REFLECTIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA USE ALONG THE ACADEMIC RESEARCH LIFE CYCLE

Abstract

This short paper argues for the need for discussion on the role social media could have in the research life cycle, particularly for Information Systems (IS) scholars. ICTs are pervasive, and their societal impact is profound. Various disciplines including those of social sciences are present in the online discourse and join the public debate on societal implications of ICTs and scholar are familiar with web tools for publishing. Information Systems scholars could not only further explore the possibilities for joining that online discourse, but also could explore the potential social media may have for activities related to the research life cycle. In this paper we do not focus solely on social media as a data collection source but regard their merits as a channel for scholarly communication throughout the whole research life cycle, from the start of getting inspired to conduct a research, finding collaboration partners or funding, through suggestions for literature, to the stage of research dissemination and creating impact beyond the own scientific community. This paper contributes an original approach to research communication by combining the research life cycle with practical insights of how social media can be applied throughout each phase of that lifecycle. We conclude with some questions debating the stance that (future) IS scholars are prepared to become the digital scholar that can manoeuvre well on social media for scholarly communication.