Blogging for researchers

BLOGGING FOR RESEARCHERS

D R H E L E N D I X O NH T T P S : / / S O C I A L M E D I A Q U B . WO R D P R E S S . C O M /

TODAY WE WILL DISCUSS

How blogging can help you as a researcher

Different approaches to blogging

Blogging tips and best practice

Continue the conversation online @SocialMediaQUB

#QUBlogging

INTRODUCTIONS

What is

blogging?

HOW CAN BLOGGING

HELP YOU AS A RESEARCHER?

ACTIVITY 1: REASONS FOR BLOGGING

Refine your writing skills

Reach a broader audience

Enhance your online profile

Network with other researchers

Engage with non-academic community

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

REFINE YOUR WRITING SKILLS

Writing for a blog can help you develop your non-academic writing

style and to clarify your ideas.

Blog posts can evolve into conference papers or journal articles@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

REACH A BROADER AUDIENCE

Blogging is a variation

of open access

publishing, allowing you

to contribute to the

global knowledge pool.

It can also increase

citations and

downloads of your

publications

(altmetrics) @SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

ENHANCE YOUR ONLINE PROFILE

Blogging allows you to establish

your reputation as an expert

while you are waiting to have

publications accepted

Online communication skills are

an important part of your career

development

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

NETWORK WITH OTHER RESEARCHERS

“many bloggers are

talking together in

a kind of giant,

global virtual

common room”

http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-

network/blog/2013/dec/02/why-do-academics-blog-research

Pat Thomson and Inger Mewburn

ENGAGE WITH THE NON-ACADEMIC COMMUNITY

Blogging can bridge the divide between

academia and the public and help raise

awareness of your research findings

BLOGGING OPTIONS

• Blog owner writes most or all posts

• https://sunfishresearch.wordpress.com/

• https://wasimahmed1.wordpress.com/Solo

• 2-10 authors generate most content

• http://blogs.qub.ac.uk/qubio/Collaborative

• Central editorial team collate posts from different authors

• http://blogs.qub.ac.uk/compromiseafterconflict/

• http://qpol.qub.ac.uk/

• http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/Multi-Author

https://medium.com/advice-and-help-in-authoring-a-phd-or-non-fiction/shorter-better-faster-free-fb74bddaec03#.dqdobqxnf

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

TYPES OF BLOG

Reflective practice

Academic life commentary

Research commentary

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

MAKING BLOGGING WORK

Read other blogs

Define your audience

Plan your content

Find your voice

Promote your blog

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

READ OTHER BLOGS

Research blogging:

http://researchblogging.org/

The higher education blogs

network:

http://www.theguardian.com/highe

r-education-

network/blog/2012/oct/05/the-

higher-education-blogs-network

ACTIVITY 2: EVALUATING A BLOG

• Search for a blog relevant to your research area

• Evaluate it by answering the following questions:

– What type of blog is it – solo, collaborative or multi-author?

– What is the purpose of the blog?

– Who is the intended audience?

– Is it easy to navigate around the blog?

– Are the theme and visuals appropriate?

– What do you like/dislike most about the blog?

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE

YOU

General public

Academic community

Industry professionals

Why would

I want to

read your

blog?

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

ACTIVITY 3: WHERE TO BLOG?

Take a look at the following blogging options and decide which one

would be best suited for your blog:

• Queen’s blogs - (blogs.qub.ac.uk) based on WordPress

• WordPress - easy-to-use free blogging site that includes analytics

• Medium - story editor that focuses on ideas and networks

• Blogger - (blogspot) free weblog publishing tool from Google

• Sunsed - low-cost blogging platform which includes analytics and

SEO

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

PLAN YOUR CONTENT

Note down ideas and create a

schedule around events you are

attending or other activities

that you can write about

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

ACTIVITY 4: GETTING STARTED!

• Think of a name for your blog

– This will become your domain name so keep it short and quirky!

• In one sentence, outline the mission statement for your blog

– This can later be developed into your first blog post summarising the focus

of your blog

• Post your answers on the Blogging for researchers padlet:

http://padlet.com/HelenDixon/blogging

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

• Include a photo and a short ‘bio’ detailing your current position, research interests and any publications

• Include links to your journal articles, other blog posts, online profiles

FIND YOUR VOICE

• Interesting ideas

• Lessons learned

• Mistakes made

Do your research

• Don’t use jargon

• Be concise

Make it interesting • Use anecdotes

or quotes

• Include visuals

Tell a story

WHAT MAKES A GOOD BLOG POST?

A catchy heading

A high impact introduction –fascinating fact, startling statistic or

quirky quote

Get to the point early – limit to 3

aspects

Simple exhibits –images, charts,

diagrams, tables

Tell a story or be topical

A strong finish that leaves a

lasting impression

ACTIVITY 5: TURNING AN IDEA INTO A BLOG POST

Choose one of the following questions

• What have you learned as an academic?

• What is the most interesting part of your work?

• What is the key finding from your research so far?

Think of a title and 3 key points that your blog post would make

Identify possible visuals that your blog post could include

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

BLOG POSTS VS JOURNAL ARTICLES

Blog post Journal article

Length 700 -1000 words 7000-10000 words

Style Informal Formal

Target audience Academic, professional or public Mainly academic

Frequency Weekly – Monthly Yearly

Content Colour images, tables, charts,

diagrams, videos

Black and white tables, charts and

diagrams

Accessibility Open access – unlimited audience Subscription – limited audience

JOURNAL ARTICLE TO BLOG POSTLitera

ture

revi

ew One or two

lines at start of post summarising main theories should be enough

Meth

odolo

gy s

ect

ion Briefly describe

innovative methods

Assume audience will understand established methods

Fin

din

gs What did your research discover or conclude?

Include any key statistics

Dis

cuss

ion What is your

main finding or conclusion?

What happens next?

https://medium.com/advice-and-help-in-authoring-a-phd-or-non-fiction/how-to-write-a-blogpost-from-your-journal-article-6511a3837caa#.u764cclin

PROMOTE YOUR BLOG

Share on

social media

Use relevant

keywords (SEO)

Invite readers

to subscribe

Tell people

about it

Add a link on

your website

Include a link in

your email signature

SEO FOR BLOGS

Links Titles Headings

URLs Images Excerpts

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/six-seo-factors-you-should-know/

MEASURING SUCCESS

It’s not just about metrics

ISSUES TO CONSIDER

Time commitment

Publishing unfinished work

Journals want previously

unpublished research

Self-plagiarising

Negative comments

Reputational risk to you and the

University

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

BLOGGING TIPS

Plan first few posts in advance

Adopt an informal style – avoid jargon

How would you describe your research to a friend?

Use short sentences and paragraphs

Use bullet points and lists

Include images and video if relevant

Use hyperlinks rather than a list of references

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

“Be brief, be vivid, and be connected.”

Corey Tomsonshttps://thoughtcapital.wordpress.com/2007/03/11/how-to-write-an-academic-blog/

3 ESSENTIAL RULES FOR WRITING A GOOD BLOG

IF YOU BLOG, TWITTER CAN HELP!

“see how people retweet you—their re-phrasings and summaries

can often show you a better way of capturing what your post says”

Prof Patrick Dunleavy (LSE) @Write4Research

DOING IT RIGHT!

Discuss your ideas with your colleagues

Read the University’s Social Media Policy

Respect copyright and link to or cite sources

Moderate all comments

Respond to comments and Tweets

Remain professional at all times!

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Social Media support (policies and guides):

http://go.qub.ac.uk/socialmedia

• Social Media QUB blog: https://socialmediaqub.wordpress.com/

• Guide to setting up a WordPress blog: https://learn.wordpress.com/

• Blogger: How to start a blog: https://youtu.be/bU4gXHkejMo

• How to write a good research blog post:

http://scienceofblogging.com/how-to-write-a-good-research-blog-post/

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging

SOME LITERATURE

• Kjellberg, Sara. I am a blogging researcher: Motivations for blogging in a scholarly context. First

Monday, [S.l.], jul. 2010. ISSN 13960466.

http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2962/2580

• Riesch, Hauke, and Jonathan Mendel. "Science blogging: Networks, boundaries and

limitations." Science as Culture 23.1 (2014): 51-72.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09505431.2013.801420

• Shema H, Bar-Ilan J, Thelwall M (2012) Research Blogs and the Discussion of Scholarly

Information. PLoS ONE 7(5): e35869. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0035869

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0035869

@SocialMediaQUB #QUBlogging