Conversion of a Social Media Skeptic

I added several blog posts to my academic CV recently to acknowledge information is being propagated in important ways in online forums and social media. The citations* are lurking behind a book chapter and letters, sure to go un-noted or to be dismissed. And I understand that reaction.

Two years ago, we were in the midst of an overhaul of EdgeforScholars.org and looking forward to providing a platform to share information and candid conversation about life in academics. I was conflicted about recruiting authors for content. Our group was confident it would have value. But I harbored a level of uncertainty about whether blogging was a wise use of faculty talent, especially early career faculty, and was sure social media writ large harbored the risk of being a dangerous time drain.

Then I jumped into a forum away from work. My first experience blogging was on a non-academic site to share things I knew about health and fitness for a local gym. At first the direction of information was pretty much a one-way street. Then the tables turned and an active discussion group emerged. And I was hooked.

That experience of new connections, new opinions, and new information convinced me of the potential rewards. Now when asked why I blog and tweet for Edge for Scholars, the answer is reciprocity. Others share ideas that I value in many forums and I hope to pay it forward to fellow travelers in research.

Events like these keep our team at it:

Scholars in a K12 career development program read a tweet about how to start a “shut up and write” group and promptly form a new group.
A faculty member at a small university writes to thank EFS for posting changes in rules about appendices in NIH grants because her grant support person was not aware.
A Purdue undergraduate is excited to share a link to the Purdue Owl writing resources and to find we tweet it in the Writing Round Up twitter stream.
My research team learns about free infographic tools in a social media conversation and knocks out a reasonable attempt that extends the reach of what we hope is an important policy idea.
A passionate faculty member creates an online fund raising event that supports STEM projects in 17 low-resource public schools.
Grant writing tips that could be held close as “local resources” circulate around the country, and more universities are poised to join in the sharing.
An individual sends thanks that Edge for Scholars announced NIH loan repayment or a leadership training opportunity and shares that they put in an application.
Advocacy, policy, and opinion content flourishes.

For these reasons and more, I aim to contribute useful information. But I blog because I always get back more. I hope you’ll join us on the adventure.

——

*Sample citation:

Hartmann, Katherine. “How to be Heard by Legislators about NIH Budget Cuts,” Edge for Scholars (blog), March 3, 2017. https://edgeforscholars.org/how-to-be-heard-by-legislators-about-proposed-nih-budget-cuts/. [668 views, accessed January 2, 2019]

More Resources

Twitter for Scientists

Professional Success in Social Media

Not that Kind of Page: Tales of Building a Better Lab Website