This page introduces some commonly used researcher profiles and social media platforms, as well as support for using them. Understanding what each platform does and how they can help you achieve your goals ensures you focus your research visibility efforts and use your time effectively.
On this page:
Online research profiles act as your identity online and provide ways for you to engage with others in and outside of academia.
There are many to choose from, some being specialised for researchers, and some being open to everyone. Depending on what you want to achieve, your target audience, and your field, some will work better for you than others.
Due to their effectiveness at increasing research visibility, the University requires all researchers to create ORCID and Google Scholar profiles. Additionally, we recommend choosing one or two more that you can update regularly to help boost your visibility online. Tools like Altmetric can help you to make the most of your online research profiles and ensure your time is used effectively.
Our guides looks at some common profiles researchers may find useful, provides guidance on setting up your ORCID, Google Scholar, and RIS profiles, and gives some advice on using social media as a researcher.
Academic research profiles are specially designed for researchers to manage their online identity and research.
The University recommends and supports the use of several key profiles, but there are many others out there. You can find more information about some of the key profiles using the tabs.
The RIS is the University's system for tracking the research activity of it's researchers, from award to publication. Your RIS profile is created for you when you join Essex as an academic member of staff, or in some circumstances if you are a PGR student or member of professional services staff.
It is important that Essex researchers keep their information up to date as data from the RIS is used in the REF and other assessments.
You can use the quick start guide below for an introduction to the basics of using the system. There are many help guides (login required) for using the RIS and you can contact the Research Systems Team for support.
This is a universal identifier where researchers can add all their works, education and work experience into one place - almost like a CV! Having an ORCID is a requirement from the University of Essex as this identifier will be used in the next REF (Research Excellence Framework). It is also used in many funder applications. Have a look at this video for more information about using your ORCID profile.
Scholar is the largest database of scholarly literature. Creating a Google Scholar profile and linking it to the University of Essex is for all academics at the university.Some caution in interpreting citations from Google Scholar is needed, as Google Scholar is known for adding more citations to works than there actually is. This is because it sometimes cannot tell the difference between an actual citation and e.g. a library index.
A Scopus ID is created for you once your work is indexed in Scopus. You will have limited interaction with the profile (e.g. you can request changes to your profile but they have to be reviewed by the Scopus team) though you are required to check your profile occasionally to make sure details and documents are correct. Scopus can provide you with information about your citations in addition to information about how many times your research has been mentioned in the news or on Twitter and more.
Note: These profiles are not actively supported by the University but may be useful for you to explore if they fit your needs.
ResearcherID is linked to Web of Science, a database of peer reviewed literature, similar to Scopus. Unlike Scopus, a ResearcherID profile is not created for you; this is something you have to create yourself.
Social media can be a great way for researchers to connect with each other and those who can benefit from their research.
In 2023, we hosted a Social Media for Researchers panel discussion, bringing together researchers from a variety of fields to share their experience and tips for using social media effectively. The key points were summarised in our blog series:
Please note, these were written prior to the recent developments with X/Twitter so some information about this platform may no longer be accurate.
The discussion covered a number of important topics, including how to engage effectively and safely, and how to get the most from social media. Each blog has a summary at the bottom, however here are some quick highlights:
You can find more information about some of the social media platforms that researchers commonly use on our Online Research Profiles guide.
The University’s Communications Team offers a range of guidance on using social media and other communication methods researchers may find beneficial:
Essex researchers can also directly contact Christian Leppich , Digital Content Lead, for further support with social media and communications.
Social media allows researchers to communicate with other researchers, policymakers, journalists, the public, and basically anyone else.
Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, it's important to know what you want to achieve and what each platform can do so you don't waste your time on a platform that doesn't do what you need it to.
If you don't know where to get started and can't find what you need on these pages, reach out to the University Communications Team or Library's Research Services Team who give you some pointers on getting started.
Please note: please be aware of the copyright restrictions on your work before sharing files (e.g. pdf or word docs) via social media. In many cases, the publisher will hold the copyright and you may be violating the terms of your agreement with them if you share the files publicly. If in doubt, share the DOI. If you have published open access, you don't need to worry about this as you retain the copyright to anything you have published open access.
LinkedIn is a social networking platform aimed at professionals. It can be a good way to see the professional activities of others and share what you're doing in your work. It also provides a job search function, the ability to join groups, and LinkedIn Learning - an online learning platform with hundreds of courses to boost your professional skills.
With recent developments at X/Twitter, LinkedIn has become a popular alternative platform, alongside BlueSky.
You can follow the University of Essex Library on LinkedIn too!
Bluesky is a social media platform set up by former X/Twitter employees as a direct alternative to it. They are continually releasing new features, but have provided an introduction to BlueSky thread that gives an overview of what it can do and how to get started.
The University of York have created a great guide for researchers looking to get started on Bluesky.
Some of the key features of the platform are Starter Packs and Feeds. Starter packs are collections of accounts that you can follow (or block) in a single click. Feeds show you posts from accounts curated by its creator. Both are usually themed so provide a quick and easy way to see the content you want. You can usually contact the starter pack or feed creator to request to be added to it.
As the platform is relatively new and features are constantly being added, the University does not directly support this platform, but it is already growing to be a great place for researchers to build a community..
This is a social networking platform for researchers. It is often used to share publications and connect with others. However, if you want to use ResearchGate to share publications you need to make sure you do not infringe any copyright restrictions (e.g. uploading an article that is behind a paywall is illegal).
Academia.edu is also a social network platform for researchers. Though this platform is less interactive than ResearchGate it has many of the same functions and you can also upload your own work to this platform (though you need to consider copyright restrictions on this site as well).
These platforms may not be as useful to researchers, but can still be good to know about or may be relevant to your niche.
X/Twitter is not created for academics but has historically been a useful platform for sharing research and increasing visibility. It used to be great for networking and finding new conferences or events, as long as you follow the right accounts. It has changed significantly over the past few years, making it's utility for researchers unclear.
This page gives a quick introduction to online research profiles. If you want to take things further, consider the following:
If you have any questions, would like to arrange a training session for your team or students, or would like some support that isn't on our webpages, feel free to contact the University Communications Team or Library's Research Services Team.
Except where otherwise noted, this work by University of Essex Library and Cultural Services is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
