video• Often provides commentary on a theme• Or functions as an online diary
Blogs are good digital scholarship
• Disseminate from Day One
• Attracts other experts
• “Open” is king
• Your digital profile established
Photo by 46137 on Flickr
What kind of blog?
Public•Publicity – Digital profile•Networking•Discussion•Reflection•Motivation•Progress tracking
Private•Reflection•Motivation•Progress tracking
Public blogs
• Often have a social function• Stimulate discussion on a theme• Bring attention to your publications• Share information among peers• Blog to a community• Team blogging• Recreational as well as academic• Link to departmental website
Private blogs
• Keeping track of research progress• Research diary• Can be set to private so that no-one else can
see it• Keeping links – reminding yourself of what
you found and when by using tags• A motivational tool
Research councils
Libraries
Student organisations
Research institutions
Academics
Archives
Museums
Projects
Other postgraduates
Who to read?
Some useful blogs to read• The GSRR bloghttp://gradschoolreadingroom.blogspot.com• Postgrad student blogging communities at Leicesterhttp://attic-museumstudies.blogspot.com/http://www.newhistorylab.org/• PhD blogshttp://thethesiswhisperer.wordpress.com/http://findsandfeatures.wordpress.com/http://malenel.wordpress.com/http://www.jobs.ac.uk/blogs/real-life/http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/articles/phd_blog_43.jsp
Some useful blogs to read• Blogs by academics at Leicesterhttp://www.microbiologybytes.com/blog/http://constantinakatsari.wordpress.comhttp://spider-project.blogspot.com/http://beyonddistance.wordpress.com/
• …and elsewherehttp://mat.gsia.cmu.edu/blog/http://timesonline.typepad.com/dons_life/
Why would you blog?
What kind of blog would you have?
What would you blog about? - brainstorm
Creating a blog
• Look at other blogs• Decide what you want• Choose a platform• Create and customise• Private or public?• Start posting!
Good blogging tipsUpdate regularly – once a week Keep entries short – 300 words
Use pictures
Think before you write!
Link to previous posts
Respond to comments
Remember: anyone could read your post/comment…so never blog anything you wouldn’t be prepared to say in public!
Link to departmental website
Tag your posts
• Automatic cataloguing• Enables you to select
relevant posts• Good for organising
notes• Lets readers know the
main topics on your blog
• Everything you write in a public blog can be seen by anyone
• Think carefully about what information you want in the public domain
• Does the information you are sharing belong to you?
• Ask advice of your supervisor / team / collaborators before blogging
Think about your academic profile
Copyright and intellectual property
Some blog sites make you sign away your copyright
• Read the terms and conditions before you sign up
• You can use 3rd party content as long as you comment on it
• Any questions? Email: [email protected]
Any questions?
Your turn!
• posterous.com• blogger.com• wordpress.com
