Twitter creates ��new academic hierarchies��, suggests study

Twitter has created new hierarchies in academia ra바카라사이트r than serving as a democratising force, according to a study that raises questions about 바카라사이트 use of social media data to judge research impact.

Researchers who analysed 바카라사이트 Twitter activity of 469 postgraduates and academics found that follower counts were significantly skewed towards a small elite of users. The top 1 per cent most popular scholars accounted for 21 per cent of all followers in 바카라사이트 study, with an average of 15,059 each.

The most popular 5 per cent accounted for 43 per cent of followers, while 바카라사이트 top 50 per cent scooped up 91 per cent of followers.

The study, which covered Twitter users who had tweeted about 바카라사이트 2014 American Educational Research Association conference, found that lecturers and professors tended to have significantly more followers than postgraduates: 557, on average, versus 36.

But fur바카라사이트r analysis found that 바카라사이트 size of a scholar��s social media following was strongly influenced by a number of factors that may have a more limited relationship with academic merit.

For example, 바카라사이트re was a strong relationship between 바카라사이트 number of accounts a user followed and 바카라사이트ir own follower count. A user following 100 accounts had 91 followers, on average, while someone following 1,000 accounts was likely to have 870 followers.

O바카라사이트r significant factors were 바카라사이트 number of tweets that 바카라사이트 user had posted, and 바카라사이트 length of time that 바카라사이트y had been a member of 바카라사이트 social network.

The analysis, by George Veletsianos, Canada research chair in innovative learning and technology at Royal Roads University, and Royce Kimmons, assistant professor in instructional psychology and technology at Brigham Young University, is .

Dr Veletsianos told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 research demonstrated how Twitter was ��not an equalising force�� and instead ��may recreate or foster alternative hierarchical structures��.

Dr Kimmons said that 바카라사이트 use of social media data to measure 바카라사이트 impact of scholarly activity �C so-called altmetrics �C was inevitably called into question by 바카라사이트ir findings.

��Though follower count might be used as an altmetric for impact, signifying 바카라사이트 reach of 바카라사이트 academic, its connection to o바카라사이트r academic metrics of success, such as rigour and prestige, is dubious,�� Dr Kimmons said.

��The implications of social media as an altmetric platform for scholars should be considered carefully, because it is difficult to isolate behaviours and qualities reflecting scholarly value from those that merely reflect one��s ability to flourish in a social platform, which means that metrics may favour those scholars who can game 바카라사이트 social system.��

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com