Like all good children, researchers need to learn how to share: after all, the transmission of knowledge depends upon making your contributions and insights available for others to absorb and build on. Yet sharing raises many questions and challenges for the digital researcher.
- Who's listening to what you say?
Everyone wants an audience - or more specifically, we want the
right audience. But online, it's almost impossible to control who will see what you blog, tweet, post or write. Unless you have stringent privacy settings, blog posts and tweets can be read by anyone in the world.
- How much do you want to say?
Even to your chosen audience, how much of your work do you want to reveal? Some university departments refuse to put their reading lists online in case rival scholars can work out what angle they're teaching. Are you afraid of others stealing your ideas, or do you believe that by talking about your research field you'll find like-minded peers with whom you can collaborate?
Maybe you just want to read others' ideas but are wary of sharing your own. That's OK, but maybe you feel a bit shy about your writing, or that you're not ready for the world to see your initial ideas. Here are some reasons for blogging your research.
- Blogging gets you writing and helps with writer's block
- It helps marshall your thoughts and keep you focused
- It gets you exposure and feedback on your ideas
- It helps connect you to a network of peers
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