Twitter Workshop:

Aims: To get you started with Twitter and associated tools To consider the potential uses of Twitter for an early career researcher To suggest strategies for using Twitter effectively

This session is associated with the STEMDigital programme at the programme blog, http://stemdigital.wordpress.com/ It ties in with Module Two: Networking Online. The module opens with Ten Days of Twitter which will go over much of what we cover here.

What well be covering in the session and online, on the STEMDigital blog:

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Setting up your account and an effective profile What to Tweet as an ECR Hashtags and conversations about research @messages and Direct Messages (DMs), making new contacts Following: who to follow and how to find people to follow for a good learning network Retweeting and quoting tweets passing on useful information and giving credit Curating and managing content keeping on top of information Managing people lists and third party apps keeping track of people and not getting overwhelmed 9. Twitter analytics and knowing your following 10. Integrating Twitter with your other networking: online and in Real Life

What to Tweet? Some examples from your everyday life as a researcher: an article you're reading that's interesting a book you recommend a seminar or conference you're going to - others may not have known about it, may want to meet you if they're also going to be there, or may want to ask you about it if they can't make it a new person you met today who might be a useful contact some advice on research methods from an incident that happened today a question asked by a student or colleague that made you think slides from a talk which you've just uploaded online your thoughts on a research news story a funding or job opportunity you've just seen a digital tool or software you're using or pa problem you've solved with it a typical day - an insight into a researcher's life or moral support your new publication which has just come out (there are ways of mentioning this gracefully!)

Ten Types of Tweet 1. A simple message - what are you up to? What kind of event or activity might your intended following find interesting, personable or quirky? You could let them know about an upcoming event they were unaware of or might also be present at, or just show that you're approachable and share common experiences. Don't agonise over it though - Twitter is ephemeral! 2. An @ message directed to someone. Ask someone a question, comment or reply to one of their tweets, thank them for a RT or welcome a new follower. NB - don't start your tweet with the @ sign, as then only the people that follow both of you will see it! either include their @name later in the message or add a full stop .@ before the @ if it's at the start. 3. Send a direct message (DM) to someone. What kind of message would need to be private in this way? 4. A link to something interesting and relevant you've read online, or link to a journal or book. Shorten it using Twitter's automatic tool or a separate one such as tinyURL, bitly or Ow.ly Add a bit of context or comment on it! 5. Ask a question of your followers - crowdsource their views, ask for tips or advice or recommendations on a topic of mutual interest! Perhaps ask them to retweet (pls RT) 6. Tweet a link to something you've shared online recently- a profile update, slides from a conference presentation, handouts from teaching or public engagement event. Many platforms can be set up to do this automatically when you update, such as a blog, slideshare, Storify, LinkedIn, etc. Add an engaging and contextualising comment! 7. A retweeted, quoted tweet from someone else. Don't just use Twitter's retweet button - start with your own comment, then add RT and the @name of the originator or retweeter. 8. A tweet incorporating a hashtag which links to a wider discussion. Search for your chosen hashtag first, to get a sense of what others use it for and what the discussion has been, and what you can add. Look at tweets from followers for hashtag discussions to join, make one up and see if it's been used, or try #ECRchat, #PhDchat or #overlyhonestmethods, or add something to our hashtag #STEMD 9. Livetweet an event of some kind, even if only for 10 minutes. You might try a research seminar, conference presentation or lecture. It's polite to ask permission from the speaker. See if there is a hashtag for the event and if so, use it. Practice summarising the event and distinguishing your comments from the speaker's. 10. Take part in a livechat on twitter. #ECRchat and #PhDchat are popular ones.

Ten types of People to Follow: 1. Celebrity academics and media dons Following well-known people like Cambridges @AtheneDonald or @ProfBrianCox will give you some ideas of how to build your profile and impact, as well as offering commentary on scientific policy, ideas for teaching and outreach, access to their own network of followers and interesting material to retweet to your followers. LSEs Impact of Social Science blog has a list of STEM academics on Twitter 2. Professional Bodies For updates about events, news, policy, or funding opportunities, your subjects professional body will be very useful. Try for example @royalsociety, the Institute of Physics (@PhysicsNews) or the Institute of Medicine (@theIoM). You might also follow a teaching-related body such as the Higher Education Academys subject centres, like @HEASTEM 3. Funding Bodies For calls for funding and other news, follow bodies such as the Research Councils UK (@research_uk), @EPSRC or @BBSRC 4. Academic and Professional Press Scientific press such as @newscientist, Scientific American (@SCIAM), @TimesHigherEd or @guardianscience will give you access to news stories which may interest you or your followers. Following their journalists too might be a way to raise your profile in the press. Many journals also have their own Twitter accounts which are useful for updates on calls for contributions or new contents. Try the various Nature journals such as @NatureChemistry, @NatureNano or @NatureMedicine.

5. Academics in your field Search for people you know to see if they have a Twitter account. Look for both more senior academics and peers (PhD, PostDoc and junior lecturers). Search by name or by keyword, or import contacts from your LinkedIn account or email. 6. Research Centres in your field, both here in Cambridge and elsewhere, for events and news. 7. Academic mentors There are several bloggers and tweeters who create a supportive community for other early career academics, who have really useful advice and experiences to share on the various aspects of being or becoming an academic, from writing and publication to managing your career. Follow @thesiswhisperer, @researchwhisperer, @ECRchat, @ThomsonPat, @NetworkedRes and even @phdcomics 8. Public Engagement Following the universitys public engagement teams and other researchers interested in impact will help you be aware of events which you might volunteer for, or interesting ways to present research to other audiences. Try @camscience or @NakedScientists 9. Associated Services and professionals There are lots of people on Twitter who can feed you useful information, but arent academics. You could follow @jobsacuk for jobs and career-related articles, or university services such as your department library (for example, @CJBSInfoLib) for news, tips and updates. 10. Industry and other sectors To keep an eye on developments in the sector, possible future impacts and applications of your research, or developments which might affect what youre working on, you could follow som e of the professional bodies or companies which represent the types of sector related to your research.