Academics are increasingly encouraged to use social media in their professional lives. Social networking sites are one type of tool within this; the ability to connect with others through this medium may offer benefits in terms of reaching novel audiences, enhancing research impact, discovering collaborators and drawing on a wider network of expertise and knowledge. However, little research has focused on the role of these sites in practice, and their relationship to academics’ formal roles and institutions. This paper presents an analysis of 18 interviews carried out with academics in order to discuss their online networks (at either Academia.edu or ResearchGate, and Twitter) and understand the relationship between their online networks and formal academic identity. Several strategies underpinning academics’ use of the sites were identified, including: circumventing institutional constraints; extending academic space; finding a niche; promotion and impact; and academic freedom. These themes also provide a bridge between academic identity development online and institutional roles, with different priorities for engaging with online networks being associated with different career stages.

中文翻译：

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从寻找利基到规避制度约束

越来越多的学者被鼓励在职业生涯中使用社交媒体。社交网站是其中的一种工具。通过这种媒介与他人建立联系的能力可能会带来好处，包括吸引新的受众，增强研究影响力，发现合作者以及利用更广泛的专业知识和知识网络。但是，很少有研究集中在这些站点在实践中的作用以及它们与学者的正式角色和机构的关系。本文介绍了对学者进行的18次访谈的分析，目的是讨论他们的在线网络（在Academia.edu或ResearchGate和Twitter），并了解他们的在线网络与正式学术身份之间的关系。确定了支持学者使用网站的几种策略，包括：规避制度约束；扩大学术空间；寻找利基 促进和影响；和学术自由。这些主题还提供了在线学术身份发展和机构角色之间的桥梁，具有与不同职业阶段相关的在线网络接触的不同优先级。