Publishers use social media and podcasting to increase awareness of selected articles and other publications to researchers and the public at large, which can help build the careers of researchers and therefore the value of a publisher to authors.
Successful and responsible use of social media and podcasting requires publishers to adopt a formal strategy for each medium. The strategy should complement larger marketing goals, involve editors from the beginning of planning and throughout, involve inclusive communication and language, and be receptive to the opportunities and challenges presented by new and changing platforms and their distinct audiences. As resources allow, implementation of social media and podcasts requires professional staff and/or editors with relevant training and experience.
Publishers’ responsibilities for science communication and literacy are especially important when using social media and podcasting because of the media’s tendency to spread information quickly, their ability to persuade, and the implications of missteps to a publisher’s reputation and the public’s trust in and understanding of the sciences. Publishers should post their social media policies in their author instructions. They also need to present their content accurately and consider how the material may be understood or misunderstood and received by scientists, nonscientists, and pseudoscientists. The suggested strategy should address how to handle controversial and rapidly evolving topics. These topics may require involvement of the editors and an extra layer of review to ensure precise meaning and alignment with the organization’s social media goals. Furthermore, an escalation process should exist to review and address potentially problematic content that a staff member or editor identifies in a podcast recording or social media post.
By Danny Lambert and Heather Goodell
2.8.1 Resources and Case Studies
Fargen, Becky (Rivard). Tweet, Tweet: Social Media Toolkit for CSE Professionals. Science Editor. Available at https://www.csescienceeditor.org/article/tweet-tweet-social-media-toolkit-for-cse-professionals. (Accessed August 18, 2022).
McLeod R, Weinstein A, Lindsay N, MacRae D, Salsbury D. Using Popular Social Media. Science Editor. 2013;36:82. Available at: http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/wp-content/uploads/v36n3p82.pdf. (Accessed July 28, 2022).
Micahel A, Jones, P., Anderson, K, Esposito, J. Rapple C. O’Neill J. Wulf K. Ask The Chefs: What is The Role of Social Media in Scholarly Publishing? Scholarly Kitchen. Available at: https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2016/07/28/ask-the-chefs-what-is-the-role-of-social-media-in-scholarly-publishing/. (Accessed July 28, 2022).
Nwoko EQA. Managing science communication in a post-truth era. Sci Ed. 2021;44:97-98. https://doi.org/10.36591/SE-D-4403-97. (Accessed July 28, 2022).
Regala, J. Are You Fluent in Emoji? Science Editor 2022;45:35-36. https://www.csescienceeditor.org/article/are-you-fluent-in-emoji. (Accessed August 17, 2022).
Schultz, J. Where do we go from here? Sci Ed. 2020;43:106-108. https://www.csescienceeditor.org/article/where-do-we-go-from-here. (Accessed August 18, 2022).
Terra E. Pushing Podcasting The Responsible Way. Podcast Pontifications. https://podcastpontifications.com/episode/pushing-podcasting-the-responsible-way. (Accessed August 19, 2022).
University of Michigan Vice President for Communications. Social media strategy. https://socialmedia.umich.edu/strategy. (Accessed August 18, 2022).
Authorship: Danny Lambert and Heather Goodell, took the lead in authoring this section on behalf of the CSE Editorial Policy Committee. This section was approved by the CSE Board of Directors on May 19th, 2023 and it was added to the CSE Recommendations for Promoting Integrity in Scientific Journal Publications on June 2, 2023.