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Shankar M, Sparks MA. The evolution of social media in nephrology education: A mini-review. FRONTIERS IN NEPHROLOGY 2023; 3:1123969. [PMID: 37675343 PMCID: PMC10479648 DOI: 10.3389/fneph.2023.1123969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Social media is defined as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content". Social media can be used in medical education to enhance knowledge sharing among peer groups and the public in general. The internet revolutionized learning by allowing easier dissemination of knowledge that did not depend on printing and physical distribution of books, journals, or magazines. According to a report from 2018, 95% of students have access to smartphones and 45% are online at any given time. Social media platforms are powerful tools to spread knowledge by the way of stories, videos, and educational games. Both formal and informal learning can be achieved with the use of social media. The microblogging website Twitter has become a popular social media platform by many in medical education including the nephrology community. Twitter, for example, is used to build communities, discuss journal articles, inform the community of conferences, share infographics and visual abstracts of original research work. As an example, it can be difficult for women in nephrology to connect and travel to make a physical presence. The use of social media allows women to connect via webinars and Women in Nephrology (WIN) India live Twitter chats. Thus, social media can help facilitate networking and collaboration with nephrologists all over the world. Social media has limitations as well. Insensitive posts can have a detrimental effect on one's career. A survey has shown that increased use of social media can contribute to addiction, anxiety, diminished self-esteem, and even depression. Hence, in order to effectively use social media to contribute positively to one's career, we recommend considering the positive and negative aspects of social media.This review will discuss the various social media platforms and how they have been applied to nephrology education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mythri Shankar
- Department of Nephrology, Institute of Nephro-urology, Bengaluru, India
| | - Matthew A. Sparks
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
- Renal Section, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC, United States
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2
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Fraumann G, Colavizza G. The role of blogs and news sites in science communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Res Metr Anal 2022; 7:824538. [PMID: 36213935 PMCID: PMC9537683 DOI: 10.3389/frma.2022.824538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a brief review of literature related to blogs and news sites; our focus is on publications related to COVID-19. We primarily focus on the role of blogs and news sites in disseminating research on COVID-19 to the wider public, that is knowledge transfer channels. The review is for researchers and practitioners in scholarly communication and social media studies of science who would like to find out more about the role of blogs and news sites during the COVID-19 pandemic. From our review, we see that blogs and news sites are widely used as scholarly communication channels and are closely related to each other. That is, the same research might be reported in blogs and news sites at the same time. They both play a particular role in higher education and research systems, due to the increasing blogging and science communication activity of researchers and higher education institutions (HEIs). We conclude that these two media types have been playing an important role for a long time in disseminating research, which even increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This can be verified, for example, through knowledge graphs on COVID-19 publications that contain a significant amount of scientific publications mentioned in blogs and news sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grischa Fraumann
- R&D Department, TIB – Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology, Hannover, Germany
- Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Giovanni Colavizza
- Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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3
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Dunlap JJ, Waldrop J. An Exploratory Study of Social Media Use and Management by Nursing Journals. ANS Adv Nurs Sci 2022; 45:218-226. [PMID: 34879026 DOI: 10.1097/ans.0000000000000403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Social media applications are growing across the globe to bring new knowledge and information to target audiences. The use and management of social media in nursing journals have yet to be investigated on a large scale. This cross-sectional study was the first to explore the management of social media and the role of social media editors at nursing journals. Seventy-five nursing journals have pioneered social media as platforms for knowledge dissemination. Almost 51% of nursing journals from this sample are now using social media editors or a designated person to manage online applications, promote journal contents, and increase journal reach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Jennings Dunlap
- Texas Woman's University, Houston (Dr Dunlap); and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill (Dr Waldrop)
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Das S, O'Connor K, McLouth CJ. Benefits of Being a Stroke Blogger: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Past Bloggers. Stroke 2022; 53:e234-e236. [PMID: 35473301 DOI: 10.1161/strokeaha.122.036924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Saurav Das
- Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington. (S.D., K.O.)
| | - Kevin O'Connor
- Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington. (S.D., K.O.)
| | - Christopher J McLouth
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington. (C.J.M.)
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Ting DK, Boreskie P, Luckett-Gatopoulos S, Gysel L, Lanktree MB, Chan TM. Quality Appraisal and Assurance Techniques for Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAM) Resources: A Rapid Review. Semin Nephrol 2021; 40:309-319. [PMID: 32560781 DOI: 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2020.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Free open access medical education (FOAM) has disrupted traditional modes of knowledge translation and dissemination. These are popular resources with a wide educational reach. Nephrology has been a leader in FOAM, but many skeptics still question the accuracy and reliability of this content. Recently, quality-assurance techniques have been developed to address these concerns. These techniques may be helpful for readers to appraise the online literature and for institutions to reward the production of high-quality open educational resources. We performed a rapid review of the literature. A medical librarian conducted a systematic search of the Medline and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases. Two independent assessors screened and selected articles, performed a hand-search of reference lists, and scored articles on their quality using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument. Thirteen reports were included for the final descriptive analysis. We identified 10 quality-assessment techniques, and 4 of them having been validated. The quality of the reports was fairly high, with an average Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument score of 11.5 of 18 (SD, 2.3; range, 7.25-14.25). The calculated Cronbach α was 0.85. There is burgeoning literature on the topic of critical appraisal of open educational resources, and, more specifically, FOAM resources. Many of the techniques used are of varying quality and developed with different intended uses and audiences. By continuing to refine these tools, we can continue not only to support and legitimize the FOAM movement, but also foster individual critical appraisal skills that increasingly are necessary in this age of information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel K Ting
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Patrick Boreskie
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - S Luckett-Gatopoulos
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada; Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Lisa Gysel
- Interior Health, Royal Inland Hospital Library, Kamloops, BC, Canada
| | - Matthew B Lanktree
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Teresa M Chan
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Emergency Medicine, Hamilton General Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Program for Faculty Development, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; McMaster Education Research, Innovation, and Theory Program (MERIT), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Lu D, Ruan B, Lee M, Yilmaz Y, Chan TM. Good practices in harnessing social media for scholarly discourse, knowledge translation, and education. PERSPECTIVES ON MEDICAL EDUCATION 2021; 10:23-32. [PMID: 32820414 PMCID: PMC7439800 DOI: 10.1007/s40037-020-00613-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There still remains a gap between those who conduct science and those who engage in educating others about health sciences through various forms of social media. Few empirical studies have sought to define useful practices for engaging in social media for academic use in the health professions. Given the increasing importance of these platforms, we sought to define good practices and potential pitfalls with help of those respected for their work in this new field. METHODS We conducted a qualitative study, guided by constructivist grounded theory principles, of 17 emerging experts in the field of academic social media. We engaged in a snowball sampling technique and conducted a series of semi-structured interviews. The analytic team consisted of a diverse group of researchers with a range of experience in social media. RESULTS Understanding the strengths of various platforms was deemed to be of critical importance across all the participants. Key to building online engagement were the following: 1) Culture-building strategies; 2) Tailoring the message; 3) Responsiveness; and 4) Heeding rules of online engagement. Several points of caution were noted within our participants' interviews. These were grouped into caveat emptor and the need for critical appraisal, and common pitfalls when broadcasting one's self. DISCUSSION Our participants were able to share a number of key practices that are central to developing and sharing educational content via social media. The findings from the study may guide future practitioners seeking to enter the space. These good practices support professionals for effective engagement and knowledge translation without being harmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Brandon Ruan
- McMaster Education Research, Innovation, and Theory (MERIT) unit, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark Lee
- McMaster Education Research, Innovation, and Theory (MERIT) unit, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yusuf Yilmaz
- McMaster Education Research, Innovation, and Theory (MERIT) unit, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
- Program for Faculty Development, Office of Continuing Professional Development for the Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Teresa M Chan
- McMaster Education Research, Innovation, and Theory (MERIT) unit, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- Program for Faculty Development, Office of Continuing Professional Development for the Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Medicine, Division of Education & Innovation and Division of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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Abstract
Free Open Access Medical education (FOAM) has taken the emergency medicine and critical care worlds by storm in the past decade. This article represents one perspective on the stages of transition for FOAM from its humble beginnings as a grassroots movement to the more recent multiauthor blogs that are described in the peer-reviewed literature. In this article, the authors describe the following four distinct waves of people within the movement, with each wave creating a new stage in the evolution of the FOAM community: Creation by the Founders, Adoption by the Enthusiasts, Structure and Formalization by the Structuralists, and Engagement and Activity by the End Users. The authors contextualize some of the phenomena that have been observed within this field and highlight challenges for the field moving forward.
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Dave NN, Sparks MA, Farouk SS. An introduction and guide to becoming a social media savvy nephrologist. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfaa067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The use of social media has increased over the last several decades, with ∼72% of the US adult population indicating the use of social networking platforms. Expansion of social media use beyond personal reasons now includes professional uses. This growth is especially true in medicine—and specifically nephrology. An enhanced online presence has the potential to make positive contributions to professional development, education and collaborations, potentially opening doors to academic opportunities. With a growing number of online platforms, resources and conversations, it is natural for one to feel overwhelmed and ultimately avoid social media. We discuss the benefits of social media engagement for nephrologists and provide a practical guide on how they can harness social media professionally and effectively. With an understanding of the basics, existing resources and avoidance of potential pitfalls, physicians can learn to use social media and join the global nephrology community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha N Dave
- Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Selzman Institute for Kidney Health, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew A Sparks
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Renal Section, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Samira S Farouk
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Alperin JP, Muñoz Nieves C, Schimanski LA, Fischman GE, Niles MT, McKiernan EC. How significant are the public dimensions of faculty work in review, promotion and tenure documents? eLife 2019; 8:42254. [PMID: 30747708 PMCID: PMC6391063 DOI: 10.7554/elife.42254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Much of the work done by faculty at both public and private universities has significant public dimensions: it is often paid for by public funds; it is often aimed at serving the public good; and it is often subject to public evaluation. To understand how the public dimensions of faculty work are valued, we analyzed review, promotion, and tenure documents from a representative sample of 129 universities in the US and Canada. Terms and concepts related to public and community are mentioned in a large portion of documents, but mostly in ways that relate to service, which is an undervalued aspect of academic careers. Moreover, the documents make significant mention of traditional research outputs and citation-based metrics: however, such outputs and metrics reward faculty work targeted to academics, and often disregard the public dimensions. Institutions that seek to embody their public mission could therefore work towards changing how faculty work is assessed and incentivized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan P Alperin
- School of Publishing, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada.,Scholarly Communications Lab, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Carol Muñoz Nieves
- Scholarly Communications Lab, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Gustavo E Fischman
- Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States
| | - Meredith T Niles
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences & Food Systems Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, United States
| | - Erin C McKiernan
- Departamento de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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10
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Alperin JP, Muñoz Nieves C, Schimanski LA, Fischman GE, Niles MT, McKiernan EC. How significant are the public dimensions of faculty work in review, promotion and tenure documents? eLife 2019; 8:42254. [PMID: 30747708 DOI: 10.7554/elife.42254.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Much of the work done by faculty at both public and private universities has significant public dimensions: it is often paid for by public funds; it is often aimed at serving the public good; and it is often subject to public evaluation. To understand how the public dimensions of faculty work are valued, we analyzed review, promotion, and tenure documents from a representative sample of 129 universities in the US and Canada. Terms and concepts related to public and community are mentioned in a large portion of documents, but mostly in ways that relate to service, which is an undervalued aspect of academic careers. Moreover, the documents make significant mention of traditional research outputs and citation-based metrics: however, such outputs and metrics reward faculty work targeted to academics, and often disregard the public dimensions. Institutions that seek to embody their public mission could therefore work towards changing how faculty work is assessed and incentivized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan P Alperin
- School of Publishing, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
- Scholarly Communications Lab, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Carol Muñoz Nieves
- Scholarly Communications Lab, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Gustavo E Fischman
- Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States
| | - Meredith T Niles
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences & Food Systems Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, United States
| | - Erin C McKiernan
- Departamento de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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11
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Farouk
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Matthew A. Sparks
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; and
- Renal Section, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
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12
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Colbert GB, Topf J, Jhaveri KD, Oates T, Rheault MN, Shah S, Hiremath S, Sparks MA. The Social Media Revolution in Nephrology Education. Kidney Int Rep 2018; 3:519-529. [PMID: 29854960 PMCID: PMC5976821 DOI: 10.1016/j.ekir.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 01/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The past decade has been marked by the increasing use of social media platforms, often on mobile devices. In the nephrology community, this has resulted in the organic and continued growth of individuals interested in using these platforms for education and professional development. Here, we review several social media educational resources used in nephrology education and tools including Twitter, videos, blogs, and visual abstracts. We will also review how these tools are used together in the form of games (NephMadness), online journal clubs (NephJC), interactive learning (GlomCon), and digital mentorship (Nephrology Social Media Collective [NSMC] Internship) to build unique educational experiences that are available globally 24 hours per day. Throughout this discussion, we focus on specific examples of free open-access medical education (FOAMed) tools that provide education and professional growth at minimal or no cost to the user. In addition, we discuss inclusion of FOAMed resource development in the promotion and tenure process, along with potential pitfalls and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gates B. Colbert
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Joel Topf
- St. Clair Nephrology, Roseville, Michigan, USA
| | - Kenar D. Jhaveri
- Division of Kidney Diseases and Hypertension, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Great Neck, New York, USA
| | | | - Michelle N. Rheault
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Silvi Shah
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Swapnil Hiremath
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew A. Sparks
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Renal Section, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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13
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Quinn A, Chan TM, Sampson C, Grossman C, Butts C, Casey J, Caretta-Weyer H, Gottlieb M. Curated Collections for Educators: Five Key Papers on Evaluating Digital Scholarship. Cureus 2018; 10:e2021. [PMID: 29531874 PMCID: PMC5837232 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally, scholarship that was recognized for promotion and tenure consisted of clinical research, bench research, and grant funding. Recent trends have allowed for differing approaches to scholarship, including digital publication. As increasing numbers of trainees and faculty turn to online educational resources, it is imperative to critically evaluate these resources. This article summarizes five key papers that address the appraisal of digital scholarship and describes their relevance to junior clinician educators and faculty developers. In May 2017, the Academic Life in Emergency Medicine Faculty Incubator program focused on the topic of digital scholarship, providing and discussing papers relevant to the topic. We augmented this list of papers with further suggestions by guest experts and by an open call via Twitter for other important papers. Through this process, we created a list of 38 papers in total on the topic of evaluating digital scholarship. In order to determine which of these papers best describe how to evaluate digital scholarship, the authorship group assessed the papers using a modified Delphi approach to build consensus. In this paper we present the five most highly rated papers from our process about evaluating digital scholarship. We summarize each paper and discuss its specific relevance to junior faculty members and to faculty developers. These papers provide a framework for assessing the quality of digital scholarship, so that junior faculty can recommend high-quality educational resources to their trainees. These papers help guide educators on how to produce high quality digital scholarship and maximize recognition and credit in respect to receiving promotion and tenure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Quinn
- Department of Emergency Medicine, SUNY Downstate College of Medicine
| | - Teresa M Chan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, McMaster University
| | | | - Catherine Grossman
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems
| | - Christine Butts
- Section of Emergency Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences
| | - John Casey
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Ohiohealth Doctors Hospital
| | | | - Michael Gottlieb
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Rush University Medical Center
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14
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Social Media Scholarship and Alternative Metrics for Academic Promotion and Tenure. J Am Coll Radiol 2018; 15:135-141. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2017.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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15
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Hardy MC, Desselle MR. Engaging rural Australian communities in National Science Week helps increase visibility for women researchers. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170548. [PMID: 29134069 PMCID: PMC5666252 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
During a week-long celebration of science, run under the federally supported National Science Week umbrella, the Catch a Rising Star: women in Queensland research (CaRS) programme flew scientists who identify as women to nine regional and remote communities in the Australian State of Queensland. The aim of the project was twofold: first, to bring science to remote and regional communities in a large, economically diverse state; and second, to determine whether media and public engagement provides career advancement opportunities for women scientists. This paper focuses on the latter goal. The data show: (i) a substantial majority (greater than 80%) of researchers thought the training and experience provided by the programme would help develop her career as a research scientist in the future, (ii) the majority (65%) thought the programme would help relate her research to end users, industry partners or stakeholders in the future, and (iii) analytics can help create a compelling narrative around engagement metrics and help to quantify influence. During the week-long project, scientists reached 600 000 impressions on one social media platform (Twitter) using a program hashtag. The breadth and depth of the project outcomes indicate funding bodies and employers could use similar data as an informative source of metrics to support hiring and promotion decisions. Although this project focused on researchers who identify as women, the lessons learned are applicable to researchers representing a diverse range of backgrounds. Future surveys will help determine whether the CaRS programme provided long-term career advantages to participating scientists and communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret C. Hardy
- Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mathilde R. Desselle
- Centre for Superbug Solutions, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - the 2016 Catch a Rising Star Consortium
- Jennifer Allen, Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Laboratory, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Katherine T. Andrews, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia; Dani J. Barrington, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (current address: School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK); Danielle Borg, Inflammatory Disease Biology and Therapeutics, Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Woollongabba, Brisbane, Australia; Kaylene Butler, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Rebecca Colvin, School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Tarni Louisa Cooper, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia; Emily Furlong, Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Honor Hugo, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Translational Research Institute, Woollongabba, Brisbane, Australia; Elecia Johnston, Molecular & Cell Biology, College of Public Health, Medical & Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia; Gwenllian Iacona, Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Carly Kenkel, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia (current address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA); Caitlin Kuempel, Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Amie Khosla, School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Danette Langbecker, Centre for Online Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Jacki Liddle, Queensland Brain Institute and School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Diana Lucia, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Vanessa Lussini, School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Lynn Nazareth, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia; Alison Peel, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia; Megan Saunders, School of Earth and Environmental Science, The University of Queensland Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Brisbane, Australia (current address: School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Brisbane, Australia); Meaghan Smith, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia (current address: GeneCology Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia); Johana Tello Velasquez, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
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