More scientists burnishing reputations by using social media, study finds

Science and social media can coexist, according to a recent study headed by UW faculty. The study found a connection between "h-index" - a measure of the quality of a researcher's work and influence - and social media activity. Illustration: Dusan Petricic for The Scientist Here is an idea worth following: "share" for tenure; "like" to get cited. Academic researchers are turning to social media more and more, according to Dominique Brossard , and not just to post family photos or crack wise via hashtag. "I've been in science communication for a while now, and I am really seeing a change - especially among the younger scientists - in their willingness to share their work," says Brossard, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of life sciences communication. It's the venue for that sharing that has inspired work by Brossard, fellow UW-Madison professors Dietram Scheufele and Michael Xenos , and their colleagues. In September, the group published a study in the journal Journalism & Mass Communications Quarterly showing a connection between "h-index" - a measure of the quality of a researcher's work and influence - and whether the scientists interact with reporters and get mentioned on Twitter.