Official measures of research ‘impact’ are failing to keep pace with socially networked academics

Phys.org  May 18, 2022
Academics are frequently encouraged to use social media to facilitate public engagement and enhance research impact, as it offers the potential to connect with more diverse, non-academic audiences. However, little is known about the relationship between the use of social media and academics’ own perceptions of research impact and public engagement in practice. Researchers in the UK analyzed the responses from a survey of academics which includes what academics perceive to be examples of high-impact interactions through social media, and how this is mediated by different platforms. The findings have practical implications for social media training for academics and suggest that institutional definitions of research impact may not account for the range of scholarly engagement social media platforms can facilitate. The researchers argue that much of the public value of their work is probably being overlooked in official “impact” assessments…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE