Social media

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

Revelations that a Chinese university suspended an academic for ‘moral misconduct’ provoked weeks of online controversy

Ever since it emerged from English departments in the 1970s, media studies has been routinely dismissed as the archetypal ‘Mickey Mouse’ degree. But in an era of fake news and media hegemony, has this multifaceted subject finally found its place in the zeitgeist?

University study centre ‘positive’ on Islam but not Christianity, objects senior Department of Education official

The live unveiling of Germany’s Excellence Strategy institutions is greeted by champagne, confetti and a changing of attitudes

Despite win, academic acknowledges critics of tactic of rapid-fire attacks on president

Campus win wrongly equated media democratisation with real democracy

Software could be adopted across the sector as early warning system for standards issues

Teenagers from deprived areas with slow broadband may be less likely to use internet for studies, and hence less likely to see academically orientated promotions

Archive of tweets linked to St Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency reveals scale of disinformation attempts around free speech and ‘left bias’ controversies

Regina Rini discusses how academics and students can avoid online aggression

Rebekah Tromble and Patricia Rossini feared for their safety when the conservative online world turned against them last summer

Australian researchers say a lack of guidance material forces researchers to second-guess ethics committees

Universities and scholars told to establish ‘the boundaries of acceptable speech’ as staff report meetings with managers over online activities

The entanglement of the university and tech worlds faces increased scrutiny following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Could joint positions in industry and academia offer a workable and ethically defensible way forward? David Matthews reports

With about one-third of Earth’s 7 billion inhabitants on a social network, it is an inevitable part of scholars’ lives. While many academics find Twitter and Facebook useful means of disseminating their research, Sara Custer finds that the addictive seeking of ‘likes’ has its perils

But survey finds less than a third of colleges actually look at social media profiles when making admissions decisions

Constant emails from the likes of Academia.edu and ResearchGate keep Ron Iphofen in a state of anxiety over what he may be missing   

The French thinker Simone Weil’s focus on teaching students to attend to reality is crucial in the social media age, writes Robert Zaretsky

Jisc has revealed its top social media superstars of the year, writes Chris Parr

Academic social network has moved 'at least 1.7 million articles' to make them less easily accessible, publishers say

ScholarlyHub will help academics keep control of their work and data, creators argue

Social scientists must create a culture in which individuals regularly observe, analyse and interpret their own data, says Geoff Mulgan

Just one leader of a top 10 UK university has a Twitter account, report reveals

Instagram posts aim to overcome perception that researchers are typically male and white

Academics able to link their expertise to world events can raise their personal and institutional profiles to previously unimaginable levels, says Russell Reader

Four experts offer their advice on getting the most out of social media as an academic

Academic calls on Facebook and Twitter to share more information with scholars

Existing model of outreach that seeks to inform an ‘ignorant’ public is broken, say experts

Satirical scholars hit overdrive in the era of The Donald

A study has revealed that people can often make the wrong assumption about the level of education of someone tweeting

More developed critical literacy skills can tackle fake news, say Philip Seargeant and Caroline Tagg

When a UK politician questioned the value of academia, scholars were quick to respond, finds Tommaso Grant

Australian university seeks to improve researchers’ digital identities. But does this risk excessive uniformity?

Kate McNamee explains how the Alliance Manchester Business School is embracing LinkedIn

Kellie McMullin and Mandy Reinig on why universities should make the most of the photo-sharing social network

Gabriel Egan laments the narcissistic craving for others’ approval brought on, he says, by the use of social networking websites

Andy Miah, chair in science communication and future media at the University of Salford, on why academics should maintain their online presence

Academia is used to robust debate. But the trolling that happens online should not be tolerated, writes Elaine Campbell

Personality researcher Adam Perkins faces claims at rescheduled lecture of ‘misrepresenting’ studies to suit his thesis on ‘work-shy’ benefit claimants

Sites like Patreon and Kickstarter allow backers to fund independent scholars, but for now, the sums are small

Following previous trips to the country, physicist receives huge welcome after joining Chinese social network

The most popular higher education articles of the year, based on website traffic

Survey also finds that women do more work with the general public than male researchers

Self-proclaimed ‘failed intellectual’ Eric Jarosinski offers print version of @NeinQuarterly

Sheer number of online profiles to be filled out a ‘disservice’ to scholars, Amsterdam conference hears

Female scientists have joined others in responding to Nobel laureate’s comments about the “trouble with girls” in labs.

The National Union of Students is hosting its first-ever Twitter question and answer sessions, offering first years advice on a range of topics.