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This section will cover some of the ways an author can promote their publications to gain some attention and stimulate discussion.
Self-promotion is for many authors, an unfortunate necessity of publishing, and is perceived by some as taking away from time better spent on researching. However, unless an author/researcher promotes their research, that research can become lost amongst the myriad of other papers and books that are released
Self-promotion can also be considered as part of your ‘Engagement and Impact’ plan for disseminating your research. ‘ Engagement and Impact Assessment ’ of research is now measured by the Australian Research Council (ARC) to
“assess how well researchers are engaging with end-users of research, and shows how universities are translating their research into economic, social, environmental, cultural and other impacts.”
Anyone who is seeking to engage or influence end-users (public, business, government, academia and/or peers in the field) should be looking at ways to assess how well their publication has achieved that goal.
It is well worth spending some time drawing up a basic communications plan.
Click this link to find out more about Engagement and Impact
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While some databases such as ‘ Web of Science ’ and ‘ Scopus ’ have their own researcher IDs, those IDs are specific to the platform, and only include articles that have been indexed by that platform. A benefit of ORCID is that 'Scopus' and 'Web of Science' IDs can be linked to an ORCID account and will automatically populate a researcher’s ORCID when a new paper is indexed. ORCID is also indexed by Google Scholar which means research output discoverability is enhanced
ORCIDs are now in wide use with many workflows, funders and publishers, with “ over 1600 journals now requiring some or all authors to use an iD ”
Here are a few suggestions for getting the most out of your ORCID to support your publications.
Contact your Liaison Librarian for further information about creating an ORCID account or linking to an ORCID account.
More information can be found in the ORCID subject guide
The Conversation is a “unique collaboration between academics and journalists that is the world’s leading publisher of research-based news and analysis”. Often articles published in The Conversation are reprinted by other news media sites such as the ABC. Sometimes an author published in The Conversation will be called on for comment in newspapers and television when their area of expertise coincides with a current newsworthy event.
This PDF from the University of Queensland gives simple guidelines on pitching an idea and writing an article for the Conversation, including information about impact and engagement.
Author guide: The Conversation
This video from the Conversation explains the editorial process.
The Conversation YouTube channel has examples of videos and podcasts published.
You might want to consider writing and sending out your own media or press releases if you want to attract mainstream attention for your research activity.
A media release should be no more than one page, written in reasonably simple language, have the most important points at the start of the document along with contact details.
A media release written by you has the benefit of accurately representing your research.
There are a wealth of websites that give a range of advice on writing a media release, the following are a selection from a variety of viewpoints
Podcasts have really taken off in the last few years. They are good for time poor people and tend to be listened to on commute or while doing other things.
Find out if there are any podcasts that are specific to your research topic, or more broadly in your area of study, or just general news and current affairs topics. Many Australian universities are branching into podcasts such as University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and the University of South Australia etc.
It is not the purpose of this section on how to advise you to start your own podcast, there are many articles online that can help with that. If the thought of starting your own podcast is daunting, then consider contacting a podcaster and offering your expertise as a guest.
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Social media can be an effective way to self-promote with some consideration and planning. Part of your ‘Engagement and Impact’ plan should include social media as part of your strategy to engage with end users of your research.
Use the tabs below to gain an overview of platforms, tips on getting started and what to say.
There are many reasons why social media should be an option for your self-promotion.
While there are dozens of social media sites it is entirely reasonable to focus on a few that are well-known and well used.
Producing video is more confronting than producing the written word, and requires some research, thought and access to some technologies. The author of the linked article states “four factors were paramount” (Maynard, 2021)
Although the author’s own video channel is small in comparison to some other similar channels, he has found that some videos have been used as class resources or by media outlets, and has had requests for video collaborations or on specific content.
If the thoughts of starting your own YouTube channel appears daunting, consider contacting a YouTube channel you respect and offering your expertise as a guest.
There are literally hundreds of platforms available, some are very niche, and most not necessarily appropriate, but here are a few to consider and a list to look through.
There are dozens of articles available online about getting started professionally with social media, and it is suggested that you look further beyond this basic list of suggestions.
The empty page is an intimidating sight to all writers as they struggle to write something meaningful. Here are a few suggestions.
“Google Scholar Profiles provide a simple way for authors to showcase their academic publications. You can check who is citing your articles, graph citations over time, and compute several citation metrics. You can also make your profile public, so that it may appear in Google Scholar results when people search for your name, e.g., richard feynman.”
Follow this link to set up your own Google Scholar profile.
ResearchGate is social networking site designed for academics and scientists to connect with each other, share papers, find collaborators, access job boards, and ask and answer questions. ResearchGate has over 20 million members around the world with a particular focus on connecting and collaborating with colleagues, peers, co-authors and specialists.
Be aware that ResearchGate can send you many emails, so it is suggested you customise your email notifications.
Access the ResearchGate Help Center to find out how to:
With over 31 million academics and 22 million uploaded papers, Academia.edu is a global academic research sharing platform with extensive reach. Members can share research, build relationships with other academics, and grow their professional profile. Basic (free membership) gives access to full-text papers and networking features, a Premium (paid) subscription provides citation tracking and the ability to see who is reading your papers.
Both Academia.edu and ResearchGate have valuable networking capabilities, yet it is important to be mindful of their limitations.