Disseminating scientific research via Twitter: Practical insights and research evidence

About one-fifth of current scientific papers are being shared on Twitter. With nearly 69 million active U.S. Twitter users (24% of the U.S. adult population) and 328 million monthly active users worldwide, Twitter is one of the biggest social networks worldwide. Understandably, hopes are high that tweets mentioning scientific articles and research findings can reach peers and the general public. Studies show that most of the engagement with scientific papers on Twitter takes place among members of academia and thus reflects visibility within the scientific community rather than impact on society. However, there are ways to reach the broader public. This webinar will provide an overview of using Twitter to reach peers and non-specialist groups, the relationship between tweets and citations, and provide tips for building an academic Twitter presence.

Katja Reuter, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Preventive Medicine at the Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC; Director of Digital Innovation and Communication for the Southern California Clinical and Translational Research Institute (SC CTSI).

• Describe the strengths and limitations of using Twitter for the dissemination of scientific research.
• Describe practical approaches for building an academic presence on Twitter.
• Describe approaches to identify and reach different audiences on Twitter.

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