Networks, online networks and maximising your effectiveness

Tristram Hooley

Remember to twitter

While I present you can twitter and interact with each other.

Build your network while we talk about networking.

What is networking?

What is the purpose of networking?

Is it a good thing?

Why is it in our interest to be good at networking?

What skills do we need to be effective networkers?

What possibilities exist for networking on-line?

What is different about networking on-line?

Why would researchers want to network online?

What is networking?

increasing the number of people you know;

increasing the number of people who know you;

a way of accessing help and advice;

a way of providing help and advice;

based on the idea of reciprocity.

Reciprocity

“a state or relationship in which there is mutual action, influence, giving and taking, correspondence, etc., between two parties or things”

OED

Why is networking important

“Where trust and social networks flourish, individuals, firms, neighbourhoods and even nations prosper.”Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone

“People who transact with friends and relatives report greater satisfaction with the results than do those who transact with strangers.”Dimaggio and Louch, Socially Embedded Consumer Transactions

Networking facts and figures

From Bowling Alone

One-half of American’s got their current job through a friend or relative;

Each employed person in one’s social network increases one’s annual income by $1400.

Research is social and iterative

“If I have seen farther than others, it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants.”

Isaac Newton 

Issac Newton seeing farther than others, because he is standing on shoulders of giants.

Edmund Halley yes but you also stood side by side with some of us.

Richard Bentley and we corresponded about your work when I lectured on Newtonian physics.

Research processes…

Writing

Attending seminars

Giving conference papers

Publishing

Reading other’s publications

Writing reviews

Teaching

are social and communicative processes

How do networks work?

Not like this

How do networks work?

Lessons from network theory

You don’t need to know everyone.

Knowing who the connectors are is important

Be aware of what networks you are in and what ones you are not in

Being part of a network takes time and energy – you can’t be part of everything.

What do you want from a network?

DiversityIndependenceDe-centralisation

(Surowiecki, 2004)

AlsoPeople who share your interestsPeople to have fun/sociability with

Weak links and long tails

People who are outside of your core (weak links) can often help you more than those inside.

They are less likely to be like you and therefore less likely to be competing for the same opportunities.

Having lots of contacts is likely to lead to more opportunities than having a few. Even if the few are very important or active.

Lots of people who can help you a bit (the long tail) is better than a few people who can help you a lot.

Online networking

Comment on twitter

What online networks are you active in?

What should you think about when you are active online?

What networks inform your research?

Manage your online networks

Online network Number of contacts

Profile

Twitter 400 Mainly work with some personal stuff. Very active

LinkedIn 40 All work. Not very active.

Facebook 150 All personal. Fun but privacy settings locked down.

Manage your networks

Dunbar’s number = 150

If your network gets too big or noisy you will need to manage it:

• Lose some people

• Organise into sub-networks

• Find other techniques for sifting

Altruistic reasons for networking

Research moves more quickly if ideas are shared

You might be able to help others

Research is a community

Selfish reasons for networking

You’ll know what other researchers in your field are doing

You’ll get information and references that will save you time and help you spot things that you would have missed.

Fame and reputation

People tend to like to employ people who they have prior knowledge of

Today

Today is about building a network that will be useful to you, your research and your career.

You will learn how to use some powerful research tools, but all of them start from the idea of being part of a network.

None of these tools work if only one person is using them.

Your resources for today

In order of importance1. You and your understanding of what you

want to achieve2. Your existing networks3. The other participants and their existing

networks4. Tutors and their networks5. The course materials

Use your network

You

Supervisor/PI

Other researchers in your department

Academics in your department

Librarians

Skills trainers

Other researchers in your institution

People you’ve met at conferences

Friends and family

People on the same listserve lists as you

Academics whose work you have read

Where next

Go to your group rooms

Get into your groups and introduce yourselves

We will be developing a map of your personal learning environment (how you use your networks to learn).

And then…

You will map your disciplines as they appear on the web.

Where and how are the discussions happening?

http://www.adverblog.com/archives/img/online_communities_map.jpg