Spanish academics and social networking sites: Use, non-use, and the perceived advantages and drawbacks of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, ResearchGate, and Academia.edu

Abstract

This study examines Spanish academics’ motives for using social networking sites (SNS) and their perceptions regarding the limitations of and drawbacks to social media. We analyse 18 in-depth interviews conducted with Spanish university professors chosen according to their disciplines, academic ranks and level of use. Our findings confirm prior research based on the uses and gratifications theory. Thus, we conclude that SNS are used for managing content, identifying experts in a researcher’s field of knowledge. In addition, academics need to manage different personal identities in each SNS they use.

Who shares health and medical scholarly articles on Facebook?

“…A survey of 1,639 faculty members from 62 universities in the Association of American Universities list demonstrated that 70% had Facebook accounts (Bowman, ). A qualitative study of professors in Spanish universities found that they used Facebook for personal activities, to create focused research groups, and to connect with students (Segado‐Boj, Díaz‐Campo, Fernández‐Gómez, & Chaparro‐Domínguez, ). Organizations can also use Facebook to share scholarly information.…”

The financial market of ideas: A theory of academic social media

“…Indeed, scholars can retain agency. Nonparticipation in the financial market of ideas is a choice that shapes the relationship many have with these platforms, as shown by empirical research on a number of scholarly communities (Jordan and Weller, 2018; Kapidzic, 2020; Segado-Boj et al, 2019). Some may find ways to game these new metrics, as is already common with impact factors and citation counts (Biagioli and Lippman, 2020).…”

“…Academic social media users take advantage of the diverse objects published on the platform as readers, too. For example, the possibility of 'reading posted conference proceedings, book chapters, and other types of documents not available elsewhere' is cited in studies of scholars' attitudes toward Academia.edu and other social media (Segado-Boj et al, 2019).…”

“…Rather, they represent an additional channel to build social capital beyond more formal scholarly communication systems (Kapidzic, 2020). Furthermore, scholars can and do decide not to participate in these platforms (Casemajor et al, 2015; Segado-Boj et al, 2019). But academic social media are a cog in the wheels of broader processes of the platformization of cultural production, in which online platforms affect the production, circulation and consumption of cultural content (Nieborg and Poell, 2018).…”

“…The algorithm captures such interactions as a measure of my capacity to mobilize a network of users who trust the quality of my work. In fact, empirical studies of academic social media use have underscored that many scholars use these platforms to generate interactions with colleagues and follow their work (Segado-Boj et al, 2019). Others have found giving visibility to academic output and extending one’s network as the main motivations behind scholars’ use of academic social media (Lupton, 2014; Manca and Ranieri, 2017).…”