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Social Media to Promote Research: X (formerly Twitter)
This guide shows examples of how you can use social media tools and networks to promote your research
Why use Twitter?
- Discover & “filter” new research & keep up to date with emerging trends
- Connect with new people and potential contacts
- Find out about funding opportunities, conferences, calls for papers etc. before others
- Increase the visibility of your research online
- Communicate with audiences outside academia e.g. practitioners, policy-makers, the media etc.
- Discover how people are engaging with your research, what they are interested in & get feedback
- Use X (formerly Twitter) analytics to help track and monitor which tweets generate most interest/attention
- Twitter for scientistsFreely accessible online book by Dan Quintana @dsquintana
What makes a good post?
- Include an image / infographic etc. if possible
- @ mention any relevant people/organisations to alert them
- Use relevant hashtags to improve visibility to those not following you
- Post an interesting or thought-provoking quote/comment
- Try to encourage engagement/discussion
- Use Twitter Analytics to help you identify the best times to tweet (i.e. tweets which get most impressions) and the type of content that gets most attention (i.e. tweets which have most engagement)
Key concepts
- Messages are called ‘posts’
- 280 characters or less
- Topics are referred to by using a hashtag #
- Refer to someone by using @ before their username
- Can ‘repost’ – send on/share posts from others to your own followers
- Try to engage with people rather than just broadcasting information
What can I post?
- Links to your own research (include an image if possible, @ mention relevant co-authors, funders, publishers etc.)
- Share what you are reading with your followers (@ mention the author)
- Comment on news/key developments in your field or share research insights (include relevant hashtags to improve visibility)
- Promote seminars/conferences you are holding/attending
- Share links to media appearances, newspaper articles, blog posts etc.
UCD Researchers on X (formerly Twitter)
- Dr Mary McAuliffeMary McAuliffe is a historian, lecturer, and Director of Gender Studies at UCD.
- Dr Shane BerginPhysicist & Assistant Professor in Science Education at at UCD School of Education
- Dr Muireann Ní RaghallaighAssistant Professor in Social Work, University College Dublin
- Dr Aidan ReganAssistant Professor at UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Further help & support
- Twitter for Absolute beginnersSlides from a workshop given to UCD staff and students, Jan 2020
- Advanced Twitter for Promoting your ResearchSlides from a workshop given to UCD staff and students, Feb 2020.
- What is Twitter?A short one minute video explaining how Twitter works
- Tweeting in an Age of Overwhelming Information Overload and Increased WorkloadsUseful tips on tweeting in academia by Ernesto Priego
- A nifty guide for academics on using TwitterBy Dr. Niki Rust (@nikirust), Research Associate at Newcastle University, an Environmental Journalist, and Science Communications Trainer
- How can academics use Twitter to network?Video clip with Dave White, Head of Technology Enhanced Learning at the University of the Arts London & Dr Inger Mewburn, Director of Research Training at The Australian National University.
- Top Twitter Tips for Research ImpactAdvice from Fast Track Impact (Prof. Mark Reed)
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