"Post or Perish"? An Early Career Researcher's Guide to Using Social Media

Emma S. Cowley, Kelly McNulty, Ciaran M. Fairman, Lee Stoner

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    2 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Social media usage has soared in the last decade, with the majority of adults having an account on at least one platform. Sites such as LinkedIn, X, and TikTok allow users to share content using different forms, for example, written or video, long form or short form. Social media can be used by researchers to forge collaborations, rapidly disseminate new research, and demonstrate societal impact. This opinion piece aims to highlight the value of social media, in particular for early career researchers, and offer suggestions on how early career researchers can strategically use social media to build a network and an online presence. We reflect on our own experiences of social media and include some of the reasons we have been deterred from it in the past, such as fear of making a mistake, being misunderstood, or painted as being an overconfident "know it all." As the demonstration of impact and engagement becomes ever more important in grant applications and job security, social media competency is a powerful professional skill that will be important for all scientists.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1-6
    Number of pages6
    JournalJournal of Physical Activity and Health
    Volume21
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2024

    Keywords

    • dissemination
    • networking
    • science communication

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