Social media in the present times is undoubtedly a very significant research tool. Let us look at some ways in which it can help us to better collaborate, publicise and carry out our research in a more effective manner. Most of the people use Facebook as a medium for socialising, getting connected to friends, picture sharing and at times for gaming. But this isn’t its only use, it has also become a very popular medium to assist in research and other academic initiatives. How can you use Social media, specifically Facebook to facilitate your research? Here are some tips:
Developing a research page of Facebook: It is a very good idea for researchers to create a Facebook page that would help them in their research. Try to keep your professional and personal presence on the social networking site distinct.
Voting/polling: you can use Facebook for polling simple questions that do not need much explanations or detailing. Facebook gives you a good option to do that. The Facebook Poll app also gives you the alternative here.
Events: We usually see the Event feature getting used for informal events but these days a lot of formal events are also getting publicized through Facebook. A lot of researchers are using this tool for organising and publicizing events and conferences. You can create an open, closed or a secret event on Facebook. It can be determined by the type of event you are publicizing and what you seek from the effort.
Groups: There would be people who may not be your friends but you may want to be in touch with them because of some common interests. There are a lot of groups and pertaining to your interest, you may join one or many of the Facebook groups. You will be able to stay in touch with the members of the group through chatting or mails.
There are certain things that one needs to be cautious over and sometimes you need to put in a lot of extra effort. You will have to work around credibility issues and create the confidence that the purpose of your research is largely academic. You should initially acquaint yourself with the members before actually bringing out your research interests to them. Also v when you want to use your Facebook profile for academic purpose do not leave it open for public access. Try to have a more formal and professional image on the site so that you stay away from inappropriate comments and images which may become a hurdle in your future work.
