Social Networking Resources and Science Outreach
[Revised Posting, 16 Nov.: COPUS Facebook group launches at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5277539203]
Why should COPUS participants consider using Facebook and other social utilities? In quickly surveying my colleagues, I’ve found that a number of folks are not ready to jump on the bandwagon of social networking resources. Some are content to leave high school acquaintances in the past and are less than eager to place their most recent mug shot for all to see. But 30 million active users are signed on to Facebook; half of these users are college students, making Facebook a ready-made community of young people that may be reached in a place that they are already frequenting. These individuals are reached through Facebook advertising and through Facebook groups established by a range of non-profit organizations. As scientists who are seeking opportunities to engage the public in understanding science, maybe we should reconsider our qualms about revisiting days past and consider innovative ways to utilize these venues for public outreach.
Has your organization had any experience with using social networking to promote or share science resources? If so, what have you learned?
For example, Student Pugwash USA, is a DC-based nonprofit with a mission to prepare science, technology, and policy students to make social responsibility a guiding focus of their academic and professional endeavors.
SPUSA encourages young people to:
- Examine the societal impacts of science and technology
- Create open and objective forums for debate
- Foster the exchange of ideas among diverse communities
- Explore solutions to current dilemmas in science and technology
- Cultivate the analytical skills needed to address future challenges
Notable among SPUSA’s current activities is their development of a web-based 2008 Science & Tech Policy Guide for the upcoming U.S. presidential elections to enable students to make informed choices and express their views on critical science policy issues. Leading up to the publication of the guide, Student Pugwash USA is conducting a survey of 18-25 year olds on Facebook to gather data on attitudes toward science policy issues.
Comments
I play producer and host for This Week in Science, a science radio show/podcast. I've been using podcasting as a tool to reach a larger audience since podcasting became possible. Additionally, I have found that social networking has made a huge difference in my ability to not only get people to listen to my program, but also to create more of an open discourse about science in general.
Networks help people feel more connected and involved than they do through standard email. I have been using MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, Technorati, Digg, Del.icio.us, Stumble Upon, and many more with great success and enjoyment.
The one thing that I have learned is that you can't just join a network and expect things to happen. You must become a part of the network. They are called social networks for a reason.So, they do take your time and effort to communicate.
For scientists trying to reach out, these networks do offer more than simply ways to reconnect with the past. And, I think there are many novel ways in which they might be utilized; form an interest group on Facebook, virtual class projects, online resources for real world installations. Many businesses are now using Facebook to allow customers and employees to communicate and see what is happening in the business. Ning is a new platform that allows interactive communities to be formed with the minimum difficulty. Talkshoe allows live conversations to occur between multiple participants around the globe, which can also be listened in on by up to 1000 individual connections.
Facebook is big, but there are many other networks out there. People need to find the network that will work best for them. And, in this day and age, new social networks are popping up all the time. So, if Facebook isn't for you, just keep looking, and you will find something that suits your needs.
Posted by: Kirsten Sanford | October 17, 2007 12:16 PM
I saw this at: http://www.aliconferences.com/conf/social_media_govt1207/index.htm:
Social Media For Government: How To Engage Your Employees And Citizens By Using BLOGGING, PODCASTING and the Latest WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGIES To Drive Communication Results
What's interesting is that the company that's doing the course is a big gov't services company, and the course costs $2,000 for two days. Which says that social media / networking is sufficiently "in the air" now for big dogs like this to sell it to the gov't and their agency clients.
Posted by: Richard O'Grady | October 18, 2007 1:44 PM
We found that a facebook group for the Society of Physics Students existed even without our (the national office) prompting or knowledge. Since then many on our staff have joined the group and I think it's a great way for the students to have a sense of who we are. In addition, I've become an administrator and can send messages to the members - many of who are not "official" members in the national organization, so it is a way to us to reach people that are not in our normal line of communication.
Posted by: Kendra Rand | November 6, 2007 7:26 AM
I agree with Kendra. AIBS and COPUS have just started Facebook groups and we are pleased with the responses so far. We also have groups for our AIBS Student Chapters Network and the Diversity in Biological Sciences Coalition (DIBS). Other Facebook groups include the American Association for the Advancement of Science (757 group members), the National Science Teachers Association, the National Center for Science Education (585 members), and the American Chemical Society.
Posted by: Richard O'Grady | November 6, 2007 8:59 AM
Hi Kendra,
Thanks for sharing your comment. I joined the SPS group and am looking forward to getting better acquainted with your organization. I find it really interesting that your group page was spontaneously formed by your students. But most of all I just really thought your Halloween video ROCKED!
I just signed up for Stumble Upon today, which is a really interesting resource. I like the idea of spontaneous feedback from users but don't see the community as very active(?) in it. I checked out the AIBS Web site Actionbioscience.org which receives hit volumes in the millions but less than fifty people had rated it...
Posted by: Sheri Potter | November 7, 2007 10:22 AM
On the subject of diversity and science outreach, this research into differences among users of social network sites is worth noting.
Posted by: Adam Rice | November 7, 2007 12:18 PM