Tools and information sharing

1. Why should researchers use social media?

 Photo by Gerd Altmann, Pixabay

It is important for researchers to adopt social media as a part of their everyday scholarly life. It is not just a way of finding and using information; it is also a way of disseminating research to a wider, global audience; of networking, knowledge sharing and collaborating; and of keeping up to date with the most current developments within the research community.

Click on the image to access the Handbook of Social Media for Researchers and Supervisors.

2. Tools and social network facilities

There are a growing number of good quality information sharing and social networking facilities available. Some focus on particular subjects or disciplines, others have a broader remit.

Use the following criteria to evaluate the content of information sharing and social networking sites:

• Verify the identity of the source of shared information. This can be done by examining the profile page (if this is made public) and confirming the named source of the information.
  
  
• Verify the accuracy and currency of the information displayed on the profile page of the individual, institution, company or library.
  
  
• Investigate if the individual, institution or organisation contributing information has proven expertise in the subjects covered.

Dirt Directory is a registry of digital research tools for scholarly use.

Figshare is a tool designed to enable researchers to release all of their research outputs quickly, and in an easily citable, sharable and discoverable manner.

Graduate Junction was established in 2008. It is a researcher-led initiative which aims to provide all Masters, PhD and post-doctoral researchers with an opportunity to connect with others and get support and information to make the most of their time as a post-graduate.

myExperiment makes it easy to find, use and share scientific workflows and other research data.

Methodspace is a multidisciplinary site for those engaged in research methods to network and share research, resources and debates.

OpenWetWare promotes the sharing of information among researchers and groups who are working in biology and biological engineering.

ResearchGATE is a free social networking site and collaboration tool aimed at scientific researchers.

Ten search engines for researchers that go beyond Google
A range of subject-specific search engines.

VITAE - Researcher Development Framework Planner offers an interactive, straightforward way for researchers to manage their professional development using the comprehensive Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF).

ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher. 

3. Courses and workshops

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Sign up for Research Staff Monthly to access news, course, events and funding information for QMUL researchers.

Visit CAPD courses  for a complete listing of all workshops, courses and events planned.