Sharing is caring: social media and academic research

Are you strategically using social media for your research agenda? While LinkedIn and other outlets might keep us connected, you might try a few social networking sites geared specifically for research connections.

RESEARCHGATE
What is it?  A portal that boasts more than 3 million “highly skilled scientists and researchers.” More than 137,000 social science researchers are a part of that. The home page has a nifty graphic where you can see the distribution of scientists on the site by discipline.

How to sign in: Sign in with your Facebook credentials, or set up an account, to find the latest publications in your field, collaborate and discuss your work. The set-up is easy, with the system searching for your articles already online, and the screens guide you to select your discipline and areas of specialization. Then, you can select topics and colleagues to “follow” online.

How it works: Once inside, it’s a robust social media platform akin to Facebook and LinkedIn. You can ask questions, upload data sets, seek feedback on articles, etc. An RG score is assessed for members, which counts their contributions to the system and acts as a reputation score. Something I found interesting was searching for your institutional colleagues and being able to see what they have been working on, even if you don’t encounter each other on campus very often. Note: Concerns about RG scores have been raised by researchers and others.

Is there an app?
As of this writing, no.

A screenshot of papers available within Mendeley.

MENDELEY

What is  it? Mendeley, a free reference manager, also has a social networking component, in that it allows researchers to share their work with others. 

How to sign in: Create an individual Mendeley account or sign in using Facebook. Keep in mind that any service that lets you sign in via Facebook may also post automatic updates to your feed.

How it works: You can create groups of researchers and share papers and citations. One cool feature is the annotation system; you can mark up articles and your colleagues will see your edits. You can follow curated bibliographies as well as better disseminate your own research, too. Mendeley also works with EndNote, Papers and Zotero.  For best results you should install Mendeley on your desktop or laptop.

Is there an app?
Yes. There is an official Mendeley app on iOS, and Android has several 3rd party applications, such as Scholarley and Referey.

What social networking sites are you trying for finding research articles or promoting your own research agenda? Which do you prefer? 

Dr. Sarah Maben is co-director of the Texas Social Media Research Institute and an editor for The Journal of Social Media in Society. She teaches journalism and public relations courses at Tarleton State University. Follow her on Twitter @SarahMaben.

Twitter and TV: Pretty Little Liars

Tweets from "A" to his/her
victims. Photo: Kendyl Adams.

Pretty Little Liars, an ABC Family TV show, has taken Twitter to another level. This may  explain their continued success with viewers. The show is about four high school girls who try desperately to find out who killed their best friend Allie. However, the girls are not alone throughout their quest. An evil being who the girls only know as “A” has begun terrorizing them through text messages. Though the girls despise “A” they must obey “A's” demands to avoid the exposure of their own secrets.

The producers of Pretty Little Liars use Twitter as a feedback mechanism. Viewer tweets allow them to recognize if a new character is liked or disliked by fans. Fans can also express how they feel about a new twist in the show.

Tweets from actors on the show.

The cast of Pretty Little Liars also have their fun in the Twitter world. During episodes they will engage in “live-tweeting" with the fans. The cast, however, never give out any spoiler alerts; just enforcing the current action that is taking place. The "live - tweeting" action gives fans and cast a surreal connection which replaces the typical dull connection that is established through a TV screen.


The plethora of crazy twists, mysteries, and OMG moments make the show a social-media hit. What takes Pretty Little Liars over the top is their clever use of Twitter. The lack of fear the producers and cast have for social media provides them with immediate feedback and a phenomenal fan base connection. Pretty Little Liars takes you into the mind of young adults and how twisted life can be and I think “A” would approve, don’t you?

You can find out more information about Pretty Little Liars on both Facebook and Twitter or on their website.








Kendyl Adams is a speech communications major and current TSMRI Intern who will graduate from Tarleton State University in May of 2015.

Have you used these new Pinterest features yet?

One of the toughest aspects of being involved in social media is keeping up with all the changes and updates on various platforms. It is easy to get left behind if you're not careful.

Recommended pins
For example, recently I was browsing in Pinterest and noticed that "Picked for you" was now part of the menu. When I clicked on this option, I noticed that all the pins were based on my interests.

Here's how to find your recommended pins.

• Click the lined, square icon on the far top left of your screen.
• Clicked "Picked for you" on the drop down menu of pin categories. 
• You will see pins recommended for you based on your previous pins.

Note: At the moment, pins "picked for you" seems to be activated on personal accounts, but not on business accounts.


Pinterest had added suggested pins

Price drop alerts
Another new Pinterest feature is a notice that flags users when the price on something they have pinned has been reduced.  This feature is perfect for a secret gift board. Note: it only works on "product pins", which were introduced back in May (see what we mean about keeping up?).

Product pins have a retailer icon and/or website URL (such as "etsy.com") at the bottom, along with item details such as price, location, and availability. These pins are only available if you have enabled Pinterest's "new look" feature (click "Get it now" at the top of your screen to switch over).

New to Pinterest?
Are you a Pinterest "newbie"?  You can click on our Pinterest-tagged posts for more information about this popular site. New uses for it--educational and otherwise seem to be discovered all the time. 

For example, Bree Kingston, an agriculture teacher with a graduate degree in Agricultural and Consumer Resources from Tarleton State University, uses Pinterest to "teach classes, such as floral design and agricultural mechanics--I get decorative ideas for my classroom and the students are able to discover 'what's in style' for their future classroom projects/ FFA events."

Victoria Greer, a current TSMRI intern, uses Pinterest for "craft ideas/DIY apartment decoration ideas since I'll be in my first apartment this year. I also use it to find quotes and pictures about my faith. And I use it for organization tips because I love keeping things organized."

How do you use Pinterest? Do you think these new features will be useful? Let us know in the comments.www.tarleton.edu/tsmri

Social Media Exploits Passion(s) for Fashion

Ever scroll through your Facebook home page and see a belt or pair of shoes you just HAVE to have? Boutiques across the nation are reaching out to customers through social media. 

Pinterest search results for "fashion" and "diversity."

Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram are flourishing with the hottest fashions almost as soon as items come out of the box.  Shopping sites such as Rue La La, HauteLook and BeyondtheRack all use social media outlets to advertise their sale prices on designer goods. If you have a passion for men's fashion, sites like Gilt and JackThreads are also available.

Rue La La on Facebook.

Boutiques are even running special online sales and Black Friday specials through social media. Companies like Southern Jewlz from College Station do almost half of their business from social media publicity. 

Would you rather shop your favorite boutiques through social media, or are you ready for your news feed to shrink?

Angie Knaupp is a senior Ag Services and Development major at Tarleton State University concentrating in Ag Communication; she is from Fredericksburg, Texas.