An Introduction to Social Media for Scientists, now in PLoS Biology

Science is defined by expertise. We researchers are constantly trying to expand our own knowledge, or collaborate with those who can contribute the necessary skills. Unfortunately, developing “internet skills” usually isn’t top priority for scientists – despite the fact that we now live and work in a over-connected, technology-driven society.

Given this scenario, fellow marine blogger Miriam Goldstein and I are and I pleased to announce the publication of a new perspectives article in PLoS Biology:

Bik HM, Goldstein MC. An Introduction to Social Media for Scientists. PLoS Biology, 11(4):e1001535. 

The idea for this article evolved from conference workshops we ran together (particularly the social media workshop at the Ocean Sciences 2012 Meeting), late night hotel room discussions, and chats with friends, colleagues and our fellow Deeplings (thanks guys!). And the fact that I personally didn’t know what I was doing on the internet for a solid 2 years after I started blogging/tweeting. In fact, a lot of scientists we’ve encountered feel lost and misguided when it comes to social media. Or they want to start blogging/tweeting but have no idea where to begin (grad students and postdocs don’t get much training in this area, and senior PIs don’t usually encourage it).

We hope this article will help you navigate the internet and define your own social media strategy (come on marine scientists, lead the pack!) – please share it with your offline colleagues, and get in touch with any questions or comments!