Understanding researchers’ Twitter uptake, activity and popularity—an analysis of applied research in Germany

David Howoldt (), Henning Kroll, Peter Neuhäusler and Alexander Feidenheimer
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David Howoldt: Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research
Henning Kroll: Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research
Peter Neuhäusler: Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research
Alexander Feidenheimer: Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research

Scientometrics, 2023, vol. 128, issue 1, No 14, 325-344

Abstract: Abstract Social media is opening up new avenues for disseminating research outputs. While prior literature points to the essential role of Twitter in this context, evidence on what determines variation in researchers´ Twitter engagement remains scarce. In this account-level study of Twitter usage, we consider how research productivity, research quality, and participation in academic conferences relate to Twitter uptake, activity and popularity, while also taking into account differences between academic disciplines. We use a population sample comprising data on Twitter engagement of researchers employed at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Europe´s largest applied research organization. We find that participation in academic conferences is strongly associated with Twitter uptake and popularity, but not with Twitter activity as such. We also find positive associations between research productivity and Twitter uptake as well as between research quality and popularity. Moreover, physicists use Twitter more than researchers from other disciplines, female researchers use Twitter less, and scientific age is negatively associated with Twitter activity. Our findings contribute to the literature on academic social media usage by providing indications for both push and pull mechanisms at play within social media research dissemination.

Keywords: Twitter; Research dissemination; Citation impact; Altmetrics; academic conference (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/s11192-022-04569-2

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