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RAISING YOUR RESEARCH PROFILE: A PERSONAL ACCOUNT

Dr Mark Griffiths

Professor of Gambling Studies International Gaming Research Unit

Psychology Division, Nottingham Trent University

United Kingdom

mark.griffiths@ntu.ac.uk

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THE WORLD OF ACA-MEDIA

Media performs a useful service for academics. It can:

  Stimulate research in to cut t ing edge topics

  Provide publicity for the academic, the r e s e a r c h , t h e discipl ine and the academic's institution

  Provide immediate rewards

  Help feed back into academic process

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THE MEDIA CAN STIMULATE RESEARCH INTO CUTTING EDGE TOPICS

  Content of newspapers and broadcast media provides a use fu l i nd i cant o f human behaviour

  Media stories indicate what people actually do, and what editors believe people will find of interest

  Many of my research areas were begun from ideas generated by the media (National Lottery, scratchcard gambling, internet add i c t i on , va r i ous on l i ne behaviours, psychology of fame)

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…HAS LED TO A SIDELINE JOURNALISTIC CAREER!

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MY TOP TIP FOR RAISING RESEARCH PROFILE – BE OPPORTUNISTIC!

• Here are two real examples:

– Press conference that went wrong

– A letter to a national newspaper

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THE MEDIA CAN PROVIDE PUBLICITY FOR THE ACADEMIC, THE RESEARCH, THE DISCIPLINE

AND THE ACADEMIC'S INSTITUTION

  Many academics say it is not an academic's job to generate publicity

  However, all universities have Press and Public Relations Office

  Publicity can help an individual and/or their institution in a number of ways

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  Participants for research studies

  Gets your research known to potential funders   Reputation and self-standing

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MEDIA EXPOSURE GENERATES ‘ADVERTISING VALUE’ FOR NTU

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REPUTATION AND SELF STANDING

  Being a media commentator in a particular research specialism raises one's own self-standing in that particular research area

  Once you are on people's lists they will come back to you again and again - particularly if you were good

  Invites from other places (e.g. conference/seminar speaker invitations) increase

  More articles published than by not having a high media profile

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MEDIA PROVIDES IMMEDIATE REWARDS

  Waiting a year for a paper to be published is not my idea of a quick reward!

  In the media the reinforcers can come thick and fast

  If you publish something in a newspaper or a magazine, it can be out within days/hours

  If you record something for the radio or television, again the result is often quite quick - and if it is live it goes out there and then

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INTERACTION WITH THE MEDIA CAN HELP FEED BACK INTO THE ACADEMIC PROCESS

  Things from media that fed back into academia:

  Changed perception of how the media works/operates

  Self- presentation skills   High productivity (fast and

furious/every second counts)   Facilitation, comprehension

a n d u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f information giving

  Communicating with people   Patience   Genuine teamwork

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HOW TO GET (AND INCREASE) MEDIA COVERAGE

–  Engage in profile raising activities in the media (e.g. writing letters to newspapers)

–  Cap i t a l i ze on ‘ a c c i den ta l ’ coverage

–  Research into populist areas!

–  Put out a press release/media release

–  Tie your research to known events (e.g., World Cup)

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RESEARCH TIE-INS

  NTU World Cup Blog Site

  18 blogs over a six-week period   Two TV interviews (Sky News, EM Today)   Four local radio interviews   Quoted in article in Daily Telegraph   Quoted in article in Yorkshire Post   Quoted in article in BBC News Online   Editorial in Nottingham Post   7 articles in local newspapers   3 online news sites (AOL Sports,

Orange, Virgin Media)   Numerous mentions on other blog

sites

THE BENEFITS OF BLOGGING

• Raised national/international profile

•  Increased media opportunities

• Blogs reprinted in other magazines and publications

• Additional teaching resource for students

• Blogs as forerunners for papers and articles

• Dissemination of preliminary results and new ideas

• Participant recruitment for research

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‘THE CONVERSATION’ BLOG SITE

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BENEFITS OF RE-BLOGGING

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THINGS GOING WRONG CAN LEAD TO FURTHER COVERAGE

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AND FINALLY…OTHER THINGS I DO!   Magazine columns in

relevant trade press   Proactive and reactive

journalism   Articles in specialist

outlets   Using same research

for multiple populist articles

  Use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. to promote my research

  PR junkets

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TO SUM UP…

  Promoting your work via the media and social media c a n h e l p r a i s e y o u r research profile

  There are (potentially) many benefits

  Relatively small outlay of ‘front ending’ can lead to a much bigger return down the line for both you and the university