Social media

Site’s loss of influence in higher education may have repercussions for academics’ research, careers and support networks, experts say

Academics should be aware of how cohorts are structured so they can enable students to better distribute their emotional labour, says Miriam Johnson

University increases support for those who suffer harassment in media and online after work ‘weaponised’

Experts weigh in on whether the Meta-owned app, which has soared in popularity since its launch, could ever replace Twitter, or X, among scholars

Academics granted unique access to ‘black box of algorithms’ to explore social media’s influence on 2020 presidential election, but many question if ‘independence by permission’ model can endure

Jobs forum popular with economists accuses researchers of ‘hacking’ after locations of users exposed

Academics launch lawsuit in attempt to get restrictions relaxed to allow them to study the platform used by two-thirds of American teens

General secretary settles legal case after being sued by trade union activist Paul Embery, who said she had ‘portrayed him as a misogynist’

Politicians fight Chinese social media platform over security concerns seen as flawed and even risky, but with possible upside for student mental health

Quitting Twitter lost Christopher Schaberg some connections. But the pleasures of in-person interaction far outweigh the regrets

Sector-wide guidelines on sharing and discussing research online would also be very useful, says Laura Hassink 

Elon Musk’s ‘de facto town square’ is a place where misinformation abounds and where academia is often attacked by culture warriors. But is fighting back effective? Or can it make things worse if academics don’t keep calm and stick to the facts? Tom Williams reports 

Twitter trolls and polarised debate on Covid have caused almost one in four academics to scale back public engagement, says Elsevier study

University sees free-speech limits after Nigerian-born professor wishes monarch pain for colonial abuses

University breached advertising rules by claiming its arts and humanities research was ‘number one’ in UK, says regulator

The idea that revisionism is something to be ashamed of harks back to a mythical golden age of classics, canons and objective truth, says Harvey Graff

Twitter has allowed war scholars and the public to hear from a diverse range of experts and created star academics but some are wary about where the tidal wave of commentary may lead

While the benefits of impact accrue to institutions, any backlash is focused on individuals, says Erin Pritchard

Education Department admits data-diverting code in federal aid website, toughening politics for institutional performance monitoring

Funder admits it contacted universities over critical tweets relating to impact platform but did not factor this into grant-awarding decisions

Platform responds to online criticism by telling researchers they would be reported to their funders

A few electronic mailing lists still thrive in the academy, reminding us that peer communication need not be all about ‘building the brand’, says Kate Eichhorn

Story of student borrowing two books to share them with their mother ‘drew on genuine experiences’ but was ‘imagined’

Barely half of victims report threats to police, says Finnish study, which finds perpetrators of harassment are not infrequently colleagues of those they target

Online profile seen simplistically ‘as a proxy for being a publicly engaged academic’, warn researchers

Director of SOAS University of London leads calls suggesting it might be time for university associations to step in

Nature survey sparks fears that scientists will be deterred from sharing their expertise

University synonymous with Silicon Valley careers now sees long battle with companies over corporate culture

We need to work against the grain of platforms that incentivise us to behave in unscholarly ways, argues author

Online ban is ‘unprecedented’ in scale and likely involved cooperation from multiple parties, expert says

Just 10 per cent of academics account for half of all engagement with the media, according to a survey of more than 1,000 Swiss professors

Analysis argues that science has a ‘critical problem’ because its self-correction process is slow and ineffective

Eric Chabriere’s attacks against critics of hydroxychloroquine are seen as a sign of the social-media-induced radicalisation that has occurred during the pandemic

Social media may mute moderate voices, but that is no reason for researchers to presume they don’t exist, argues Duke expert in polarisation

The use of the messaging app for cheating is apparently rife, bringing the whole viability of online exams into question, says Daniel Sokol

Shortly after highlighting ‘game-changing’ study, tweet is pulled after critics point out the researchers involved could lose their jobs

Law professor helping rule on moderation rows sees chance to ‘put my research into practice, after yelling at tech companies to do better’, but others aren’t convinced

Academics and public health officials quit Covid-19 research or need police protection after attracting threats

Academics must emphasise that thinking critically does not mean dismissing everything as biased, say Darren Linvill and Patrick Warren

Public engagement expert concerned about communities that scientists are failing to reach

Academics must avoid publishing material that is defamatory or infringes on copyright − but how much support do they get to navigate the minefield that is social media?

Liberty University thinktank pushes boundaries on political advertising with posts appearing to endorse Trump and champion right-wing issues

Study says findings are ‘concrete evidence to support concerns about racist and sexist misappropriation of research’

Following the BethAnn McLaughlin and Jessica Krug revelations, Rachel Moss offers her tips for spotting online fakers

Government issues arrest warrants for students and files complaint against an overseas academic as protests, some held on university campuses, intensify 

Scientists have expressed dismay that the reported death of a US scientist was apparently part of an elaborate hoax

The ability for PhD students to research previous students’ experience with particular examiners could reduce bad practice 

Pathological corporate branding is detrimental to the very image universities want to portray to students, says Philip Moriarty

Nishank’s popular social media feeds become a main source of information as universities prepare to reopen in August and September

One epidemiologist called a colleague a “charlatan” over his coronavirus tweets. Should academics “stay in their lane”  when commenting on the pandemic?

The sudden closure of university campuses across China and elsewhere has necessitated the virtual delivery of vast numbers of courses. And while there have been inevitable teething problems, observers are wondering whether the future might just have become the present. Joyce Lau reports

As social media becomes an increasing presence in scholarly life, Mark Carrigan looks at how to mitigate its negatives

Would-be scholars confronted with academics’ tweets could be forgiven for running for the hills, worries Scott Rich 

Findings highlight need for ‘carefully considered’ use of platform as an educational tool

Geographer Maddy Thompson warns scholars against relying on social network, as Facebook deletes then reinstates account

There is a vast world of creative media that can help academics cut through the noise of the internet, says Andy Miah. Here are five platforms you should be using

Your definitive guide to using social and creative media as an academic

Repository of research findings to help social scientists see ‘what we’re actually grappling with’

There is a vast universe of information about people’s online behaviour. But academics say social media firms are restricting access to it, leaving us in the dark about the web

Social scientists argue a lack of access stops them and the public understanding online phenomena – but hope pressure from Brussels could change this