Social media

The use of social media platforms provides us greater dissemination and visibility, enhances the impact of scientific output, and improves both the public profile and digital reputation of researchers.

It is important to remember that these are private commercial platforms and should not be used as document repositories. In addition to general social networks, academic platforms such as ResearchGate, Academia.edu, Labroots, and Google Scholar Citations should also be considered.

When uploading a document to social media:

Ensure that you do not infringe on third-party rights.
Publishing on social media is not the same as publishing in open access and therefore does not meet the requirements set by research funding bodies or comply with current legislation.

If you wish to use social media as a channel for disseminating your research, it is advisable to provide a link to the document hosted in a repository (preferably open access).

What to consider

Who is your target audience?
What do you aim to achieve?
1. Disclose: Recognise the time and effort required for social media engagement. Consider the options available through your institution and what information is already accessible online about the chosen topic. Should you create your own blog, or is it possible to collaborate on an existing one? Could it involve your research group? Sometimes, it may be more effective to curate existing material—selecting, grouping, and commenting on it rather than creating original content.
2. Disseminate your own research. To share an article, follow these steps: Publish > Submit > Promote > Tweet or post an article on the blog.
3. Create a network of contacts. It is important to identify the networks where individuals of interest to you are active.
How much time are you willing to invest?

How to act

Be consistent: post regularly and engage with others.
Keep your private life separate from your professional activities.
Utilise multiple networks that complement one another to maximise their potential impact.

An example of good practice

Let’s assume you’ve just had a specialised article accepted for publication.

Write a blog post explaining the article’s topic (or create a video, podcast, etc.; choose a format that allows you to expand on the content).
If the article is available in a preprint repository, make sure to include a link to the repository.
After sharing this content, link to it through other networks. Don’t forget to mention the journal where the article will be published.
Once the article is published, and as long as it remains open access, link to the final version and make citation easy.

Digital reputation

Use your real name (anonymity does not serve your interests).
Justify your contributions with sound arguments and references, avoiding reliance on authority alone.
Save records of debates, especially if they become heated.
Respond promptly when asked questions; these individuals are interested in your work and may become valuable allies.
Do not delete incorrect messages: they may have already been shared and cannot be fully erased. An apology is often a better course of action.

Social media

Good practices

Additional information